Center of Development Excellence June 2025 Newsletter

Advanced Environmental Research Institute

The Advanced Environmental Research Institute (AERI) is one of UNT’s Institutes of Excellence, comprised of a team of interdisciplinary faculty and student researchers that focus on identifying and investigating pressing environmental issues through collaborations across Texas and worldwide. Research themes in AERI include One Health, biodiversity, environmental stressors, and ecosystem services, which strive to contribute to policy development and implementation to address or mitigate environmental and public health issues.

AERI also supports STEM education and training for the next generation of environmental stewards through programs ranging from elementary age at the Elm Fork Education Center to middle and high school STEM workshops and programs to undergraduate and graduate Ecology and Environmental Science programs.

Ecology Program

Students in the UNT Ecology degree program are learning how to build partnerships with local municipalities to promote blue-green infrastructure, land stewardship, and responsible development across north Texas, with special attention to public awareness and outreach.

The UNT Ecological Action Studio, led by Dr. Jaime Baxter-Slye, has worked with leaders from Denton, Corinth, Lewisville, Carrollton, and Dallas to establish student-led projects that address environmental issues such as erosion control, stormwater storage, and open-space habitat quality by using native Texas plants as ‘infrastructure’ in terrestrial and aquatic settings.

Additionally, undergraduate students in the UNT Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) chapter grow 2,000 aquatic plants each semester to transplant into municipal retention ponds. Together, the Ecological Action Studio and the UNT SER aim to make I-35 a ‘pollination corridor,’ using Texas native plants to bring back Texas…one bluebonnet at a time.

We Mean Green Fund

The We Mean Green Fund is a sustainability initiative at UNT that empowers students, faculty, and staff to create projects to improve our community’s environmental impact. As part of the tuition, students pay a $5 Environmental Service Fee that funds student-led environmental improvement projects.

The We Mean Green fund currently funds projects including a community garden, the Pollinative Prairie restoration, the Zero Waste Textile Initiative, which reduces clothing and fabric waste to landfill through community closets for students and local shelters and upcycling, and the UNT Bird Campus Committee’s vulture cam.

For more information on these programs and initiatives, please visit the following websites:

AERI, including interests in collaborations with AERI faculty: aeri.unt.edu.
Elm Fork Education Center: efec.unt.edu
Ecology Program / Ecological Action Studio: Dr. Jaime Baxter-Slye (Jaime.Slye@unt.edu)
We Mean Green Fund projects: wemeangreenfund.unt.edu.

Last month, citizen science app iNaturalist hosted their annual City Nature Challenge competition, receiving flora and fauna observations from community members in 669 cities. People from across the world worked together to identify as many plant and animal species as possible in their community over the four-day contest period, known as a “bioblitz.”

The City Nature Challenge is an annual bioblitz that helps to identify and understand the biodiversity that is critical to making Earth a livable place, as well as providing important data to be utilized by scientists. Of the almost 700 cities that participated this year, two Texas metro areas were found to be teeming with biological diversity and ranked in the top five for number of species documented during the event.

San Antonio ranked second with 134,713 species of plants and animals observed, and Dallas-Fort Worth came in fifth with 72,429 observations. Over 3,800 different species were observed in the DFW metroplex, with almost 2,000 observers participating in the competition.

While DFW urban ecology may be described as a mosaic of roads, stores, and houses, it is also speckled with green areas that have been proven to be biodiverse hotspots. To read more about this year’s challenge and the capabilities of iNaturalist, read the full article here.

The field of transportation is constantly growing and evolving, and for some younger planners like Beneetta Mary Jose, there are some significant shifts in the field that are changing the way we think about transportation. In an interview with the American Planning Association (APA), Jose spoke about the emerging trends of micromobility and electrification, and how these changes are contributing to a shift in infrastructure and related policies.

