The Houston-Galveston Area Council’s May Brown Bag Lunch will feature a presentation called “Port of Houston: Looking Ahead” by Richard Bymes, the Port’s Chief Infrastructure Officer.

How Clean are Galveston Bay’s waters? What is being done to protect them? What can I do to help?

Join GBF as we tackle these questions and enjoy happy hour at Tommy’s Restaurant.

When: Monday, May 21st, 2018; 5:30-7:00pm

Where: Tommy’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar.
2555 Bay Area Blvd, Houston, Texas 77058

Summer is around the corner! And that means swimming, boating, and fishing, all of which depend on a healthy Galveston Bay. Galveston Bay Foundation works to ensure that our Bay remains fishable and swimmable, both this summer and for many seasons to come. Join GBF to learn more about this work, current water quality findings for Galveston Bay, and what you can do to help maintain a safe and healthy Bay.

Appetizers will be provided by Tommy’s Oyster Bar. Registration is required. Click the link to RSVP, or email waterquality@galvbay.org.

The Kinder Institute for Urban Research welcomes Amy Liu, vice president and director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings and the Adeline M. and Alfred I. Johnson Chair in Urban and Metropolitan Policy. Liu’s presentation “Resilience and Opportunity Following Disruptive Events” explores how to stay resilient during natural and man-made disasters. For more information and to register, visit kinder.rice.edu/events.

Join Amy Liu, vice president and director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at The Brookings Institution, as she discusses economic development, regional innovation and lessons learned from Hurricanes Harvey and Katrina.

The Water Efficiency Network of the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation Network welcomes Jason Afinowicz, P.E., Associate and Project Manager for Freese and Nichols, Inc., in a talk titled “Regional Water Planning: What Is It & Why Is It Important to Me?”

Jason Afinowicz is managing the Region H Water Plan, a part of the Texas State Water Plan. In 1997, the state legislature determined that a Texas State Water Plan for the 2000-2050 timeframe would be developed through a regional water planning approach. Revised plans would be developed every 5 years. To accomplish this, 16 “regional” water planning groups were formed. Montgomery County and all or part of 15 other counties in our area are within Region H. The stakeholder-driven process includes the culmination of a long-range plan to meet the region’s need for water in 2070, when the population of the region is expected to reach almost 12 million people, as well as the sustained growth of the region’s massive industrial complex. Region H is in the fifth cycle of the 5-year planning process and is currently preparing the 2021-2071 plan. Each plan includes determining how much water the region will need over the 50-year period (demand), the supply of water that is available during that time frame (available groundwater, surface water, etc.), and what strategies the region can implement in order to meet deficits (desalination, new reservoirs, increased conservation, etc.). This process affects every resident and business in Montgomery County and the region. Moreover, Region H wants you to get involved.

Join Buffalo Bayou Partnership on a Wellness Walk led by Laura Conely, founder of Urban Paths Wellness Coaching. Anyone and everyone is invited to walk through the paths of Buffalo Bayou Park while discussing topics including mental and physical health as well as the benefits of being exposed to nature. Walks depart at 9 am and cover 3 miles in 1.5 hours.

The event is free, open to the public and includes a light lunch.

Hurricane Harvey dumped 13 trillion gallons of rain on southeast Texas in August of 2017. Do extreme storm events like Harvey impact the coral reefs off Texas’ coast in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary? Dr. Correa shares ongoing research connecting the Gulf Coast, extreme weather, and reef ecosystems.

HMNS Members $12. Tickets $18.

This talk takes place at Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church and online, via a simultaneous web meeting.

Harris County Master Gardener event & plant sale