Visit the Pages Below for Help with Organism Identification, Education Opportunities, Texas Master Naturalist information and Much More.

Hazards Webinar Wednesdays

Hurricane Season in the Gulf of Mexico usually falls within the months of June to November. Texas has a coastline that stretches for 367 miles which allows plenty of opportunities for tropical storms and flooding to affect the communities that reside there. Wind and Flood Insurance are important tactics that homeowners can use to protect themselves financially against the negative effects of a disaster. It is important to start thinking about acquiring policies to better protect property and items against the threat of disaster well before the hurricane season begins. It is common for many homeowners to only consider getting insurance when a storm is looming. Insurance policies need to be established for at least 30 days before they can go into effect and many insurance providers will not start a new policy if a storm has already formed.

Texas Sea Grant is excited to share with you a new series of virtual webinars called Hazards Webinar Wednesdays. There will be 5 webinars between April and October 2021, roughly coinciding with hurricane season. The broad themes for these workshops are:

• Insurance basics – wind and flood versus homeowners
• Insurance claims versus disaster recovery assistance
• National Flood Insurance
• Program (NFIP) and Community Rating System (CRS)
• Better building codes and how they relate to insurance
• Protecting yourself from fraud and scams after disasters
• Planning for recovery before a disaster hits

The first 2 webinars have been scheduled for April 14 and April 21 from 12-2pm.

You can register here:  RSVP April 14 form and RSVP April 21 form.  You will receive a zoom link after registering.

There will be presentations from different agencies, followed by a Q&A period.  The webinar title and the agencies that will present for the April webinars are:

• Texas Center for Climate Studies
• Texas Department of Insurance
• Office of Public Insurance Counsel
• Texas Windstorm Insurance Association
• Texas Center for Climate Studies
• Texas General Land Office
• FEMA Region 6 Office

For our Q&A portion we are asking attendees to submit their questions. Please follow the links below to submit any questions you may have for our presenters.  To Submit Questions for Part 1 April 14, 2021 Webinar: https://forms.gle/PLwbK5yQSY7ecyXXA To Submit Questions for Part 2 April 21, 2021 Webinar:https://forms.gle/PwHYiVv7cBSADRnD7

Galveston Bay Area Chapter Texas Master Naturalist Website
– More information on the Texas Master Naturalist Program
– How to join the next training class
– Volunteer opportunities and upcoming events
– Award winning newsletter “The Midden”

Identification Guide to Marine Organisms of Texas
-Identification of fish, crabs, shrimp, mollusks, vegetation, beachcombing and more.
-Information courtesy of TPWD, (Brenda Bowling), 2012-2017.

Aquaplant Website
-Designed to help pond owners and their advisors in the identification and management of aquatic vegetation.
– Photographs, descriptions, and easy to understand guidelines.

Galveston Bay Fact Sheet Series
– A series of PDF fact sheets on threatened and endangered species, water quality in the Gulf, salinity, bottlenose dolphins, water birds, oysters, and more.

Monofilament Recovery and Recycling
-Monofilament is a single-strand, high-density nylon fishing line that is used on fishing reels. Used line can be harmful to boat motors and marine wildlife. Visit the link for more info. on the Texas Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program (MRRP.)