The Beautify the Bucket Competition allows participants to take an active role in beautifying Galveston beaches and improving stewardship behaviors. Participants in the competition paint a blue trash barrel destined for Galveston beaches based on a theme: ocean organisms, marine debris, coastal and marine ecosystems, or Galveston recreational activities. After the competition the barrels will be added to Galveston’s beaches where they will be enjoyed by visitors and encourage proper disposal of trash to reduce aquatic trash.

Competitions are hosted to coincide with the Adopt-A-Beach Coast-wide Cleanup events.

2019 competition dates are:

• Saturday April 13th, 2019

Individuals and groups of all ages can register for a barrel to beautify. Registration for the Spring 2019 Beautify the Bucket is Monday, February 18th-Monday, March 18th, 2019. For more information download the registration and information packet >>>

Volunteers are needed for tree maintenance and repotting. Tasks run from light to heavy, and there are opportunities for anyone ages ten and up.

When: the second and last Saturday of every month, 8:00 a.m. to noon.

Where: the green space behind 1801 Neptune Lane, Houston, TX 77062—park on the street, near the bridge, and take the paved trail heading northeast. The nursery is visible from the street.

What to bring: work gloves, mud boots (if you have them), insect repellant, sunscreen, and water.

Join Texas Adopt-a-Beach for a coastwide spring cleanup on the Texas coast. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. The cleanup begins at 9 a.m. Volunteers are asked to wear closed-toe shoes and bring plenty of drinking water. Adopt-A-Beach will provide all necessary materials.

On April 25, 2019, beginning at at 7 p.m., The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. is sponsoring a Going Green Sustainability Lecture by Mary Anne Weber, education director for Houston Audubon’s Raptor and Education Center, titled “Enraptured by Raptors: What Would We Do Without Them,” at the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), 8801 Gosling Road, The Woodlands. Weber will discuss the environmental benefits of these magnificent birds and the dangers they face in an urban and suburban setting. For more information, visit thewoodlandsgreen.org.

Volunteers are needed for tree maintenance and repotting. Tasks run from light to heavy, and there are opportunities for anyone ages ten and up.

When: the second and last Saturday of every month, 8:00 a.m. to noon.

Where: the green space behind 1801 Neptune Lane, Houston, TX 77062—park on the street, near the bridge, and take the paved trail heading northeast. The nursery is visible from the street.

What to bring: work gloves, mud boots (if you have them), insect repellant, sunscreen, and water.

Environment for the Americas coordinates World Migratory Bird Day in North and South America to increase awareness and promote the conservation of migratory birds that we share across borders. Armand Bayou Nature Center will host a full day celebration dedicated to WMBD, featuring 3 Events for you to choose from.

1. Fun-filled Family Event (12-4 p.m.)
   • Lectures, games, and demos
   • Advance tickets available, no reservation required
2. Guided Morning Birding Hike (7-9 a.m.)
   • 1.5-mile hike
   • Reservations required (limited)
3. Behind The Scenes at the Rookery (9:30-11:30 a.m.)
   • Watch herons, egrets, ibis, spoonbills, and anhingas
   • Reservations required (limited)

The AIA Historic Resources committee welcomes Michael Kubo, PhD, Asst. Prof. of architectural history and theory at UofH College of Architecture & Design, to present Concrete & Steel: Reimagining the Modern, Thu, May 30, 6:00pm at Café Brasil. Register here.

Experts are alarmed that climate disruption could collapse our global civilization. In July 2018, U. K. sustainability professor Jem Bendell published the academic paper “Deep Adaptation: A Map for Navigating Climate Tragedy”. In it, he predicts the “near-term collapse in society with serious ramifications for the lives of readers”. He asks us to shift our focus to Deep Adaptation, that is, resilience, relinquishment, restoration and reconciliation.

Our speaker, Tim Mock, will summarize this academic paper.

Citizens took Bendell’s warning seriously. They dowloaded his paper 500,000 times. A growing movement of visionaries have repeated the call to action. In April, David Attenborough said in a special BBC TV program “… if we have not taken dramatic action within the next decade we could face irreversible damage to the natural world and the collapse of our societies. … if we better understand the threat we face, the more likely it is that we can avoid such a catastrophic future.”

In May, Australian experts issued a similar paper “Existential climate-related security risk”. They predict collapse of agriculture in the tropics and a billion climate refugees. They warn that unless we take serious action in the next decade, there’s a good chance society could collapse as soon as 2050.

On May 1, the UK Parliament declared an environmental and climate emergency. On June 14, Pope Francis declared a climate emergency.

The cloud of collapse has a silver lining. Only twice since 1970 have emissions dropped: the 1990 collapse of the Soviet Union and the near-collapse of the global economy in 2008.

The future is calling us to greatness says Reverend Michael Dowd.

Visit their website to register for this event.