MLK National Day of Service, Coastal Texas Study, It’s a Microbial World, Tree Planting Events, Seed Cleaning & Packing Party, Green Jobs, and more

The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Jan. 20, 2020, marks the 25th anniversary of the national day of service that celebrates the Civil Rights leader’s life and legacy. Observed each year on the third Monday in January as “a day on, not a day off,” MLK Day is the only federal holiday designated as a national day of service to encourage all Americans to volunteer to improve their communities.

Local environmental groups in the Houston region offer a vast array of opportunities to volunteer and to serve our community. Not sure where to start? In addition to finding volunteer opportunities here in our newsletter or at CEC’s online calendar, check out these resources for finding local environmental volunteering opportunities:

• VolunteerHouston.org–opportunities with CEC and several of its member organizations, including Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Willow Waterhole Greenspace Conservancy, Mercer Botanic Garden, TWRC Wildlife Center, Memorial Park Conservancy, Nature Discovery Center, Recipe for Success, Armand Bayou Nature Center, BikeHouston, Galveston Bay Foundation, Hermann Park Conservancy, and the Houston Chapter of the Native Prairies Association of Texas.
• VolunteerMatch.org–Many organizations, including most of the above, also post opportunities on this national site, where you can search for both local and virtual opportunities.
• Allforgood.org, a service of the Points of Light volunteer organization.
• EarthShare of Texas provides, among other things, suggestions for corporate volunteer groups.
• CECHouston.org–Volunteer with CEC! In 2019, dozens of volunteers contributed almost 2000 hours of their time helping with everything from this newsletter to selecting films for our upcoming film festival to board service. We are also recruiting volunteers for Earth Day Houston, to be held on Sunday, April 19, 2020, at Discovery Green.

Among our favorite calls are inquiries about volunteer opportunities; with a community of almost 150 member organizations, CEC can suggest great volunteer opportunities for everyone. If you are new to town or new to environmental volunteering, please get in touch.

Scroll down to read notes from our member organizations and the community, or view the emailed version of the newsletter, which includes a green job listing.

---

CEC NOTES

Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Tour

If you’re looking for a fun, indoor activity in January, consider the Wild and Scenic Film Festival at the River Oaks Theatre on January 28 and 29, 2020. Festival tickets are now on sale through Eventbrite.

Hosted by the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, this increasingly popular film fest features ten short films, showcasing subjects ranging from fishing bats, to boys with butterflies, to girls on glaciers. Different films show each night; purchase a pass to see them all.

The festival tells local environmental stories, highlights the work of CEC member organizations, and inspires our community to make a difference in the environment and quality of life. Each night, a different local film will be shown that was chosen by the audience of our Wild About Houston Green Film Festival. This year’s winning videos are from the Environmental Defense Fund, Houston Parks Board, and Buffalo Bayou Partnership.

Please help us promote the festival by sharing our Facebook event page.

THANK YOU to our Projector Sponsors: Houston Parks Board, Kirksey Architecture and Bat Conservation International.

We are thankful for our additional sponsors: Hydroshack, Texas Coastal Exchange, Lower Brazos Riverwatch, Friends of Woodland Park, Cacao and Cardamom, McMac CX, The Nature Conservancy, Americas’, Veritex Bank, Armand Bayou Nature Center, Houston BCycle, Vossos Landscape Design, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Asakura Robinson and One Breath Partnership

Contact [email protected] to become a sponsor, or visit our sponsorship page. Sign up for additional news about the Houston Green Film Series on our Constant Contact form.

---

Earth Day Houston: Exhibitor Registration now available

Earth Day Houston, part of the 50th worldwide observance, will be held at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 19, 2020.

• Volunteer opportunities are available at earthdayhouston.org/volunteer/. 
• Register to exhibit! Early registration through December 31.
• Learn about sponsorship opportunities!

---

Scroll down to read notes from our member organizations and the community, or view the emailed version of the newsletter, which includes a green job listing.

