Summer vacation
means more parties, picnics, and eating on-the-go! It’s time to reflect on our disposable
habits. Plastic Free July highlights how
our short-term convenient choices can have long-term
impacts on our environment.
Did You Know?
“Eight out of ten items found on beaches in international coastal cleanups are related to eating and drinking,” according to One World One Ocean. This is one problem with an easy solution: choose to refuse!
Top five ways to reduce plastic in your daily life:
Bring your own bag.The average time each plastic bag is used is less than 15 minutes.
Bring your own bottle. The amount of water used toproduce a plastic bottle is 6 to 7 times the amount of water in the bottle.
Bring your own mug. Many coffee shops give a discount if you bring your own container!
Choose cardboard and paper packaging over plastic containers and bags. Less than 14 percent of plastic packaging– the fastest-growing type of packaging–gets recycled.
Kick the disposable straw habit. Plastic straws are not recyclable.. If you must use a straw, try a reusable one made of stainless steel or bamboo.
Take The Woodlands Plastic Free Pledge for a FREE stainless steel reusable straw and let us know how YOU will break your disposable habit!
At home and on the go, when you can’t reduce, remember to recycle!Discover new opportunities to recycle beyond the norm at this year’s 3R Bazaaron November 9th at The Woodlands Farmer’s Market at Grogan’s Mill. Bring batteries, toothbrushes, textiles, eyeglasses and more for special recycling collections. Need more information? Call the Environmental Services Department at 281-210-3800.
Everyone needs a home. For pollinators, and every other organism, that home, or habitat, means food, water, shelter and space. But what happens when our Texas pollinators can’t find a home? Well, it’s fairly simple; their numbers decline, often dramatically. And while there are many causes of habitat loss, some of the biggest culprits are non-native invasive plants.
One of the easiest and most effective ways for you to help our native pollinators is to avoid planting non-native vegetation and to replace any that currently reside in your landscape with natives. The types of plants, shrubs and trees you choose for your landscape is critical as they are primary providers of both food – pollen, nectar, leaves and seeds – and shelter. Many insects acquire most of their water from the vegetation they eat. Our Texas butterflies depend on Texas native plants for reproduction, laying eggs on the leaves. When the eggs hatch into caterpillars, those young butterflies eat the leaves to sustain themselves as they grow large enough to make their chrysalis, later emerging as adult butterflies. Many pollinators have evolved with native plants, both adapting to the local climate and growing season. Non-native plants may not provide pollinators with enough nectar or pollen, or the plants may be inedible to some caterpillars.
Native plants play a critical role in the survival of pollinators
The existence of these plants impacts more than just pollinators. Many non-natives become invasive, out-competing existing natives for soil nutrients and crowding them out. Some of the worst offenders in our community include air potato vines, Chinese and Japanese privets, Japanese honeysuckle, Nandina (often called heavenly bamboo), elephant ears, and Japanese climbing fern. While some may look good in our yard and can be effectively managed, their seed or runners often escape into neighboring greenbelts, pathways and open spaces. The resulting loss of native vegetation and habitat value in these areas is never pretty.
Learn more about the challenges posed by invasives and simple steps you can take to help solve the problem. Attend The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department Invasives Task Force Workshop on Saturday, August 10, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the HARC Building located at 8801 Gosling Rd. For details and to register for this FREE workshop, click here. Space is limited, so register early to guarantee your spot.
Attend these summer events and learn how to fight the bite.
In honor of the upcoming National Mosquito Control Awareness Week (June 23—June 29, 2019),
the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA) has three tips to help you
declare independence from those pesky blood-suckers.
Drain:
Empty out water containers at least once per week
Dress:
Wear long sleeves, long pants, and light-colored, loose-fitting clothing
Defend:
Properly apply an approved repellent such as DEET, picaridin, IR 3535 or oil of
lemon-eucalyptus
Make your yard a mosquito-free zone and remove standing water in these often overlooked places around the yard by: drilling holes in the bottom of yard waste containers, clearing roof gutters of debris, cleaning pet water dishes regularly, checking and emptying children’s toys, repairing leaky outdoor faucets, and changing the water in bird baths at least once a week.
