Our speakers are Jim Blackburn and Jeffrey Mills.
Jim Blackburn has had a long and storied career as an environmental lawyer in Houston and Texas, with involvement in some of the most important litigation that has shaped how our communities and natural habitats are impacted by one of the fastest growing regions in the country. Jim was instrumental in helping save the habitat for the Whopping Cranes at the Aransas National Widlife refuge near San Antonio Bay. In addition to his law practice, Jim is a Professor in the Practice in Environmental Law in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Rice University. At Rice, Blackburn is a Faculty Scholar at the Baker Institute, co-director of the Severe Storm Prevention, Education and Evacuation from Disaster (SSPEED) Center and directs the undergraduate minor in Energy and Water Sustainability. Texas A&M Press published Blackburn’s Book of Texas Bays in 2004 and his new book, A Texan Plan for the Texas Coast, was published by Texas A&M Press in 2017. Jim has also co-authored a book of poems and paintings with artist Isabelle Scurry Chapman titled Birds: A Book of Verse and Vision. Among other awards, he was designated a Rice University distinguished alumni laureate in 2018, won the International Crane Foundation Good Egg Award in 2015, the Barbara C. Jordan Community Advocate Award from Texas Southern University in 2007, and the Robert C. Eckhardt Lifetime Coastal Achievement Award from the General Land Office of Texas in 1998.
Jim is an avid kayaker, and is the subject of a biographical film, Calming the Waters, currently being filmed by Jeffrey Mills.
Jeffrey Mills has been a Houston filmmaker for the past 41 years, working primarily in corporate communications, nonprofit fundraising, and education. After founding Documentary Alliance in 2004, he has produced documentary films focused on historic preservation, American culture, and science. In addition to Calming the Waters, Jeff ‘s other current projects are: Before the Curtain Rises: The Story of a Texas Theatre Empire; A Terlingua Homecoming: Hope in America’s Last Frontier, and On the Wings of Giants: The Odyssey of Pan American World Airways. Jeff works with his wife Barbara (of 41 years) who handles graphics, animation, and programming for the company. Both are long-time members of Houston Audubon.
Calming the Waters is currently in production. It is a film based on Jim Blackburn's recent book, A Texas Plan for the Texas Coast, that explores new and creative ways to realize environmental protection along the Texas coast. Jim's approach, that combines ecotourism, ecoservices, and spirituality, is a breadth of fresh air that brings something of interest to policy wonks, environmentalists, urban planners, farmers, ranchers, industrialist, and politicians—a rare win-win in today's polarized landscape.
Jeff will introduce Jim and show a brief trailer of the film, Calming the Waters. Then Jim will launch, and share with us his wisdom, insight and opinions about our Texas coast, bays and estuaries - the good, the bad, and the ugly.
There will be a drawing for one of Jim's books.
Here is a link to the Blackburn & Carter website for background on his activities, including past newsletters.
http://www.blackburncarter.com/BC/news_and_events/Archive.html
And here is a link to his December 2018 Holiday newsletter, which I do not see on his website.
file:///C:/Users/ckuhnen/Downloads/Coastal%20Holiday%20Newsletter%202018.pdf
Please register early as this meeting may be especially well-attended.
Registration is highly recommended for this meeting. This will allow us to give the restaurant a better estimate of attendance. The restaurant can then better accommodate us with the room arrangement and sufficient servers. Be sure to register all family members and guest (companions).
Agenda
Social..................................................... 6:00 - 6:20
Dinner.................................................... 6:20 - 7:45
Business Meeting ............................... 6:50 - 7:15
Safety Presentation............................. 7:15 - 7:30
Guest Speaker..................................... 7:30 - 9:00
Anyone with an interest in Sea Kayaking is welcome to attend our meetings.