Continue reading →

The King Sings Green, High Island Sanctuaries, Forest Health Day, Trash in Our Waterways, East End Lagoon Nature Walk, Green Jobs, and more

Well, the holiday season is behind us, but today marks a special day of another sort. On this day in 1935, Elvis Presley was born in Tupulo, Mississippi!

At first glance, the King may not seem to have much to do with the environment, But — go with us here — if you look more closely, you can see that environmental themes ran throughout his esteemed body of work.

Don’t believe us? How about “All I Needed Was the Rain,” included on his 1968 album Elvis Sings Flaming Star? Or “America the Beautiful” from the 1975 Elvis Aron Presley?

And it doesn’t stop there! Here is just a sampling of songs (via Wikipedia) that demonstrate just how deeply Elvis cared about the splendors of the natural world: “Beyond the Reef.” “Blue Hawaii.” “Blue River.” “Clean Up Your Own Backyard.” “Early Morning Rain.” “Green, Green Grass of Home.” “Hawaiian Sunset.” “A Little Bit of Green.” “My Desert Serenade.” “Paradise, Hawaiian Style.” “Pocketful of Rainbows.” “Thanks to the Rolling Sea.” “There Is So Much World to See.” “When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano.” “Wild in the Country.” And of course, “Wolf Call.”

Did me miss any? Drop us a line at our Facebook page. But, please, don’t be cruel.

The photo above, courtesy of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, shows species at — not beyond — protected but still threatened coral reefs 70 miles off the Texas coast.

Scroll down to read notes from our member organizations and the community, or view the emailed version of the newsletter, which includes a green job listing.

---

CEC NOTES

Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Tour

If you’re looking for a fun, indoor activity in January, consider the Wild and Scenic Film Festival at the River Oaks Theatre on January 28 and 29, 2020.

Hosted by the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, this increasingly popular film fest features ten short films, showcasing subjects ranging from fishing bats, to boys with butterflies, to girls on glaciers. Different films show each night; purchase a pass to see them all.

The festival tells local environmental stories, highlights the work of CEC member organizations, and inspires our community to make a difference in the environment and quality of life. Each night, a different local film will be shown that was chosen by the audience of our Wild About Houston Green Film Festival. This year’s winning videos are from the Environmental Defense Fund, Houston Parks Board, and Buffalo Bayou Partnership.

Festival tickets are now on sale through Eventbrite. Please help us promote the festival by sharing our Facebook event page.

THANK YOU to our Projector Sponsors: Houston Parks Board, Kirksey and Bat Conservation International!

We are thankful for our Film Sponsors: Hydroshack, Texas Coastal Exchange, Lower Brazos Riverwatch, Friends of Woodland Park, Cacao and Cardamom, McMac CX, The Nature Conservancy, Americas, Vossos Landscape Design

Promotional partners include: Houston Canoe Club, Armand Bayou Nature Center, Bayou Preservation Association, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Houston Community Partnerships and Engagement, The Lazy Gardener and Friends, Houston Film Commission, Katy Prairie Conservancy, Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, Native Plant Society-Clear Lake Chapter and Houston Chapter, Houston Audubon, Texas Association for Environmental Education, HERE in Houston, 14 Pews, Henderson & Kane General Store, Houston Sierra Club.

Contact [email protected] to become a sponsor, or visit our sponsorship page. Sign up for additional news about the Houston Green Film Series on our Constant Contact form.

---

Earth Day Houston: Exhibitor Registration now available

Earth Day Houston, part of the 50th worldwide observance, will be held at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 19, 2020.

• Volunteer opportunities are available at earthdayhouston.org/volunteer/. 
• Register to exhibit! Early registration through December 31.
• Learn about sponsorship opportunities!

---

Scroll down to read notes from our member organizations and the community, or view the emailed version of the newsletter, which includes a green job listing.

Continue reading →

Happy New Year, Predictions & Reflections, Bird Counts, EJ News, Green Jobs, Healthy Gulf, Green Coast, and more

We would like to start the year by expressing our gratitude to you, our supporters, for being part of our environmental community. You stay informed by reading our newsletter, and many of you share what you learn, are involved in activities and opportunities, and make a difference. Many of you have participated in events, engaged on social media, or donated-THANK YOU!

