Optimizing your rain barrel’s benefits… it’s easier than you think!

August 18, 2023August 18, 2023 / Environmental Services / Leave a comment

Rain may feel like a distant memory right now – but that’s a potent reminder to make the most of every drop when it does fall again. If you already have a rain barrel or two and use the captured water for your garden, your plants will thank you! But there may be more you can do with that water, and we’re here to help with that. Even if you have just been thinking about a rain barrel but aren’t sure how helpful it might be, we’ve got a 2-minute video for you to see why its worth “catching the rain”.

Learn from the best

One of the most knowledgeable rainwater harvesting gurus in the region is demonstrating everything you need to know to optimize the use of rainwater and take your rain barrel to the next level! Basics will also be discussed in case you need the nuts n’ bolts knowledge before you dive into purchasing one.

Bob Dailey will present Rain Barrel Optimization, a workshop on getting the most benefit from captured rainwater and moving it efficiently from the barrel to your plants. Tools, parts, tips, tricks and hands-on demonstrations will set you up for success. Join us Saturday, September 16, 2023, from 8:30 to 11:30 am and sign up now to reserve your seat!

Success with rain barrels

If you can’t make it, catch this first video in a three-part series from a past online class covering rain barrel basics and beyond.

Buy a barrel, get a rebate

If you get your water bill from Woodlands Water Agency, check out their rebate program. When you buy a rain barrel and turn in your receipt you are eligible to receive 50% of the cost back as credit on your water bill. You can find details for all water-saving items that qualify for rebates on the WWA Website. Ready to buy a rain barrel now? Purchase one at a discount through our nonprofit partner, The Woodlands GREEN.

Join us for hands-on optimization

Rain Barrel Optimization Saturday, September 16, 2023 8:30 to 11:30 am Multipurpose Room of the Aquatics Building at 8203 Millennium Forest Drive (next to The Woodlands High School)

This workshop is FREE, but space is limited. Registration is required, so sign up now to reserve your seat.

This workshop is sponsored by Woodlands Water Agency, Alspaugh’s Ace Hardware of The Woodlands, The Woodlands G.R.E.E.N., Chevron Phillips Chemical, H.E.B., and Howard Hughes Corporation.

Discover more!

Want to learn more about rain barrels? The Woodlands Township Environmental Services YouTube Playlist has 3 videos to help you optimize rainwater at home:

Success with Rain Barrels – 6 Things to Know

Creating a Self-Watering Garden for Birds and Butterflies

Beyond the Barrel – Easy Ways to Work with Rain

Check out the whole playlist here!

Protect Our Forests From Invasive Species: Learn How You Can Help

July 21, 2023July 21, 2023 / Environmental Services / Leave a comment

Dear Resident,

You may have noticed volunteers working in green spaces and along pathways near your home. They are helping with a serious problem that is damaging our forest community – the spread of invasive plants.

Many times, plants that are not native to our region are introduced to our pathways from residential landscapes. When an aggressively growing non-native plant, such as Air Potato Vine, escapes from yards and overgrows our native trees and shrubs, we lose valuable habitat for butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects. Over time the trees and shrubs can die from lack of sunlight and losing nutrients these invasives remove from the soil.

You can help with this problem by reducing or eliminating non-native invasive plants in your landscape, or by carefully controlling their growth to keep them within the yard. Not sure which plants you see are bad guys? Check out the “most unwanted” plants or learn more with this helpful guide

Warning: Japanese honeysuckle, nandina, Asian jasmine, and other invasive species are available for purchase at many plant nurseries; shop in the native plant section to avoid them. If invasive plants are already in your landscape, consider replacing them with a native one. Not only will you prevent further invasion, but get to enjoy the butterflies and birds that native plants invite into your yard.

Join the fight to save our forests! You are invited to help remove these culprits from our pathways and green spaces. Attend the next training on August 19 to learn more about our worst non-natives, then register to join The Woodlands’ Invasives Task Force to receive notices about workdays and classes.

Thank you for your interest in helping the Township maintain the forested reserve that benefits our native trees, plants, and wildlife! For questions, contact Environmental Services: enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov

Discover the world of water and earn a valued certification!

May 26, 2023 / Environmental Services / Leave a comment

Learn about water, earn a Certificate!

Did you know a corps of knowledgeable volunteers provides education, outreach, and service to keep our local water bodies healthy through their efforts right here at home? They’re Texas Waters Specialists, certified through a unique program made possible by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) in partnership with The Woodlands Township Environmental Services Department. The program is open to adults as well as students in grades 9 – 12.

Classes are free and scheduled throughout the year, and the good news: you can obtain all the needed training hours right here in The Woodlands. You’ll be certified as a Texas Waters Specialist after completing just 8 hours of training based on the Texas Waters curriculum guide (provided by Environmental Services or acquired online). Adults 18 and older receive a certificate and an official pin directly from TPWD designating them as a certified waters specialist. Students under age 18, in grades 9 through 12, register with Environmental Services to report hours and receive your certificate and pin.

Sign up here if you are interested. You will be notified of classes offered both in person and online, as well as volunteering opportunities. NOTE that Students should only use this link to enroll in the program administered by Environmental Services.

Adults get started by enrolling as TPWD volunteers here. Or find more detailed instructions on how to register with TPWD, by following along with this document.

There are two upcoming in-person Texas Waters Specialist (TWS) Water Labs at the Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park at 6464 Creekside Forest Drive:

Saturday, June 10 – 8:30 to 12:30pm.

Saturday, July 15 – 8:30 to 11:30am.

Additional or alternative training hours available at the Online Monthly Classes. The 2-Hour TWS Curriculum Class Sessions are on the fourth Monday of every month from 3:30-5:30pm.

Earn your certificate as a Texas Waters Specialist!

Want additional opportunities in water conservation? The Woodlands Township offers many free events, classes, and seminars for residents to learn tips on preserving our waterways like the storm drain marking program, litter cleanup with Keep Texas Beautiful, and more! Learn how to get involved on the Woodlands Township Water Conservation Page. Read all about water conservation in the Woodlands Township online library water conservation articles

If you need more information, email enviro@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov

TURF WAR: THE BATTLE BETWEEN INVASIVE AND NATIVE PLANTS

June 27, 2019 / Environmental Services / 1 Comment

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.

Is there a better irrigation plan for your landscape?

March 26, 2019March 17, 2020 / Environmental Services / Leave a comment

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.