The Bayou Banner
January 2017 Edition
General Meeting, January 12, 2017 — Local Canoe and Kayak Adventures
On Thursday evening, January 12, we welcome Natalie Wiest of the Houston Canoe Club for an overview of the many paddling opportunities in the local area, as well as a look at some of her recent favorite adventures on the water - especially in the Trinity River basin. Canoeing fans, kayaking fans, and anyone that just enjoys being on the water, should be sure to join us for this FREE program on January 12.
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.
Houston Group Executive Committee Election 2016
Every year the Houston Group holds an election to fill positions on the Group’s nine member Executive Committee (Excom). Vote by January 12, 2017.
Go here for more information.
Young Adult Sustainability Meeting
Join the Houston Regional Group of the Sierra Club to be inspired by local students at our February 9, 2017 General Meeting.
Four students will participate. These talented young adults will share a range of interests from ecosystem restoration to the future of energy subsidies.
Go here for more information.
Houston Sierra Club - Counter Inauguration Social!
All are invited on Friday, January 20, 2017 from 7 to 9 pm at Axelrad Beer Garden at 1517 Alabama Street, 77004.
Short introductions and announcements followed by friendly conversation.
Go here for more information.
Your help needed! The Houston Bike Plan is finally expected to go before Houston City Council for a vote in late January or February. Please join citizens across Houston in asking City Council to vote YES on the Plan (sample letter in article).
Go here for more information.
In early December, Houston METRO introduced a zero-emissions battery electric bus for a 90 day pilot program along the 63 Fondren route.
A number of other cities around the U.S. have already introduced electric buses, including McAllen, TX.
Electric buses offer a number of environmental benefits.
Go here for more information.
By Elizabeth Spike
Walk Score is a mobile app that runs on both iPhone and Android devices. It is an index that estimates the walkability of your address.
Here’s how it works. Enter your home address and the app will produce numerical scores out of 100. The first number is your walk score, and it indicates how walkable your home address is to restaurants, bars, coffee shops, grocery stores, parks, schools and more.
The higher the score (closer to 100) means you live somewhere you can walk easily to these amenities because they are within a mile from home. The second and third numbers give you transit and bike scores. The same scale applies, so the higher your transit and bike scores are, the more options and access you have to get around town.
Go here for more information.
Get Outdoors!
For information on upcoming outings in the Houston area, check out our MeetUp site or our Outings Calendar on our website.
By Brandt Mannchen
“Whose bright idea was this?”, I grumbled to myself as we got out of the car in the parking lot and looked toward Reitan Point.
From 1993 to now, these precious marshes and coastal prairies had been saved from the maw of development and human destructiveness. But the problem right now was it was “cold as hell” and the wind was blowing.
Go here for more information.
One thing that always seems to add to the enjoyment of a ballet or a paddling trip is to read some advance reviews and dig into a little background. By ten days before the planned December 3 canoe/kayak outing to the Cypress Wonderland, the critics at the National Weather Service (NWS), Intellicast, and Weather Underground were already saying that we might be in for a memorable performance.
Go here for more information.