Joseph Conlon, AMCA Technical Advisor, says, “Encouraging your neighbors to also eliminate sources on their own property is critical to a community-wide control program. Mosquitoes require water to complete their life cycle. If their water source is eliminated, so are their offspring.”
Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance
Their bites can spread diseases such as Zika and West Nile Virus. “We already have the mosquitoes. We are continually importing the diseases they carry,” said Conlon. “We must be prepared to prevent their spread throughout our public health landscape – and this requires safe, effective, sustained mosquito control and awareness in the community.”
Visit us at a Fire Station near you
To learn more about mosquito control in The Woodlands Township, attend an upcoming Public Safety Open House. Environmental Services staff will be on hand to answer questions and hand out mosquito dunks, so you can stop the cycle at home. Get an up-close look at fire trucks, rescue units and meet with local fire fighters, at these public safety events brought to you by The Woodlands Township Neighborhood Watch. Details on bike registration, National Night Out events, the Tech Free 4 Me Driving Village Challenge and Give-a-Ways will also be part of this fun and educational event series. Don’t miss out!
For more information about how you can fight mosquitoes in your own backyard, check out thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/mosquitoinfo. To report a mosquito problem contact the Environmental Services Department at enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov or 281-210-3800.
The Woodlands Township
is a member of the American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA), an
international not-for-profit public service association. With 1,600 members
worldwide, AMCA services are provided mainly to public agencies and their
principal staff members engaged in mosquito control, mosquito research and
related activities. For more information on National Mosquito Control Awareness
Week, please visit AMCA online at www.mosquito.org and follow AMCA on Twitter @AMCAupdates.
Recognized as the beauty queens of bugs, bees and butterflies have reached celebrity status in the world of pollination. But, while they get the limelight when it comes to pollination, they’re only a small portion of the over 200,000 species that help produce our crops. Many of these less adorable species include beetles, ants, moths, wasps and even flies. Combined, pollinators service over 180,000 different plant species and more than 1,200 crops, impacting nearly 1 out of every 3 bites of food and more than $20 billion worth of products annually in the U.S.
Hover Flies, also known as Syrphid Flies, are a large group of medium to large flies with black or brown bodies, yellow banded abdomens and two wings. Resembling a bee or wasp, adults can be seen hovering above flowers, feeding on their nectar. They can’t bite or sting but may try to steal some of your salty sweat from time to time. The larvae play a beneficial role in gardens, consuming up to 30 aphids per day – a great natural pest control. Hover flies feed on the same flowers preferred by bees, such as purple coneflowers, blanketflowers and sunflowers.
Black and yellow stripes don’t always belong to bees. Hover flies can easily be mistaken for bees but these petite pollinators don’t have stingers.
Hawk Moths
Experts at finding sweet-smelling flowers at night, hawk moths have the longest tongues of any moth or butterfly – some up to 14” long! These acrobatic fliers include sphinx and hummingbird moths, built with stout bullet-shaped bodies and long, narrow wings. See them mostly at night hovering in place enjoying nectar from heavily fragranced flowers. While many tomato gardeners, admittedly, fear the larvae of the hawk moth (a.k.a. green hornworms), the adults are excellent pollinators for your garden.
Hawk moths, including this Hummingbird Moth, have long tongues, or proboscis, to suck nectar from flowers, similar to a straw.
Soldier Beetles
Beetles present the greatest diversity of insects and pollinators, with more than 450,000 known species. Regular flower visitors like the soldier beetle feed on pollen and even chew on flowers. Solider beetles are one type of “mess and soil” pollinators, as they will defecate within flowers in the process of carrying pollen from one flower to another. Soldier Beetles are commonly seen on flowers that are strongly fruity and open during the day such as marigolds, magnolias and many flowering herbs.
Beetles have been pollinators for millions of years. Based on fossil records, they were among the first insects to visit flowering plants as far back as 150 million years ago.