We’d also like to know what you are thinking about for the coming year. Please take a few minutes to fill out part or all of our survey for 2020. We ask:

• What do you see as issues or events of importance to the greater Houston region’s environmental community in 2020?
• What headline would you like to see about the Houston environment in 2020?
• What is your environmental resolution for 2020? (If you want to volunteer more with an environmental organization–hint, hint–email [email protected])

Earlier this year, we asked you what you what you thought were the most significant accomplishments, controversies, issues, news, and events in the greater Houston region impacting the environment. Here are some of your responses:

• Industrial disasters, including the ITC Fire, KPMC, ExxonMobil, and Port Neches, among others
• Tropical Storm Imelda
• Public involvement by the City of Houston for the development of a Climate Action Plan and a Resilience Plan
• Harris County’s decisions to passage of the Harris Thrives policy to prioritize flood bond projects based on social vulnerability, as well as their decisions to increase funding for Pollution Control Services Department 
• In transportation, we saw controversy around the I-45 North Houston Highway Improvement Project, MetroNext transit planning and bond approval, publication of the City of Houston’s Electric Vehicle Roadmap, and actions toward Vision Zero policies by the Texas Department of Transportation and the City of Houston to work to end traffic deaths
• The City of Houston adopted a $2 billion consent decree with the EPA and State of Texas for a 15-year process of addressing wastewater pollution and failing infrastructure across the entire city. (The vote was followed by a public comment period; final decree has not been released.)
• Public meetings regarding the $31 billion Coastal Spine Project, or Ike Dike, and subsequent ongoing response to feedback–and an alternative from the SSPEED Center, the Galveston Bay Park Plan
• An Environmental Justice Mayoral Candidate Forum
• Continued rollbacks of federal environmental laws and the start of the formal process to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement

What did we miss? Send your suggestions to [email protected]

Thank you to Wendy Wright for sharing the banner photo of a Great Egret. See more of her bird photos in the ‘Zines she produces for the White Oak Bayou Association.

---

Scroll down to read notes from our member organizations and the community, or view the emailed version of the newsletter, which includes a green job listing.

---

CEC NOTES

Wild & Scenic Film Festival on Tour

If you’re looking for a fun, indoor activity in January, consider the Wild and Scenic Film Festival at the River Oaks Theatre. Early bird discount tickets end TUESDAY, January 7. 

Hosted by the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, this ever-popular film fest will be January 28 & 29, where patrons will enjoy ten short films, showcasing subjects ranging from fishing bats, to boys with butterflies, to girls on glaciers. Different films show each night; purchase a pass to see them all.

CEC uses this festival to tell local environmental stories, highlight the work of our member organizations, and inspire our community to make a difference in the environment and quality of life. Each night, a different local film will be shown that was a winner of the Wild About Houston Green Film Festival. This year’s winning videos are from the Environmental Defense Fund, Houston Parks Board, and Buffalo Bayou Partnership.

Festival tickets are now on sale through Eventbrite. Please help us promote the festival by sharing our Facebook event page.

THANK YOU to our Projector Sponsors:

• Kirksey Architecture
• Houston Parks Board
• Bat Conservation International

We are thankful for our Film Sponsors: Hydroshack, Texas Coastal Exchange, Lower Brazos Riverwatch, Friends of Woodland Park, Cacao and Cardamom, McMac CX, The Nature Conservancy, Americas, and Vossos Landscape Design.

Contact [email protected] to become a sponsor, or visit our sponsorship page. Sign up for additional news about the Houston Green Film Series on our Constant Contact form.

---

Earth Day Houston: Exhibitor Registration now available

Earth Day Houston, part of the 50th worldwide observance, will be held at Discovery Green on Sunday, April 19, 2020.

• Volunteer opportunities are available at earthdayhouston.org/volunteer/. 
• Register to exhibit! Early registration through December 31.
• Opportunities to sponsor will be available soon.

---

Scroll down to read notes from our member organizations and the community, or view the emailed version of the newsletter, which includes a green job listing.

Continue reading →