Bayou Banner March 2017

The Bayou Banner

March 2017 Edition

General Meeting, March 9, 2017 — Sarah Bernhardt from Galveston Bay Estuary Program

On Thursday evening, March 9, we welcome Sarah Bernhardt, PhD program manager at the Galveston Bay Estuary Program. Bernhardt will provide an overview of the Estuary Program, the Galveston Bay Council, and the Galveston Bay Plan (“The Plan”). She will specially focus on the ongoing revision of the Plan and note opportunities for involvement as well as public input.
Note: for the program this month, the meeting will take place in a different room, we will be meeing in Haven’s Center at St. Stephen’s. Next month we plan on resuming meetings in Pecore Hall.
The event is free and open to the public at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 1805 West Alabama, Houston. Main program starts 7:30 PM. Doors open 7:00 PM.

Galveston Bay Plan

The Galveston Bay Estuary Program’s revision of the 22 year old Galveston Bay Plan (Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan) continued on March 1, 2017, with its second workshop.
You can continue to submit comments.
Go here for more information.

Battery Recycling

A bill has been filed in the Texas Legislature, HB1874 that calls for expanded battery recycling options for Texas citizens. This bill is similar to the Producer Takeback recycling laws covering TVs and computers that were passed by the TX legislature in 2007 and 2011. Because of the volume of batteries in general use, and toxicity of many types, it is time that the Producer Takeback approach is applied to the proliferation of household batteries, including regular alkaline batteries. No batteries should end up in landfills (including alkaline).
Go here for more information.

Reusable Bags

We now have Sierra Club’s reusable nylon shopping bags available at our general meeting sales table. The bags are shown in the picture here, modeled by some health care workers in Guatemala who are trying to reduce plastic bag pollution in their community by promoting reusable bags.
Go here for more information.

Public Lands

Your help is needed right now to stop any effort by the U.S. Congress and the Trump Administration from selling off our national birthright, our public lands.
One of the first orders of business that Republicans in the U.S. Congress took up was to change the budget rules for the U.S. House of Representatives. This budget rules change denies that federal lands have any value at all!
Go here for more information.

Yard Sale

Need to weed out a few things? This is advance notice of the our Houston Sierra Club annual yard sale, where you can “recycle” no longer needed items. The planned date for this year’s sale is Saturday, May 6, to be held at “CORAZON Fair Trade”, 2318 Waugh (at the corner with Fairview in Montrose). We will gladly accept most saleable items, including clothing, knickknacks, furniture, books, etc. We also need help the day of the sale, particularly for the morning set up and the afternoon knock-down.
Go here for more information.

YA Sustainability

On February 9, 2017, five young people took center stage to share their sustainability efforts. We learned Millennials are on the job ensuring their generation enjoys a clean and green environment.
Go here for more information.

Spotlight

By Stephanie Thomas
Describe a time you participated at a Sierra Club event? What did you do and what motivated you to participate?
One of my favorite Sierra Club events was a tree identification course led by Brandt Manchen, just north of Houston. I loved hiking in the woods, learning about the specific kinds of trees that live in our area and some of their stories. I had never seen such a large Magnolia before! That trip gave me a greater appreciation for the trees that call the Houston area home.
What environmental message do you have for young people?
Sometimes the environmental challenges that we (all of us) face can seem daunting. Remember that we can only take one step at a time, and that each step, no matter how big or small, is important to transforming our world.
Go here for more information.

Turtle Bayou

Get Outdoors! 

For information on upcoming outings in the Houston area, check out our MeetUp site or our Outings Calendar  on our website.

 

San Bernard NWR

By Brandt Mannchen

I thought to myself, “How am I going to keep this 7-car caravan all together?”, as we left Meyerland Plaza. Driving in Houston traffic, even early on a Saturday morning, is tough by yourself but even tougher when you have folks following you.
Go here for more information.