Ten Things You Can Do In Your Yard To Encourage Pollinators
1. Plant a pollinator garden—provide nectar and feeding plants (flowers and herbs). Visit our website for more information on planting a pollinator garden or register your existing garden.
2. Provide a water source—place shallow dishes of water in
sunny areas or create a muddy spot.
3. Provide shelter
and overwintering habitat (bee boxes, undisturbed soil areas, and piles of
woody debris).
4. Stop using insecticides and reduce other pesticides.
5. Provide sunny areas out of the wind.
6. Use native plant species whenever possible—mimic local
natural areas.
7. Grow flowers throughout season. Provide a variety of
colors and shapes.
8. Plant in clumps
and layers. Use trees, shrub layers, with some low growing perennials and
vines—intermix with flowering annuals.
9. Use compost instead of commercial fertilizers. The Woodlands Township offers free compost classes October – March. For more information, view this page.
June 8th is World Ocean Day, a celebration of the mysterious blue waters that cover 70% of the planet and provide a home for 50-80% of all life on earth. Healthy oceans and coasts provide services that are critical to sustaining life on land including climate regulation, food, medicines, and even compounds that make peanut butter easy to spread!
Currently, the largest threat to the ocean is pollution, primarily from plastics. Plastics, synthetic organic polymers normally created from petroleum, are so long lasting that all the plastic that has ever been created still exists today. Once they enter our waters, plastics entangle marine life or erode into smaller particles that are then ingested. Every piece of litter we pick up on land, including here in The Woodlands, helps the ocean and the life within.
Where does pollution come from?
The majority of ocean pollution originates on land as trash that blows out of landfills, litter that was left behind in outdoor spaces, waste from processing facilities and illegal dumping. Litter can travel long distances through storm drains, lakes and rivers to reach the ocean. Located in the Gulf Coast Region, litter in The Woodlands eventually makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico if we don’t take the opportunity to remove it before it enters our waterways. Beach goers and recreational boaters visiting our lakes and shores can greatly reduce ocean pollution by properly disposing of any trash, especially fishing nets, plastics bottles and bags.
What does it cost?
Litter costs Texas taxpayers $40 million annually in clean up efforts, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. If every Texan picked up two pieces of trash each month, our highways would be completely litter-free in just one year. That money could be reallocated towards other programs working to clean our oceans.
The top litter items found in the environment are cigarette butts and food/retail industry waste such as take out containers, straws and cutlery.
Let’s answer the call to action for our oceans!
Here’s how we can make a difference:
Coordinate your own cleanup
Bring a bucket to the beach, one for treasures and one for trash; recycle what you can
2. Support an organization
There are many groups forming their own cleanups. Become involved or consider making a donation.
3. Not able to make it to the shoreline? There’s plenty you can do at home
Reduce plastics by, purchasing items with less packaging when shopping
Reuseas much as you can – bring your own bags & bottles
You wouldn’t want to swim in dog waste, but that’s what is happening when we’re taking a dip in most of the waterbodies in our region. Dog waste, or more specifically the fecal coliform bacteria that it carries, is prevalent throughout the San Jacinto Watershed, of which The Woodlands is a part. In fact, it’s the number one contaminant in Galveston Bay, the end point for our creeks and rivers. This was just one of the insights residents gained at the latest Smarter About Water Seminar, an annual series by The Woodlands Township.
Justin Bower, Senior Planner in Community and Environmental Planning for Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC), outlined many of the issues facing our area waterways, examining impacts on recreation, drinking water and the environment. The lively question and answer session that followed underscored the critical importance of these issues to the audience.
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. There are simple actions each one of us can take that will make a real difference for our water quality.
Assure that pet waste is picked up and disposed of in the trash – Whether washed overland or dissolved into the soil, pet waste that is left outdoors will eventually work its way into a local water body. More than a third of the bacteria in local water bodies comes from dog waste. Left unchecked, that figure is projected to climb to 50% within 10 years. Contamination could grow to be almost half of the bacterial problem over the next 10 years.