These trends show that transportation is more than just movement, but also about creating communities, embracing equity, and establishing resiliency in every journey. This shift towards more community centered planning that equitably serves people living in these spaces is reflected in the priorities of emerging professionals moving into the planning space. Jose also highlighted a shift in the focus of planning away from an adult-centered approach to instead consider all age groups to create a more inclusive environment for all. Discussion highlights along with Jose’s complete interview can be found on the APA website.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has announced their 2025 winners of the Governor’s Texas Environmental Excellence Awards. These awards recognize important work being done by citizens, communities, businesses, and organizations to protect and preserve the Texas environment. Winners have implemented innovative projects that work towards education, environmental sustainability, pollution prevention, and energy efficiency. This year, multiple winners and finalists came from the North Texas region:

Innovative Operations/Management Winner: City of Denton Solid Waste and Recycling and Wastewater Departments – Commercial Organics Diversion Pilot
Technical/Technology Winner: Texas Manufacturing Assistance Center, Fort Worth – Pioneering Sustainable Efficiency Through Sensor-Driven Solutions
Education Finalist: City of Denton – Denton Sustainable Schools Program
Education Finalist: Coppell High School Eco Club – Keep CISD Green
Environmental Educator of the Year Finalist: Caylie Harris, Science Teacher – Ferris Junior High School
Youth Finalist: Oliver Burker, Dallas – Preserving the Endangered Blackland Prairie

Selected winners were recognized at the annual awards banquet on June 10th in Austin, TX. The complete list of winners and finalists can be found on TCEQ's website.

A new sustainability-focused group called the Sustainability Coalition of Texas (SCOT) has been created to educate the community on sustainable practices that can be implemented in the workplace and in our everyday lives. The group aims to bring together organizations, businesses, government entities, and academics to support sustainability in the state of Texas in a way that benefits all and allows all Texans to support practices making the state a greener place.

While there are a few active sustainability-focused groups in the DFW area, the founding members felt like there was still the need for a broader reaching group that captured the various facets of green practices. SCOT launched with an Inaugural Happy Hour in February that was a great success and plans to meet monthly with bimonthly events moving forward. You can read more about the groups founding and launch here, as well as keep up with SCOT’s ongoing efforts on their Facebook page.

Water has been a focus of the 89th Texas Legislative Session, with multiple bills introduced to address the state’s water infrastructure challenges. One notable bill from this session is Senate Bill 7, which would dedicate $1 billion in sales tax revenue towards the Texas Water Fund each year for the next 20 years. There are a variety of water infrastructure projects that the funds could be used for, including but not limited to building desalination plants, fixing aging systems, and expanding water supplies.

Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill into law on June 18, marking a historic advancement in state water policy. The legislation must now be approved by Texas voters in November for the funding to take effect. There was strong support for the 2023 proposition that created the Texas Water Fund, as well as bipartisan support across voters for investment in water infrastructure, so there is optimism that voters will pass the proposition. Many other water-related bills were proposed and supported in this session but failed to make it past the finish line such as House Bill 1400, which would have established a fund for groundwater research, science, and innovation.

Fort Worth’s City Council has approved new restrictions for developers aimed at increasing protections to preserve the forest canopy. The updated ordinance adds 21 trees to the city’s protected tree list, bringing the total number of protected species up to 47. Additional protections are included for two prominent native species found across Fort Worth, the native post oak and the blackjack oak. As these trees are much harder to breed, developers must protect 50 percent of these tree canopies on properties, which is double the 25 percent goal for all other protected species.

The updated ordinance also significantly increases criminal fines for zoning ordinance violations and civil penalties for tree canopy removal of both protected and unprotected species, with revenue from fees going towards a tree fund managed by the city’s parks & recreation department. The changes come in response to previous concerns from council members that existing penalties were too light on developers in conflict with the city's inaugural urban forest master plan, adopted in June of 2024 with a goal of increasing the city’s overall tree canopy to 30 percent by 2050.

Council member Gyna Bives, who for years has led the charge advocating for tighter forestry preservation rules, believes there will be more urban forestry conversations and amendments to come as Fort Worth continues to grow, and hopes to see a heat map study conducted in the future that shows the cooling effect trees have in concrete heavy areas. More about the new restrictions can be found here.

Curtailing housing costs by allowing more houses to be built has been a priority for republicans in the Texas Legislature this session, and while many housing bills did not make it through this legislative session, Senate Bill 840 did. The bill cleared both the house and the senate, and was signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025. The bill aims to allow apartments and mixed-use developments to build along retail and commercial corridors in places that currently only allow office buildings, allowing property owners to build homes on land without having to get it rezoned. The bill only impacts Texas’s largest cities, limited to cities with greater than 150,000 people that sit in a county with at least 300,000 residents. It reflects the broad support from Texans for allowing more homes in business and shopping districts and converting vacant office and commercial buildings into homes. To read more about the bill and similar housing efforts from the 89th session, visit the Texas Tribune’s website.

