More than 40 Tons of Trash Removed from Waterways at 2023 Trash Bash®
On March 25, 2,456 volunteers cleaned 108 miles of shoreline at 14 locations, collecting 40.51 tons of trash, 0.38 tons of recyclables, and 219 illegally dumped tires at the River, Lakes, Bays, N’ Bayous Trash Bash®. After picking up trash, volunteers enjoyed educational exhibits and learned about other common sources of water pollution.
Since 1994, more than 119,000 volunteers have cleaned up 2,451 tons of trash and 12,184 tires from waterways in the Galveston Bay watershed. To see a breakdown of litter removed by cleanup location and the cumulative results from the past 29 years, visit the Trash Bash® website. Trash Bash® hopes volunteers will participate again next year to “Clean It Like You Mean It !”® for the 30th anniversary of the cleanup.
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H-GAC Seeks Public Input on Multijurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Survey
H-GAC is working with the City of Angleton and Austin, Liberty, and Walker counties' Offices of Emergency Management to update Hazard Mitigation Plans for the entities and participating jurisdictions within them. We are seeking public input to help develop the plans which will include a risk assessment, capability assessment, and a hazard mitigation action plan.
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Solid Waste Workshop Series: Composting – May 4 (In-Person)
Mark your calendars for H-GAC's Solid Waste Workshop Series event focusing on composting from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, May 4, at Brazoria Environmental Education Station "BEES," 583 County Road 443, Angleton.
Join us to hear from subject-matter experts on how to compost and setting up a pilot composting program from a local government perspective.
Presenters include:
- Ellen Pedisch, Master Composter, Brazoria County Master Gardeners
- Steve Stelzer, City of Houston
Presentations will be inside, followed by a walking tour of the Master Gardeners Association facility. We recommend wearing appropriate shoes for a garden tour.
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Natural Resources Advisory Committee Meeting – May 4 (Hybrid)
The NRAC serves as a forum to advise the H-GAC Board and local decision-makers on policy issues affecting natural resources in the 13-county Houston-Galveston region.
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Parks and Natural Areas Roundtable Field Trip – May 18 (In-Person)
We will meet at 11:30 a.m. at the Community Center at 1904 Naplechase Crest Dr., Spring.
Lunch will be provided. Tours of the community center, fire lookout tower, Herman Little Park, and Mercer-Timber Lane Park will follow from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
We will meet at the community center, and transportation to the event is not provided. However, registration by May 11 is required for lunch and on-site transportation during the tours.
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Bacteria Implementation Group Spring Meeting – May 23 (Hybrid)
The meeting is from 1 to 3 p.m. at H-GAC, second floor conference room, and on Zoom.
Topics will include the BIG Implementation Plan (I-Plan) revisions and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) updates.
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Basin Steering Committee Meeting – May 31 (Online)
The meeting will include updates to Fiscal Years 2024/2025 Work Plan and Budget and other presentations about the 2023 Basin Highlights Report, Targeted Bacteria Monitoring project, the Underserved Community Equity Tool, TMDL and Watershed Protection Plan updates, Trash Bash, and Coastal Communities.
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Bringing Back Main Street Roundtable – July 25 (In-Person)
The Bringing Back Main Street initiative offers local communities a place to share best practices and engage in a regional dialogue about revitalizing and supporting vibrant downtown spaces. Each quarter, community leaders gather for a roundtable on topics ranging from small business support to sidewalk infrastructure.
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May is National Bike Month
May is National Bike Month, and National Bike to Work Day is May 19. However, some organizations choose a different day that works best for their residents or employees. As population and congestion increase, finding alternative ways to get to work is critical for the region. In the Houston-Galveston region, 25 percent of people live within 5 miles of their workplaces, an ideal distance for bicycling. Adults who regularly bicycle have a reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and obesity. Bike Month is a great opportunity to explore biking to other destinations like coffee shops, restaurants, libraries, schools, and when visiting your friends and family members.