Ensure lawn chemicals are timely and needed. Due to stress on the aquifer, a portion of drinking water comes from treated surface waters. Applying too much fertilizer to your lawn, or applying it right before a rain will send these contaminates into nearby lakes and streams, impacting water quality through algal overgrowth and reductions in dissolved oxygen. This is one reason why surface water is more expensive to treat than groundwater.
Conserve water and costs – The cheapest water we have is the water we have now. Developing new sources, including surface water, is expensive and will only continue to increase in cost over time. Avoid wasting water in your home and landscape to reduce the stress on our water sources.
Get involved in the decision making process – Lend your voice to the next round of community meetings regarding Cypress Creek and Spring Creek this fall. Discover what actions are needed to protect the health of the watershed and collaborate with others in finding solutions.
For more ways to protect and conserve water in The Woodlands Township, contact the Environmental Services Department by calling 281-210-3800, or send your email inquiry to enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov
To bag or not to bag your recyclables? The answer is simple. Leave them loose! Plastic bags, film and flexible packaging are not accepted in our curbside carts. In fact, they’re the number one contaminant of our curbside recycling. If residents stopped bagging their recyclables our community would cut contaminationby 50%. The value of recyclables is directly tied to how clean, or uncontaminated, they are. The success of the recycling industry is dependent on finding buyers for clean, quality recyclable materials.
Why aren’t bags allowed in our program?
In The Woodlands, we enjoy the convenience of a single stream recycling program in which all acceptable materials are deposited in one cart. However, the recyclables – plastic containers and bottles #1-5 & 7, cartons, cardboard, paper, aluminum cans and glass containers – must be sorted once they reach the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF).
During the initial stages of sorting, loose plastic bags and film are separated from the rest of the materials by hand. This takes a great deal of effort, and much of it slips by, wrapping around machinery and damaging equipment further down the line. MRFs have to shut down the processing line several times a day to remove plastic film entangled in the machines. This takes up valuable time and increases costs. It also creates unsafe working conditions for the individuals that must crawl into the machines to remove the film. Check out this video to see the effects of plastic bags on MRF equipment.
The problem with bagging recyclables
When we bag our recyclables we cause a different problem – workers at the MRF can’t tell if the material inside is trash or recycling – and so the entire bag is often sent to the landfill and all those good recyclables go to waste.
Although plastic bags and films do not belong in our curbside carts they are recyclable and quite valuable. So gather up all forms of plastic film in your house and take it your local grocery store – almost every store has a receptacle at the front. The bags and film are bailed, sold and eventually turned into composite lumber for making decks, benches, and playground sets. Plastic film can also be reprocessed into small pellets, which are turned into new bags, pallets, containers, crates, and pipe.
So let loose and free those recyclables!
Check out our website for more information about recycling and curbside services in The Woodlands.
Power to the world’s most convenient, portable energy source: the battery. They come in all shapes and sizes and we couldn’t live without them. But their convenience comes at a cost. Did you know that batteries make up almost 20% of all household hazardous materials sent to landfills? This presents a problem as the elements a battery uses to create power – mercury, lead, cadmium, or nickel – leach out when the battery inevitably breaks down inside the landfill, potentially contaminating the surrounding water table.
Recycling batteries protects our water supply by keeping heavy metals at bay, while simultaneously saving resources.
Batteries – like numerous items – are recyclable, but not accepted at the sorting facility where our residential recycling ends up. To empower residents to recycle beyond our curbside carts, The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department has selected alkaline AA, AAA, C, D, and 9V Batteries for the annual Village Recycling Challenge held at the 3R Bazaar on Saturday, November 9, 8 a.m. to noon at The Woodlands Farmer’s Market.
If you don’t already have a stash of used batteries start saving them now! The village that collects the most will receive a donation to its scholarship fund from The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N.. Encourage neighbors, friends and family to save their batteries too. You can further support your village by helping collect and weigh incoming batteries at 3R Bazaar; if you are interested in volunteering contact Environmental Services at enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.
