Join the prairie community of southeast Texas and coastal Louisiana as we celebrate the great work happening locally to save, restore, and teach prairies. We will present awards to prairie champions and enjoy a delicious potluck dinner. Register today!

Going Green in Houses of Worship – Learn from Others!

The Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston invites you to learn how houses of worship in Houston are going green and consider what you could do in your own house of worship. Join speakers of a variety of faith backgrounds who will discuss work in their houses of worship to go green in their building, grounds, worship services, community service projects, advocacy, educational programs, and more. After each speaker presents on their work, we will have break-out sessions where you can discuss your challenges in going green in your house of worship and get tips from others. People of all faiths are encouraged to attend, as are representatives of local environmental non-profits that would like to work with people of faith on environmental issues. Please join us! The Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston acts to empower the faith community in the greater Houston area to act and advocate on behalf of the environment. For more information about this event, or the Interfaith Environmental Network of Houston, please contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com.

On Jan. 26, from 9:45-11 a.m., Christ the King Lutheran Church will host a presentation by Dr. Stephen Long, a public health physician, on the EAT Lancet Commission on Food, Planet & Health: Healthy Diets from Sustainable Food Systems report. This study, compiled by 37 scientists and other experts from 16 countries, aims to establish a global food economy that could combat chronic diseases in wealthy nations like ours and provide better nutrition for poor ones, all without destroying the planet. For more information, see the Facebook event.

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.    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.

Raise funds for the Lawther-Deer Park Prairie Education Program, honor Susan and Peter Conaty, participate in auctions, and test your prairie knowledge with this fun program.

Join the Parks and Natural Areas (PNA) Roundtable on Monday, March 9, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at H-GAC Conference Room A, Second Floor.

Attendees will learn about the Nature and Eclectic Outdoors’ Healthy Outdoor Communities initiative and Exploration Green, an award-winning parks and natural areas project in the region. They’ll also discuss the time and date for the spring field trip.

The PNA Roundtable meets the second Monday of January, March, May, July, September and November and is open to anyone interested in participating.

On May 18, Kinder will offer the same great program spotlighting Stephen Klineberg and his transformational Kinder Houston Area Survey, along with insights from Rice University and community leadership. Proudly, they will also honor Rev. William A. Lawson for his many years of service to Houston and its people. All will be offered online for our entire community to enjoy freely, safely and comfortably.

Registrants will receive instructions via email on how to access the program closer to the program date.

11:30 a.m. Digital Registration

2020 Kinder Houston Area Survey and other materials made available to access online and download

12:00 p.m. Lunch-Out Program

Grab your lunch, and from the comfort of your preferred location, explore findings from Stephen Klineberg’s 39th Kinder Houston Area Survey, with insights from Rice University President David Leebron, Houston Education Research Consortium Director Ruth N. López Turley, and Kinder Institute Director Bill Fulton. The Lunch-Out will also honor Rev. William A. Lawson for his 60+ years of service to Houston and its people.

Christ the King Evangelical Lutheran Church invites you to a monthly environmental education web meeting series whose theme in 2020 is The Wonders of Nature.

Lady beetles, or ladybugs, have long been recognized as one of the best biological controls for many insect pests in both home gardens and agri-business. The diversity in this family of insects has been well-characterized yet they have largely been represented by only a few select species which have been introduced in the U.S. via different methods. So, who are our native lady beetles? What are their dietary preferences and habitat needs? This presentation is an introduction to some of the native lady beetles in the greater Houston area and an overview of their biology and habitat needs. Additionally, the presentation will explore threats to lady beetle populations, how iNaturalist can be used as a tool to discover who our native lady beetles, and some of the misconceptions about these fascinating insects. Join this conversation with Rebecca Lloyd, Texas Master Naturalist, as we wonder at Texas Lady beetles! Contact Lisa Brenskelle at gcs.lrc@gmail.com with any questions about this talk.

The Living Coast performance combines original music, live narration, and cinematic images of the Texas gulf coast.  Surfers and sailors, shrimpers and oilmen, poets and scientists all share their stories about this complicated region of serene beauty, vast industry, and incredible contradictions.  Supported by a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts, the concert will tour throughout Texas and the midwest in 2020.

The Living Coast film was produced by cinematographer Anlo Sepulveda and drone pilot Reagan Jobe.  Climate scientists Wendy Gordon and Megan O’Connell perform on stage with Montopolis as well as providing educational outreach before and after the concerts.