One Earth One Chance, in partnership with UTD and multiple DFW cities, is launching a new education series called the Green Ambassador Certificate to address the need for environmental sustainability education in the community and raise awareness about sustainable choices. These monthly classes will cover various sustainability topics, with each interactive module covering challenges and solutions, regulations, success stories, and actions surveys. Classes are being held every second Saturday of the month from 10:30 to 11:30 AM, with each class offering an in-person and remote option. Each workshop will be proceeded by an optional litter cleanup from 8:30 to 9:30 AM at a nearby park. Upcoming sessions include:

The North Texas Regional Integration of Sustainability Efforts (RISE) Coalition works to engage interested local governments in peer-exchange opportunities to support sustainability and environmental initiatives. Coalition meetings are open to the public; local government staff working on sustainability, environmental, and climate initiatives are encouraged to attend.

The next RISE Coalition meeting is scheduled for July 30, 2025, at 9:30 AM. The meeting will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP here.

For more information about the RISE Coalition, visit the RISE Coalition website. The RISE Coalition website provides information about past and upcoming meetings.

The Waco Sustainability Network is hosting their 4th annual Green Communities Conference at the Waco Convention Center on September 17-18, 2025. This year’s theme, “Rooted in Resilience,” focuses on supporting sustainable communities by placing an emphasis on strengthening our landscapes and ecosystems. The conference brings together sustainability thought leaders from across the state and fosters collaboration between public and private entities. The event includes various community tours, multiple panel sessions, various exhibitors, and student poster presentations. Registration for attendees and exhibitors is now open on the conference website.

Registration is now open for the South-central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource (SPEER) 2025 Industry + Policy Workshop. The workshop will be held on September 18-19, 2025, at the AT&T Hotel & Conference Center in Austin, TX. The event invites energy leaders to engage in discussions around energy efficiency, resiliency and sustainability. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear insightful conversations and presentations from energy experts and leaders on the most pressing energy challenges in our region. Registration for attendees and sponsors is open on the event website.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is currently accepting applications to receive funding through the Texas Volkswagen Environmental Mitigation Program (TxVEMP). Individuals, state and local governments, corporations, and any other legal entity are invited to apply for funding to replace or upgrade vehicles and equipment with electric alternatives. The following categories are eligible for funding:

Class 8 Local Freight and Port Drayage Trucks
Class 4-8 School Bus, Shuttle Bus, & Transit Buses
Class 4-7 Local Freight Trucks
Airport Ground Support Equipment
Forklift and Port Cargo Handling Equipment
Refueling Infrastructure

Approximately $20 million in funding is still available to be claimed. TCEQ will be accepting applications through 5:00 PM, August 31, 2025, or as long as funding is available. Further details about TxVEMP funding and how to apply can be found on the program website.

Applications are currently being accepted by the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) for the Texas LoanSTAR (Saving Taxes and Resources) Revolving Loan Program. These low-interest loans can be used to finance energy-related, cost-reduction retrofit projects. Borrowers receive low-interest loans to pay for projects then repay the loans from the energy cost savings realized by the retrofits. Cities, counties, independent school districts, state agencies, public institutions of higher education, and tax-supported public hospital districts are all eligible to receive loan funding. Applications are being accepted through 2:00 PM, August 31, 2025, and will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis. Learn more by visiting the program webpage or the application page.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is seeking to accelerate the creation of novel intelligent technologies that address the major issues and challenges faced by communities across the US through the Smart and Connected Communities (S&CC) program. NSF defines a “smart and connected community” as one that “synergistically integrated intelligent technologies with the natural and built environments and with the functions of civic institutions and organizations.” The program aims to advance research in one or more of the following community priorities:

Economic opportunity and growth
Safety and security
Human and environmental health and wellness
Accessibility of critical services and resources
Overall quality of life for those who live, work, learn, or travel within the community

The program is open to Institutions of Higher Education and non-profit, non-academic organizations. Preliminary proposals must be submitted by September 8, 2025, and full proposals by November 10, 2025. More information about the program can be found on the National Science Foundation’s website.

The Center of Development Excellence (Center) is a regional program in North Central Texas that is built on collaborative partnerships with a variety of stakeholders including local governments, businesses, private sector professionals and organizations, non-profits, and the public. The Center works to leverage opportunities and funding to create a North Central Texas region that is resilient, sustainable, and provides a high quality of life for residents. To learn more, visit the Center of Development Excellent website.