Calendar
H-GAC’s Parks and Natural Areas Summit and Awards Ceremony will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, February 14, 2020, at H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor. The Summit will include presentations on trends and topics related to parks and natural areas.
The event will also include the annual Parks and Natural Areas Awards recognition ceremony. These projects serve as models for planning and project implementation for parks and natural areas in the region. Projects will be honored in three categories: Planning Process, On-the-Ground Projects Over $500,000, and On-the-Ground Projects Under $500,000.
A light breakfast will be served. Registration and breakfast begin at 9:00 a.m., followed by topic speakers at 9:30 a.m. The awards program will begin at 10:30 a.m. and will be followed by networking until noon.
Agenda
9:00 a.m. Â Â Registration and Breakfast
9:30 a.m.   Presentation – Claire Hempel, Design Worskshop, Equity In Parks
10:00 a.m. Presentation – Katie Coyne, Asakura Robinson, TBA
10:30 a.m. Parks and Natrual Areas Annual Awards Ceremony
11:30 a.m. Networking
The Parks and Natural Areas roundtable serves as a forum for discussion of issues related to parks and natural areas and promotes the Parks and Natural Areas awards program. The roundtable facilitates information exchange and planning efforts between various stakeholders and collaborators to protect and preserve parks and natural areas across the region.
Celebrate National Invasive Species Awareness Week by learning about common invasive plant species in the Texas Gulf Coast region and how they affect the local environment. Spend the morning visiting with and learning from local plant experts to understand more about the effects of invasive plant species in our public lands and our own backyards. Learn which Texas native plants can be selected to replace invasive species in your garden.
The morning includes presentations, educational booths, a make-your-own seed ball station, a Texas native tree giveaway hosted by Precinct 4’s Legacy Trees Project, and breakfast refreshments.
Research scientist Erin Kinney with Houston Advanced Research Center will share information on HARC’s invasive species guide and website at 9:30 a.m. Kinney will explain how to navigate galvbayinvasives.org and how to use the online tools to become familiar with local invasive species and their impact on the ecosystems.
Della Barbato, the director of education at the Native Prairies Association of Texas, will present “Nine Natives†at 11 a.m. The discussion will cover nine native plants that are not only beautiful and easy to grow but beneficial for pollinators and wildlife.
Visitors can also explore educational booths provided by the Mercer Botanical Center, Harris County Master Gardeners – a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, the Native Plant Society of Texas, HARC, Baldwin Boettcher Branch Library, and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
This is a free event offered at Mercer’s East Side Gardens. No registration required. This is an outdoor event–dress for the weather. For more information, call 713-274-4160.
Training and certification to conduct Texas Project WILD, Aquatic WILD, and Growing Up WILD workshops – prerequisite required
Share WILD with your peers and colleagues! Join the corps of volunteer Facilitators who lead the suite of Project WILD workshops. After attending this two-day workshop, participants may be certified to facilitate Project WILD, Aquatic WILD, and Growing Up WILD professional development workshops for formal and informal educators.
Must have previously attended a Project WILD or Aquatic WILD regular educator workshop and be willing to lead one workshop per year.
Receive 12 hours TEA-approved CPE hours.
Local and state officials are seasoned professionals in crisis response. Yet, the array of risks they face–cyber attacks, severe weather and domestic terrorism–are challenging the conventional wisdom of crisis management. Adapting to the new normal of disasters demands a renewed approach. At this event, Route Fifty will explore how Houston in the wake of repeat disasters is assessing its future risk, planning for the challenges ahead and renewing its spirit of resilience.
Confirmed Speakers:Â
- Marissa Aho, AICP, Chief Resilience Officer, Office of Mayor Sylvester Turner, City of Houston
- TaKasha L. Francis, Director, Department of Neighborhoods, City of Houston
- Michael Dailey, Chief, Outreach Programs Branch, Region VI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency)
- Alison Hare, MIA, Community Resilience Officer, Office of Public Health Preparedness & Response, Harris County Public Health
- Jeffry Evans, Meteorologist in Charge, National Weather Service, Houston/Galveston, TX
- Kyle Shelton, PhD, Deputy Director, Kinder Institute for Urban Research, Rice University
Drink up the benefits of water conservation and learn how to build a rain barrel at home.
Have you wondered how to identify trees in our forests? Now is your chance to learn the basics of tree identification by learning to use a key guide and spot characteristics of our most common tree species in the area.
New to the EcoRise Eco-Audit Grant Process and want to learn how to walk students through a student written grant process to get their sustainability ideas funded? Join us for this one-hour introductory webinar!
EcoRise will:
-Review the curriculum/resource platform
-View examples
-Discuss facilitation ideas
EcoRise will use Zoom video platform. Please be sure your camera and video are working in advance of the webinar. Use the link below to log into the meeting. It takes about 1-2 minutes to get set up before the meeting.Join us via laptop at: https://zoom.us/s/9624181171
**Webinar is for PreK-12 teachers only. Please respond to confirmation email to secure your spot.
Already an EcoRise teacher and need some one-on-one guidance? Schedule an Eco-Audit Grant Check In:
https://calendly.com/ecorisekristi/15min
Insects can be great visitors in the garden by helping to pollinate our plants and feeding on other pest insects. Discuss the differences between friends and foes, and create a bug box to take home.
EVENT CANCELLED
What in the natural world can be used to make dye for cloth? The forest is replete with natural materials to dye cloth. Join us for this hands-on demonstration learning to dye different types of cloth with various natural materials.
EVENT CANCELLED.
UHCL’s College of Education would like to invite you to the STEM conference, “STEM Innovations and Impact on Educational Communities” on Saturday, April 4, 2020. This conference will bring together leading experts and researchers from around the Greater Houston Area to focus on topics that impact K–12 STEM education. Educators will present what they are doing including hands-on activities, research, and programs as each relates to STEM. Participants will attend break-out sessions and tour some of the research facilities located at University of Houston-Clear Lake, along with earning 7 CPEs for attendance.