Riffles & Reeds Newsletter - Spring 2026 - Education Notes

Environmental Educators Meet Up Brings Collaboration, Learning, and Outdoor Exploration to UHCL

By Debbie Bush, Web Assistant

On January 28, 2026, environmental educators from across the Houston region gathered at the University of Houston-Clear Lake for the bi-annual Environmental Educators Meet Up, hosted in partnership with the Texas Association for Environmental Education (TAEE). The all-day event brought together university students, outreach coordinators, park staff, nonprofit educators, volunteer coordinators, academic personnel, and community engagement professionals—an informal but deeply connected network dedicated to improving the well-being of people, wildlife, and the environment.

Supported in part by H-E-B's Our Texas, Our Future initiative, the meet-up focused on strengthening partnerships, sharing ideas and resources, and exploring the natural spaces that make UHCL a hub for hands-on environmental learning.

The day opened in the Bayou Building with a lively "environmental education bingo" icebreaker designed to help participants discover one another’s professional roles and passions. Whether someone coordinated volunteers, restored habitats, taught in a classroom, or managed conservation projects, every attendee had a chance to connect and discover shared interests.

The morning continued with a collaborative roundtable. Small groups rotated through discussions on topics central to environmental education work, including:

• How to secure and manage grant funding
• University outreach and building academic partnerships
• Creating CTE (Career and Technical Education) connections for student pathways
• Strategies for engaging diverse audiences
• Approaches to navigating sensitive topics in environmental education
• How to evaluate programs and measure impact

The exchange of experiences and ideas set a collaborative tone for the rest of the day, reminding participants that the region’s environmental education community is stronger when its members share resources and support one another.

After lunch, participants headed outdoors to explore the UHCL campus. Attendees rotated through three field sessions:

Rich Sommer from the Exploration Green Conservancy introduced participants to iNaturalist and led a mini bioblitz at the Entrance 2 prairie. Organisms recorded during the session were uploaded to the Biodiversity of UHCL project page, contributing real data to EIH’s ongoing documentation efforts.

A second group, led by Debbie Bush, joined a guided hike along UHCL’s nature trails and prairie restoration areas. Participants observed native plant communities, learned about restoration partnerships, and discussed how prairies serve as powerful teaching tools for ecology, conservation, and land stewardship.

The third outdoor session brought educators into the EIH garden for bird watching. Wendy Reistle introduced the group to resident bird species, highlighting the garden as an accessible urban habitat that supports wildlife and environmental education programs year-round.

Following the field sessions, many attendees went to Exploration Green for an informal walking tour led by Rich Sommer. There, participants learned about the site’s flood mitigation benefits, habitat restoration projects, and community-driven stewardship efforts.

The day concluded with a cheerful white‑elephant gift exchange and social at Lucho’s Tex-Mex, sponsored by the Emerging Environmental Leaders (EELs). It was a relaxed, fun ending to a full day—plenty of conversation, a few laughs, and new connections all around.

Looking Ahead to 2026

The Houston Environmental Educators Meet Up community expressed excitement for the next gathering, scheduled for August 2026. Until then, educators can stay connected through the group’s virtual coffee chats—open to anyone interested in joining this collaborative, welcoming community. To get connected, contact Matthew Abernathy at matthew.abernathy@tceq.texas.gov.