The Bayou Banner
April 2017 Edition
General Meeting, April 13, 2017 — Transition Houston
On Thursday evening, April 13, local representatives from the Transition Houston Group will present a film segment describing the Transition movement, and discuss the activities of the local Houston Transition Group.
Transition is creating resilience and hope in extraordinary times, and the film is an inspirational immersion in the Transition movement. The film gathers stories from around the world of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. You will hear about communities printing their own money, growing food, localizing their economies and setting up community power stations. It is an idea that has gone viral, a social experiment that is about responding to uncertain times with solutions and optimism. In a world of increasing uncertainty, here is a story of hope, ingenuity and the power of growing vegetables in unexpected places.
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.
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.
Houston March for Science 4/22, Houston Climate March 4/29
Houston March for Science is on Saturday, April 22 from 11am to 3pm. Reject alternative facts, stand up for truth, science, and science-based policies.
Houston People’s Climate Movement is on Saturday, April 29 from 10am to 2pm. We Resist. We Build. We Rise. Come together, demand action.
Details for each of these Marches will be posted to the Houston Sierra Club Meetup site as soon as locations are finalized.
Go here for more information.
In March 2017, the U.S. Forest Service (FS), begins a four-year process to revise the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas (NFGT) Forest Plan (FP). FPs are revised every 10-15 years, however our FP is 21 years old! We are overdue for a change and Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, Angelina, and Sabine National Forests (NFs) and LBJ and Caddo National Grasslands (NGs) deserve a revised FP that is better and more protective.
Go here for more information.
The intent of public participation in the assessment phase is to provide opportunities for the public to share its knowledge of existing forest conditions and identify concerns about trends and perceptions of risk to social, economic, and ecological systems.
The planning process includes three phases: assessment; plan development, amendment, or revision; and monitoring and implementation. This article discusses the first phase of the planning process: assessment.
Go here for more information.
There are 675,816 acres (about 1,055.96 square miles) of federal public national forests and grasslands (NFs/NGs) in Texas that are managed by the U.S. Forest Service (FS). This article talks about what the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas are, why they are important, and what they contain.
Go here for more information.
Kroger Community Rewards Program: Re-link for 2017
The Houston Sierra Club participates in the Kroger Community Rewards Program. Each year our members/supporters must re-link their Kroger Plus Card to participate in the program. If you haven’t yet re-linked your Kroger Card for the 2017 cycle, please do so now.
Go here for more information.
Students from Clements High School enjoyed their second annual Earth Fair complete with recycled art, video clips on environmental issues, snacks, vertical gardens, and poster presentations. Students moved from kiosk to kiosk with their Earth Fair passports. They had to document three facts about each kiosk to get their stamp (and extra credit). The Houston Sierra Club attended.
Go here for more information.
By S. Arjumand Mansour Mubaarak
I am encouraged to see how many young people in school are participating in cleaning up our environment, Arbor day, recycling and so on. The challenge is inspiring the young adults, aka the Millennials, to put down their cell phones and pick up some paper, plant a tree, or hug a bear (with caution).
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
I never thought my life as a volunteer Houston Sierra Club outings leader would include parking lot attendant. But there I was, guiding people to parking spaces at the small and cramped “Great Egret Ridge Trail” parking lot.
Go here for more information.