Can’t make it to 3R Bazaar? That’s ok! The Precinct 3 Recycling Center (1122 Pruitt Road in Spring) and Batteries Plus accept alkaline and rechargeable batteries all year. For a comprehensive list of where to take other oddities such as Styrofoam, electronics, lightbulbs, paints, pharmaceuticals, and more check out the Recycle More Guide.
Reduce by buying rechargeable!Rechargeable batteries cost more up front, but each rechargeable battery saves money in the long run, substituting for hundreds of single-use batteries. Rechargeables can also be recycled when they’ve outlived their usefulness, preventing unnecessary landfill usage and toxicity to the environment.
As weather warms, mosquitoes seemingly come out of the woodwork. How is it that they are always able to find you?
Keen senses
Mosquitoes use a highly tuned sensory system to zero in on their next blood meal. About 200 feet away, mosquitoes get the first whiffs of carbon dioxide we exhale as we enjoy a bit of gardening or a jog down the pathway. Following the plume – whether it is emitted by us, our furry companions, or a mockingbird up in the trees – brings them closer to the potential host.
Once the carbon dioxide has drawn her within sight, she is further attracted by dark colors and high-contrast patterns. Remember this the next time you reach for something to wear to the neighborhood picnic. Long, loose, light-colored clothing with a tight weave is a good first defense against the piercing mouthparts of the female mosquito. She seeks a blood meal, not to feed herself, but in pursuit of protein to make eggs. You might be surprised to know that mosquitoes drink plant nectar to fuel their bodies, and pollinate plants in the process.
Getting warmer
When within three feet the mosquito can sense the heat signature of your body, differentiating you from say, a park bench. Investigating further, she hones in on a specific area to land using “smells” she picks up through her antennae. Lactic acid, uric acid, and ammonia in sweat, as well as the scent of fabric softeners, perfumes and colognes can all attract mosquitoes.
Cloaking spray
Mosquito repellants can employ a couple different mechanisms in your defense. One is to jam chemical signals from reaching a mosquito’s antennae. The other is to be offensive to the mosquito once she lands and can “taste” it with her feet. Repellents may use one or both mechanisms – termed primary and secondary repellency.
As we each have a unique chemical signature, try a few repellents to find the one that’s most effective for you. Look past the brand name on the front of the bottle to the bottom. There you’ll find one of the active ingredients the CDC recommends: Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus, DEET, or IR3535. What works best for you might be different from your partner or kids.
Sensory Trickery
The Mosquito Surveillance & Education Program of The Woodlands Township uses the mosquito’s keen sensory perception to our advantage. We use a variety of lures and baits to attract mosquitoes into traps for weekly monitoring throughout the Township. For example, the Biogents Sentinel trap uses a lure that smells a lot like stinky gym socks. It also has a high-contrast color pattern and can be made more appealing by the addition of dry ice to emit carbon dioxide. These three features mimic a human host, drawing the mosquitoes close enough to be sucked into a net by a battery-powered fan. The captured mosquitoes are collected the next morning and sent to a laboratory for identification and disease testing. Tracking changes in the number of mosquitoes caught, species present, and disease trends over time provides the foundation for mosquito control activities in The Woodlands.
The greatest number of households yet took the pledge to turn off automated sprinklers for the winter. Friends and neighbors spurred each other to pledge and shared the benefit of conservation, while Village Associations promoted the Challenge in the hopes of adding to their scholarship funds.
Many thanks to a record 649 households who pledged and congratulations to the following Villages with the most participation:
First Place: College Park
Second Place: Creekside Park
Third Place: Sterling Ridge
Did you pledge to turn off your automated sprinkler system this year? Not only did you save water, you were also a part of accelerating the transformation of thinking about water conservation in our community.
Now that spring is here and hot summer months are just around the corner, consider this: it’s estimated that as much as half of the water homeowners use outdoors is wasted due to evaporation, wind, or runoff, all factors of inefficient irrigation. Take time for a springtime spruce up of your sprinkler system before you set it and forget it.
Inspect your system for clogged, broken, or missing sprinkler heads that could be water wasters.
