Category Archives: Coalition Notes

Houston Environmental News Update January 15, 2020

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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

Audience at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival at River Oaks Theatre.
VOTE

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.

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 →

Houston Environmental News Update January 8, 2020

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Various species at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

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

Audience at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival at River Oaks Theatre.
VOTE

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.

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 →

Houston City Council Agenda – January 7, 2020

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The City will consider the following agenda items at the Houston City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 7, 2020, in the City Hall Chamber at 1:30 PM (public comment) and at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, January 8, 2019.  The agenda includes recommendations to keep up with the City’s request-based sidewalks in areas in which it will meet the needs of its residence, final contract amount for the City’s Water Replacement program and the purchase of the Parcel KY17-030 for the easement acquisition for the 108-inch Water Line Project. The agenda also includes multiple ordinances pertaining to agreements made between the City of Houston and the Texas Water Board, the City of Houston and Environmental Defense Fund, the Citywide Street and Traffic Rehabilitation 2 with SP Engineering and final approval of the Professional Engineering Service Contract with Lockwood, Andrew & Newman INC,. 

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