The Adult Owl Prowl is the perfect way to spend a Saturday night in nature. Learn about the wise and wonderful owls you can find in Houston, and get up close and personal with live owls from the Wildlife Center of Texas. After the presentation, participants will head out into the woods to look for owls (and other nocturnal animals) along the Arboretum trails. Enjoy light snacks, wine, beer, and hot drinks to warm you up after the night’s walk.

Eligible applicants include:

• Local Governments
• Businesses & Industry
• Non-Profit Organizations
• Universities and Educational Institutions
• Utility Districts

The Water Innovation Strategies of Excellence (WISE) Awards recognize innovative strategies and projects in the Houston-Galveston region that serve as models for improving water quality. Joint applications for larger, collaborative projects are encouraged. Winning projects must exhibit efficiency, effectiveness, and innovation and serve as models to improve surface water quality. Applications must be completed online by Feb. 6, 2019, at noon. For more information, visit h-gac.com.

The 34th annual Fort Bend Regional Vegetable Conference is a celebration of vegetable production along the upper Gulf Coast region. Varying counties join Fort Bend to put on this event together, focusing on teaching sustainable practices to help producers maximize efficiencies and profitability.

Save the date for H-GAC’s first Parks and Natural Areas Summit and Awards Ceremony from 9 a.m. to noon Friday, February 8, 2019, at H-GAC Conference Room B, Second Floor. The Summit will include presentations about various H-GAC programs that can provide goods, services, technical assistance, and funding for parks and natural areas projects.

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 will open in late December or early January. Registration and breakfast begin at 8:30 a.m., followed by the H-GAC program showcase at 9 a.m. The awards program will be followed by networking with H-GAC staff and other parks professionals.

The Summit will include presentations about various H-GAC programs that can provide goods, services, technical assistance, and funding for parks and natural areas projects. 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. The event will also include the annual Parks and Natural Areas Awards recognition ceremony. The awards program will be followed by networking with H-GAC staff and other parks professionals.

Houston Arboretum & Nature Center’s always-popular Tapas on the Trails is back for Valentine’s Day 2019. Bring your special someone for a romantic evening getaway without leaving the city.

Enjoy a softly-lit walk through the Arboretum’s nature sanctuary, pausing along the way to indulge in four delicious French-inspired courses and a few other treats from Cotton Culinary, paired perfectly with carefully selected beers and wines. Guests receive a commemorative glass to take home. The evening ends at the Nature Center, where guests will enjoy sparkling wine, handcrafted desserts, a coffee bar, and the opportunity to meet a live owl.

Help raise funds for the Arboretum’s mission of conservation and nature education while enjoying our most unique event of the year.

Bring your sweetheart to Hermann Park on Valentine’s Day. Enjoy a romantic dinner while watching the sun set on the Pinewood Cafe patio, then cruise around the lake on a pedal-boat ride.

Reservations are required for seating times at either 5:30 or 7:00. Beer and wine are available for purchase. Tickets are non-refundable.

Hit the Hill with Nature Heritage Society for a fun and exhilarating hike. All ages and fitness levels are welcome. It’s a family affair. The Trail is approximately 2.5 miles; shorter routes are available. Registration will begin at 8:45 a.m., and the hike will follow shortly after at 9.

Come explore a different section of Baytown Nature Center in the hopes of seeking nocturnal animal inhabitants. All sorts of things have been seen: no lions, tigers, or bears, but definitely raccoons, opossums, coyotes, owls, fireflies, and even flying squirrels.

Hikers are asked to wear comfortable clothing. Young children should not attend since hikers have a better chance of viewing nocturnal animals in a relatively quiet atmosphere. Hikers, please meet at the Visitor’s Center.