Look where the sprinkler heads connect to pipes and hoses—if you find even small leaks, they can waste thousands of gallons of water per month.
Direct your sprinklers to apply water only to the landscape, not driveways and sidewalks.
Select a WaterSense labeled irrigation controller to automatically align your system’s schedule with local conditions and avoid watering during wet weather.
How much more water can you save this summer? Try these suggestions:
2019 SMARTER ABOUT WATER SEMINAR
Mark your calendars for Saturday, May 11, where we’ll focus on ways to safeguard our watershed – strategies to employ at home, and actions part of the West Fork San Jacinto Watershed Protection Plan. The seminar is free but registration is required. Go to The Woodlands Township calendar page to learn more.
Ever feel like you need a PhD to recycle correctly? Here’s a trick for the next time you are about to put plastic in the curbside cart: look for a neck and a number. Accepted plastics are easily identified by their narrow “neck” as seen on a bottle of water, shampoo or detergent. Look closely and you’ll see a number printed on the bottom too – ensure that it’s not #6 and you can confidently recycle that plastic curbside.
What about all the other plastics without a neck or a number? Plastic bags, packaging, case wraps, disposable cutlery, straws, plates and cups cannot be put in the recycle cart. Avoid the temptation to “wishcycle” them – placing them in the recycling bin in the hope that they’ll magically be recycled. Limited markets and sorting technology for recyclables dictate which items are accepted.
Instead seek out a special local recycling opportunity for these other items. Plastic bags and films get tangled in the sorting machinery at the recycling facility, but they CAN be recycled at local grocery stores. Check out all the kinds of film that can be recycledthis way – chances are if it stretches it can be recycled.
Although very important, recycling isn’t the only tool we have to fight plastic pollution. When it comes to disposable items, reducing dependence on single-use plastics and packaging is the key.
Tips to reduce plastic waste:
Bring your own reusable tote bags, produce or bulk bags, travel mugs, stainless steel straws, reusable cutlery and water bottles.
Purchase products with less packaging such as loose produce and bulk dry goods.
Recycle right. Get familiar with what is accepted in your curbside cart and local opportunities for other items.
In the spirit of Earth Day, consider taking an inventory of how much single-use plastic you generate and choose to reduce. EarthDay.org has plastic pollution footprint calculators and an action guide to get you started. For an interesting look at the rise and proliferation of plastics check out this article in the April edition of The Woodlands Community Magazine.
For more information on recycling and waste minimization, contact The Woodlands Township Environmental Services at enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov or 281-210-3800.
Sunshine, community pride and teamwork was the recipe for a record breaking GreenUp
Families, neighbors, local businesses and organizations cleaned up greenbelts, roadsides and waterways at Earth Day GreenUp on Saturday, March 23. An astounding 1,077 participants waded through tall grass and forested thickets to remove 8,676 gallons of trash – the equivalent of 90 of our curbside carts. An additional 4lbs of cigarette butts were cleaned up out of our greenways and recycled with TerraCycle, protecting wildlife and preventing harmful toxins from leaching into groundwater. Construction debris such as metal poles and concrete, coolers, street signs, full pet waste bags, broken lawn furniture and tires were all pulled from The Woodlands’ greenbelts.
The most common type of litter collected at GreenUp was single-use plastics including grocery bags, disposable cutlery and cups, fast food containers and straws. These highly abundant items are easily blown from parking lots, picnic areas and trash barrels into neighboring greenbelts.
So a simple way to cut down on litter is to reduce our use of disposable plastics to begin with. Remember, when you’re on the go, BYO! Equip yourself with reusable alternatives – travel mugs, tote bags, reusable cutlery, and straws.
After cleaning up, participants joined the party at Northshore Park where they were treated to a pizza lunch and received an event t-shirt. Buck Yeager Band entertained with country favorites and original music as Mr. Cirque wowed crowds with his circus arts including juggling, globe walking and more!
Consider recruiting a group and organizing your own cleanup anytime of the year. Contact The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department at enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov to borrow equipment. Please include your name, contact information, anticipated date, number of participants and proposed location.
