What do Houston toads, Attwater’s prairie chickens, and black bears have in common?  They are all part of our diverse Texas wildlife and the Zoo works with other organizations to help save them in the wild. Come enjoy a night out at the Houston Zoo just for Educators!  This one of a kind evening will feature ambassador animals, new STEAM activities, a special keeper chat and much more.  Earn 3 CPE hours while enjoying a night out just for you.  Light appetizers and drinks will be provided. For more information, and to register, visit houstonzoo.doubleknot.com/event.

H-GAC is planning three Texas Stream Team Phase I and II volunteer water quality monitor training sessions across the region. This training is open to volunteers interested in conducting water quality monitoring in the greater Houston-Galveston area. Both Phase I and Phase II of the training will be completed in this one-day training session. This training is limited to 10 participants. 

Currently more than 400 Texas Stream Team volunteers, including about 100 in the Houston-Galveston region, collect important water quality data on lakes, rivers, and streams as part of this statewide program.

Mark your calendars for the sixth annual Hermann Park Conservancy Kite Festival on Sunday, March 24!

Join thousands of your fellow Houstonians from all over the city as they gather on Miller Hill to fly kites of all shapes and colors.

This free festival is a day full of live entertainment, interactive activities and crafts, face painting, food trucks, and–of course—kite flying!

Hermann Park Conservancy Kite Festival
Sunday, March 24, 2019
10 am – 5 pm
Miller Hill and Jones Reflection Pool

On April 17, 2019, from 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and its partner organizations will host an Urban Riparian and Stream Restoration Training at the South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center, 8545 S Staples St., Corpus Christi. The training will focus on natural design processes for stream restoration projects. For more information and to register, visit secure.touchnet.com.

First we volunteer, then we beer! Meet behind the Cullen Running Trails Center to help Memorial Park Conservancy in our volunteering efforts, then hang out and enjoy a complimentary Saint Arnold Brewing Company beer (or 2). Lawn Games and Food trucks will be onsite too!

When: National Public Lands Day

When is that: September 28 @ 4:00pm to 7:30pm

Where: Meet behind the Cullen Running Trails Center. 7575 N Picnic Ln, 77007 (it’s a building)

Why: Is there a better way to join the conservation efforts at Houston’s most awesome park?

What to wear: Pants and close-toed shoes.

Kid friendly: Yes! Non-alcoholic beverages will be provided.

Food Trucks: Yes!

Shell Educators’ Preview: Start your evening at 4 p.m. and earn one hour of CPE credit while viewing our newly renovated George W. Strake Hall of Malacology.

HMNS’ Educator Members will have an opportunity to speak to Tina Petway, the
Museum’s Associate Curator of Malacology, during the Shell Educators’ Preview.
As a special treat, all guests will also be able to visit our newest special exhibition,
Art of the Brick until 6:00 p.m.!

The Educator Event @HMNS: Continue your evening with us starting at 5 p.m.
and earn up to three additional hours of CPE credit depending on which
programming you attend. HMNS is featuring several ways to earn CPE credit from
attending workshops to taking a guided tour to seeing a show in our Planetarium.
Educators are able to earn a total of up to 4 hours of CPE credit while attending
HMNS’, An Evening for Educators!

Registration Information
Educators: Free
Non-Educators: $10.00

(Pricing includes entry to the George W. Strake Hall of Malacology and Art of the Brick)
Registration begins Tuesday, July 30th and ends Wednesday, October 2nd.
Please complete the online form at hmns.org/eveningforeducators to reserve your spot. For questions, contact educatorevent@hmns.org.

Interested in Urban Forestry? Come join Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, HAUFC and ISA-TX for a great day of education. Topics include: Emerald Ash Borer – Coming to a City Near You, Using Tree Growth Regulators to Reduce Pruning Costs, and Greening the Houston Region – Partnerships and Projects that Support the Urban Forest.

Walking Tour

Willow Waterhole is hosting a free walking tour on Saturday, December 21, at 10 AM. The tour is 60-90 minutes in length and is easily walk able for all ages. Plenty of parking is available at 11350 Ricecrest and they will meet under the big oak tree. Please join to learn about the history of their green space, upcoming events, and future plans. Dogs are welcome on leash.

Come learn more about Houston Audubon’s work and how you can get involved! There will be an hour long presentation in the historic log cabin followed by a walk in the woods. This is the perfect opportunity if you’ve been wanting to do more for birds and the environment but aren’t sure how.

CELF Citizen Science: Inquiry to Action is a semester-long program that engages educators and students in project-based STEAM learning outside of the classroom. Tailored to each school and community location, we offer professional learning workshops for teachers paired with on-site support to implement a project-based learning module that  connects students to real-world challenges in their own neighborhoods. The program culminates in a Spring 2020 Student Symposium, bringing together all participating schools to present their findings and pollution-prevention plans to community members and real-world policy makers. The program combines the development of 21st century skills with the motivation and creativity generated by solving a problem in one’s own community.

Participants in the program will:

• Implement a project-based STEAM learning unit.

• Participate in professional learning workshops paired with on-site educator support.

• Collect data with AirBeam monitoring technology combined with HabitatMap crowd-sourced data sharing platform.

• Focus on air-quality while learning pedagogical principles that apply to a range of citizen science learning opportunities.

• Engage with local concerns through student-led inquiry.

This opportunity is grant-funded. Join one of the workshops, connect with our educators for on-site support, and come together with other classes implementing this program at our 2020 Spring Student Symposium.

If you attend one of two professional development opportunities you can attain 2-hours of Continuing Professional Education credit, receive an air quality monitor, connect with local environmental partners, and enjoy a free lunch with fellow educators. You will also gain access to the 2020 Student Symposium, the culminating event for the program.