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STAR 2023 Scholarships for Sustainability Applications Open
The State of Texas Alliance for Recycling (STAR) 2023 Scholarships for Sustainability applications are now open. As a part of STAR’s commitment to the growth of the environmental and recycling business community in Texas, STAR offers annual environmental sustainability scholarships for students, teachers, and student groups. The Student Scholarship aids up to two high school seniors or college students planning to study or working toward a degree in Environmental Sustainability or other related field. The Student Group and Teacher Scholarship supports up to two educators at any level of public education in Texas and one officially recognized student group at any Texas university, college, or community college. More details are available online. The deadline to apply is Thursday, June 1. |
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Houston-Galveston Region Communities Receive Keep Texas Beautiful Honors
Congratulations to the City of Dickinson and the City of Lake Jackson for winning in Category 5 and 6, respectively of the 2023 Governor's Community Achievement Awards (GCAA) by Keep Texas Beautiful, in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). This year, Dickinson, Lake Jackson, and eight other winning communities across the state will share $2 million in landscaping awards from TxDOT, with the amount based on population size. The funds are to be used for landscaping projects along local rights-of-way.
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Houston Student Earns Honors in Take Care of Texas Annual Art Contest
Thomas Larsson, a student at West University Elementary, Houston, was chosen as the fourth-fifth grade category grand prize winner in the 2023 Take Care of Texas Art Contest. Each year, the Take Care of Texas Kids Art Contest is a fun way for K-5 students to learn about protecting the environment and come up with creative ways to share this knowledge with others! Students submit their artwork of how they, along with their friends and family, help keep the air and water clean, conserve water and energy, and reduce waste. The students who submitted the best art from each category were awarded a laptop.
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Houston-Galveston Area Students Earn Honors in Treasures of the Texas Coast Art Contest
As part of the Texas General Land Office 27th Annual Treasures of the Texas Coast Children’s Art Contest, 44 young artists were selected to have their artwork included in a 2024 calendar. The students, with almost half from the Houston-Galveston region, will receive two tickets to Schlitterbahn, one ticket to the USS Lexington, coupons from Texas State Aquarium, prizes from Adopt-A-Beach, a certificate of recognition from the Texas General Land Office and copies of the 2024 calendar displaying the winning artwork.
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Keep Texas Beautiful Conference – June 26-28
Registration is open for the Keep Texas Beautiful Annual Conference June 26-28 in Houston. Keep Texas Beautiful is a network of Texans working together to make the state the best place to live, work, and play. Local partners and affiliates are equipped with tools they need to help clean up and prevent litter across the state. The annual conference is an opportunity for participants to share, learn, and celebrate local, regional, and state accomplishments and programs and includes networking, field trips, educational sessions, awards presentations, and exhibits.
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Funding Sources
All content, including links to websites, is for informational purposes only. Users of this content are responsible for checking its accuracy, currency, and suitability.
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More Information and Programs |
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Mapping Applications
Facebook
H-GAC has a Facebook page where information about current and upcoming events is posted. Please visit and like H-GAC's page. While there, visit other H-GAC pages on Facebook, including Recycling, and Trash Bash.
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Conservation Note of the Month
As part of our Regional Conservation Initiative, H-GAC provides conservation outreach templates and tools designed for local governments and other partners to use to tell unique conservation stories in their communities and to their residents and stakeholders. Tools include social media posts, infographics and posters, news release templates, and promotional videos about conservation projects in the region.
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Unless otherwise noted, all meetings scheduled at H-GAC are at 3555 Timmons Lane, Houston, Texas. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, H-GAC will provide reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities attending H-GAC functions. Requests should be received 72 business hours prior to the function. Contact the meeting organizer to make arrangements.
Banner Photo: Killdeer at Attwater Prairie Chicken National Wildlife Refuge. Would you like us to consider featuring your municipality, program, or regional photo on the C&E Planning Update banner? Just forward your picture to Andrea Tantillo, along with some information about the subject and the photographer, and you might see it in a future month's newsletter.
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Houston-Galveston Area Council
713-627-3200
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