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April 2019 Edition
April 11, 2019 — Houston's Greenspace Future: Using Native Plants to Restore Local Ecosystems
Join us on April 11 for a presentation by Carolyn White, Conservation Director, Memorial Park Conservancy. She will talk about how to assess the resiliency of ecosystems so that sustainable habitats can be restored. Carolyn will tell us how to choose plants that are well suited for successful ecological restoration. This is done using soil biology, stable natural landforms, and the incorporation of hydrology to ensure successful planting. Ecological restoration initiatives for riparian (stream-side), native grassland, and upland forest habitats that incorporate these principles are presented in the Houston area urban setting.
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.
Go here for more information.
At our Bay Area Sierra Club's monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 17, speaker Jordan Adams will talk about solar panels for your house. A panel of members and friends who currently have solar panels will also speak about their experiences and the companies they have used.
Go here for more information.
Note: The last day to register is April 5. Are you ready for action? Good! We are organizing the Sierra Club's Lobby Day at the Texas Capitol on April 11, 2019. Come be part of the good, the bad, and the ugly otherwise known as.... Lobby Day! Spend your day with the Lone Star Chapter under the state capitol dome in Austin, and get firsthand experience of what it's like to be an environmental lobbyist.
Go here for more information.
In the Houston area, three 500-year floods happened within three years, with Hurricane Harvey dropping the largest amount of rain in North American history. Planning to adapt and be more resilient to a changing climate is an important goal for the city. To accomplish this, the City of Houston is developing a Climate Action Plan to plan strategies to minimize our carbon footprint. In particular, transportation emissions caused Houston to have one of the highest per capita greenhouse emissions in the nation.
Go here for more information.
On February 11, 2019, the Houston Regional Group and Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club (Sierra Club) had a conference call with the Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) and the U.S. Forest Service (FS), National Forests and Grasslands in Texas (NFGT), about the status of the NFGT oil/gas leasing environmental impact statement (OGLEIS).
Go here for more information.
The Museum of Fine Arts will premiere "The Legend of Big Bend" on Sunday, April 28, 2019, from 3:00 to 4:30 pm. This is a multimedia film and performance event which focuses on the grandeur of Big Bend in West Texas. This show has storytelling, imagery, and original music by Austin's Montopolis rock and roll chamber orchestra, which will perform live on the Brown Auditorium Theater stage!
Go here for more information.
On February 26, 2019, the Houston Regional Group and Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club (Sierra Club) had a conference call with the U.S. Forest Service (FS), National Forests and Grasslands in Texas (NFGT) and the Texas Conservation Alliance (TCA) about site-specific projects and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in the NFGT.
Go here for more information.
By Cheryl Conley, TWRC Wildlife Center
Have you ever heard of a hawk vest, raptor shield or coyote vest? I had no idea they even existed until I started researching this article. Although they may go by different names, they are all very similar and serve the same purpose. They claim to protect small animals from birds of prey, coyotes and even aggressive dogs.
Go here for more information.
The Houston Group of the Sierra Club is looking for help in the following areas: Membership Chair, Data Coordinator, Audio / Video Coordinator, Social Media Coordinator, Publicity Chair, and Forestry.
Help to make a difference for the Sierra Club!
Click the link to see new opportunities to help.
Go here for more information.
By Brandt Mannchen
Over the many years I have been a member, volunteer, and leader in the Houston Regional Group and Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, people have asked me, "What is the Sierra Club?", "What does the Sierra Club Stand for?”, and "What is the Sierra Club perspective?". Although I am one volunteer in the Sierra Club, I want to respond to those questions with what I believe outlines, separates, and is the difference in the Sierra Club from others and which expresses its perspective.
Go here for more information.
By Brandt Mannchen
Populism is often described by the media and political parties as negative and based upon demagoguery (the use of popular prejudices, false claims, and promises to gain power). This depiction is unfair and not true. Populism is defined in Webster's Dictionary as "an egalitarian political philosophy or movement that celebrates and promotes the views and interests of the common people."
Go here for more information.
Get Outdoors!
For current information on upcoming outings in the Houston area, check out our MeetUp site. For canoe/kayak outings, visit our Outings page at Canoe/Kayak Outings