Thank you for Greening Up with us
A special thank you to all participants, volunteers and sponsors that partnered with us to keep The Woodlands a beautiful place to live, rich in shades of green.
Earth Day GreenUp is hosted by The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department and was generously sponsored by Waste Management, Keep Texas Beautiful, Berkeley Services, Woodlands Joint Power Agency, H-E-B, Howard Hughes Corporation, The Woodlands GREEN, Papa John’s Pizza and Nature’s Way Resources.
Drip irrigation has some real advantages over traditional automatic sprinkler systems when it comes to saving water and money:
Learn how to install drip as part of your own sprinkler system at the Drip Irrigation and Rainwater Harvesting Workshop Saturday, April 6.
Local drip irrigation and rainwater harvesting specialists will provide both classroom and hands-on instruction. You’ll learn how to convert an existing sprinkler head to drip as well as how to install drip irrigation from an outdoor hose bib. With drip irrigation in place, you’ll be “efficiently” prepared for summer watering.
Our wet weather means that rain barrels are another great water conserving tool. At the workshop you will see how easy it is to capture rainwater in your backyard, and will be able to purchase a rain barrel at a discounted price through one of our workshop sponsors, The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N.
Space for this popular seminar is very limited and registration is required. For more information or to register, see the calendar page.
The Woodlands Emergency Training Center, located at 16135 IH-45 South, Conroe, 77385 – about one mile north of Hwy 242 on the northbound feeder road of I-45.
The FREE event has filled quickly in the past, so register early. Visit The Woodlands Township calendar for details and registration information, or call 281-210-3800.
Celebrating its ninth year, The Woodlands Township’s Earth Day GreenUp brings the community together to beautify our parks, pathways, greenbelts, and waterways. It’s not too late to lend a helping hand this Saturday, March 23, joining with hundreds of others in the original #trashtagchallenge!
The Woodlands Rowing Club and their haul of litter, pulled from Lake Woodlands at Earth Day GreenUp 2018
Simply show up at one of the eight participating parks between 8 and 10 a.m. to register and pickup supplies:
Alden Bridge: Alden Bridge Park, 7725 Alden Bridge Drive
Cochran’s Crossing: Shadowbend Park, 4995 Lake Woodlands Drive
College Park: Harper’s Landing Park, 2 N. Blair Bridge Drive
Creekside Park: Rob Fleming Aquatic Center, 6535 Creekside Forest Drive
Grogan’s Mill: Sawmill Park, 2200 Millpark Drive
Indian Springs: Falconwing Park, 5610 Rush Haven Drive
Panther Creek: Ridgewood Park, 4192 Interfaith Way
Sterling Ridge: Cranebrook Park, 11800 Cranebrook Drive
PLEASE NOTE: All minors will need a parent/legal guardian to sign the waiver to participate – print one here to bring to the check-in location if a child will be volunteering with a group separate from their parent/legal guardian.
All can join the after-party at Northshore Park from 11am to 1pm!
After the clean-up, gather for live music, entertainment, and pizza! Clean-up participants can claim their t-shirt and free slice of Papa John’s pizza. Everyone can enjoy the Buck Yeager Band and entertainment by Mr. Cirque the Acrobat.
Weather Note
Periodic rain showers are forecasted for Saturday. The event will be held rain or shine. In the event of lightning, we ask that volunteers remain in their vehicle or the park pavilion until it passes. Should severe weather cause a cancellation we will notify all volunteers via email as well as the event page on The Township website and the Township Parks and Recreation Facebook page.
Thank you to our sponsors: Keep Texas Beautiful, Waste Management, Berkeley Services, HEB, The Woodlands Joint Powers Agency (WJPA), Nature’s Way Resources, The Howard Hughes Corporation, The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N. and Papa John’s!
While the sound of dripping shower head might seem like an annoyance, leaking a mere 10 drips per minute wastes more than 500 gallons per year. EPA’s Fix a Leak Week, March 18 through 24, 2019, is a good time to hunt down those annoying and wasteful drips to save water and money all year long.
