The Valley Environmental Coalition hosts the 12th annual Valley Environmental Summit Oct. 1, 2021 at the South Padre Island Convention Centre. “Sailing Towards a Cleaner Environment” brings people together to identify environmental issues within the Rio Grande Valley. In addition attendees work to develop solutions to those issues.
The summit is open to the general public, political leaders, neighborhood associations, non-profits, businesses and students.
The event has multiple speakers in its line-up. Speaker Jace Tunnel, director at the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve, will discuss “nurdles” and their negative and dangerous impact on marine life. Ivan Santoyo of the City of Laredo Environmental Services will speak on their Household Hazardous Waste Collection Station. Dr. Hudson Deyoe, UTRGV shair for the Department of Biology, will speak regarding the “Texas Coastal Report Card” and the health of our bay area.
Fashion Shows, Video Contests And More
This year’s event will also include a video of an Upcycled Fashion Show featuring clothing made out of recyclables and other discarded materials. The attire is the creation of students from Idea Public School – Brownsville Riverview.
Additionally, there is a Call for Entries for the summit’s video and art contests to Rio Grande Valley students. The video film contest is open to all high school students and the art contest to students in grades pre-K through eighth grade. Rio Grande Valley students may submit entries with this year’s summit theme. Cash prizes will go to the video and art contest winners. Contest entry forms and rules are available at valleyes.us. Deadline to enter is Sept. 17.
The summit will culminate with a beach clean-up at Clayton’s on South Padre Island Oct. 2 at 8:30 a.m. Participants must register online registration at valleyes.us.
The event is free; however, there is a seating limit to the first 175 participants. Attendees must register with registration open until Sept. 17.