Observe World Environment Day With The Entire Family May 13, 20190 Comments

Start your morning with a free talk and meditation at Houston Arboretum

Houston, TX (May 9, 2019) Rothko Chapel and the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, located in Memorial Park at 4501 Woodway Drive, Houston, 77024 will observe World Environment Day on Wednesday, June 5 at 7am, with an all-ages, family-friendly mindfulness walk through the Arboretum trails. To register visit the Rothko Chapel website at http://www.rothkochapel.org/experience/events/register/1583.

Photo caption: Rothko Chapel and the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center will observe World Environment Day on Jun. 5 at 7 a.m. with an all-ages, family-friendly mindfulness walk through the Arboretum trails. Photo credit: Christina Spade

The morning will begin with a continental breakfast, followed by breathing exercises led by Emily Manderson, Conservation Director at the Houston Arboretum. She will share the role plants play in keeping the air clean. The talk will be followed by a meditative walk through the Arboretum trails which will conclude by 8:30am.

World Environment Day, founded by the United Nations in 1974, is a worldwide call for awareness and action to protect our environment. This year the focus for the event is “Air Pollution” and China is serving as the host nation. Approximately 7 million people worldwide die prematurely each year from air pollution, with about 4 million of these deaths occurring in Asia-Pacific. World Environment Day 2019 will urge governments, industry, communities and individuals to come together to explore renewable energy and green technologies and improve air quality in cities and regions across the world.

Registration is free and open to the public. Please note space and breakfast items are limited. Attendees are invited to bring their own water bottle and/or coffee mug to conserve waste. Metered parking is available onsite. In case of inclement weather, a modified program will take place inside the Nature Center’s Discovery Room. To register visit the Rothko Chapel website at http://www.rothkochapel.org/experience/events/register/1583.

About the Presenter Emily Manderson is the Conservation Director at the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center. She oversees the management of the site’s ecosystems and has been coordinating the landscape portion of master plan construction aimed at increasing biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. Before working at the Arboretum, Emily worked as a Senior Environmental Designer and Consulting Manager at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, TX on numerous high-level ecological projects. Her educational background is in Sociology, Physical Geography, and Landscape Architecture. She is passionate about restoring the human-nature connection and demonstrating that we have the capacity to increase ecological health and our own in the process.

About Rothko Chapel

The Rothko Chapel is closed through early 2020 for major renovations. As part of its Opening Spaces campaign, the first phase of the project will realize a Welcome House and a new energy center; enhancements to the lighting and entryway in the Chapel; and new greenspaces for reflection will be added to the existing grounds. Programs will be held off-site and can be found online at http://www.rothkochapel.org/experience/events/. As an independent non-profit, non-governmental organization, the Chapel depends on contributions from foundations and individuals to support its mission of creating a space for contemplation and dialogue on important issues.

About Houston Arboretum & Nature Center

The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center is a 155-acre non-profit urban nature sanctuary located on the western edge of Memorial Park. Naturalists provide education about local ecosystems to people of all ages. The Arboretum plays a vital role in protecting native plants and animals in the heart of the city where development threatens their survival. To learn more visit https://houstonarboretum.org