The Dallas County Community College District seventh annual Sustainability Summit will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., November 3, at Cedar Valley College, with a theme of Sustainable Cities-Resilience-Environmental Justice. There will be ideas and projects focused on sustainability, green living and environmental affairs in North Texas.

The keynote speaker is Mustafa Ali, senior vice president of climate, environmental justice and community revitalization for the Hip Hop Caucus, a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that connects the Hip Hop community to the civic process to build power and create positive change.

Ali joined the Hip Hop Caucus after working 24 years at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, where he served as the assistant associate administrator for environmental justice and senior advisor for environmental justice and community revitalization. In 2012, he launched the EPA Environmental Justice in Action blog, with more than 100,000 followers. In 2010, Ali served as the environmental justice lead for the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Breakout sessions include Environmental Engineering, Walkable Communities, Urban Gardening; Senergy Sessions on Backyard Biospheres and Urban Mobility, plus workshops on sustainable development in southern Dallas and northern Ellis county.

Lcation: Cedar Valley College, 3030 N. Dallas Ave., Lancaseter; For more information visit DCCCD.edu/Sustainability-Summit.

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The Dallas Trinity River Wind Festival celebrates the beauty and spirit of the wide-open spaces along the Trinity River from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., September 16, in the Dallas Floodway between Commerce Street and IH-30. It’s the most unique free festival in the southwest, with a day of high-flying outdoor adventure and fun.

The festival going green with exciting new environmentally friendly booths, partners and activities. Partners comprise Trinity River Audubon Center, Dallas Zoo Outreach, Texas Discovery Garden and Blackland Prairie Raptors.

Appearing will be the international champions sport kite team TKO and Troy Gunn; Gayle Woodul and Christian Baden Powell, of Go Big or Go Home show kites; Dallas Area Kitefliers Organization (DAKO) and other southwest kite teams; North Texas Hang Gliding/Paragliding Association; Bang’r Ball Bubble Soccer; and the Texas A&M University Quidditch Team.

Attendees can enjoy show kites and enjoy other wind-driven toys and crafts. Other highlights include a Wind Chase 4.5 Mile Run, Ramble Bike Ride, Green Fest, Kite Giveaway, Kite Flying, Kid’s Fun Zone, Street Artists, Draw n’ Go Booth and Paper Airplane Making Contest and Dance and Musical Performances for Mexican Heritage Month.

Admission is free. For more information, call 214-671-9500 or email MyTrinityRiver@DallasCityHall.com.

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DFW Free Day of Yoga celebrates National Yoga Month from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., September 2, with an 11th annual kickoff festival at Trinity River Audubon Center, in Dallas. There will be live music, giveaways, vendors, yoga mini-classes and other holistic services, plus a huge, free community yoga class featuring some of the state’s best yoga teachers.

A relaxing, free community yoga class will take place from5 to 6:30 p.m., September 3, at Tandy Hills Nature Center, in Fort Worth. All day September 4, Labor Day, there will be free yoga cases at studios and other locations across the Metroplex. Since the event’s inception in 2007, more than 50,000 students have joined in Free Day of Yoga events to experience the physical, spiritual, emotional and mental benefits of practicing yoga.

For more information and to find a free class nearby, visit DFWFreeDayOfYoga.com.

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For those unable to visit the amazing Metroplex nature trails, many outdoors destinations are perfect for a bike ride, stroll, vigorous workout or a day in the park, all accessible by Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART).

White Rock Lake Trail is the granddaddy of local hike and bike trails, and it’s much more extensive than the ring around the lake. From just east of White Rock Station, head south to the nine-mile loop or go north to the less-traveled, forested White Rock Creek Trail, which follows the rambling creek for more than seven miles to LBJ Freeway.

Bachman Lake is another mainstay for local hikers and bikers, with a paved trail that meanders along the lake’s shore, passing waterfowl and cypress trees. With a length of five kilometers, this is the perfect place for serous runners to train. It’s located just to the northeast of Bachman Station.

Opened in 2000, the Katy Trail is one of Dallas’ most popular hike-and-bike trails. The former rail corridor extends from the American Airlines Center,  where it is accessible via Victory Station, through the Turtle Creek greenbelt running through the heart of the city to the edge of Highland Park, north of Knox Street. Around the midway point of this 3.5-mile trail, pause for refreshment at a couple of al fresco cafés that directly face the trail.

When the Orange Line opened, it forged another rail-to-trail connection. The Campion Trail is a paved path extending through both wooded and open areas along the Elm Fork of the Trinity River from North Irving just east of Las Colinas Urban Center Station, north six-and-a-half miles to Valley Ranch. This trail offers a bonus to mountain bike riders, as there are several unpaved detours that lead to wilder areas off the beaten path.

Cottonwood Trail wends its way roughly from Spring Valley Road to Royal Lane, and it can be accessed from the southwest corner of the parking lot of Forest Lane Station. The paved path is fairly new and very smooth, making it a great choice for roller-blades. It runs mostly through residential areas, with access to major shopping areas, transportation, medical facilities and educational institutions.

The Chisholm Trail, in Plano, is a half-mile from Downtown Plano, where it connects a strand of city parks and extends north along the banks of Spring Creek all the way to Legacy Drive. The mostly flat greenbelt eventually joins a second greenbelt— the east-to-west-running Bluebonnet Trail—just before reaching its northern terminus.

Fort more information, visit DART.org.

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By reducing skin cancer risks under our control, we may be able to decrease the chances of developing melanoma. For those that can’t be controlled, regular skin examination can increase the chance of catching a developing skin cancer early, when it is most curable.

The primary risk factor for skin cancer, including melanoma and non-melanoma cancers, is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, including sunlight and tanning beds. People who live in areas with year-round bright sunlight or those that spend a lot of time outdoors without protective clothing or sunscreen are at greater risk. Early exposure, particularly frequent sunburns as a child, can also increase skin cancer risks. Avoiding direct sunlight and tanning beds is the most important thing we can do. When out in the sun, wear protective clothing, hats, sunglasses and sunscreen. Here are some other risk factors.

Older age: Skin cancer risks increase as we age, which is likely due to accumulated exposure to UV radiation.

Weakened immune system: Conditions that weaken the immune system, such as immune suppression therapy associated with organ transplantation, may increase skin cancer risks.

Male gender: Men are approximately two times more likely to develop basal cell carcinomas and three times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinomas compared with women.

Fair skin: Caucasians have an increased risk of developing skin cancer than non-whites. The risk is also higher in individuals with blonde or red hair, blue or green eyes, or skin that burns or freckles easily.

Moles: Most moles are harmless and will never develop into cancer, but having a large number of moles may increase the risk for developing melanoma.

Skin inflammation: Skin that has been damaged by a severe burn, underlying severe bone infection or severe inflammatory skin disease may be more likely to develop a skin cancer, although this risk is thought to be small.

Family history: Individuals with one or more first-degree relative (parent or sibling) with skin cancer are at increased risk.

Smoking: Smokers are more likely to develop squamous cell skin cancers, particularly on the lips.

Chemical exposure: Arsenic, industrial tar, coal, paraffin and certain types of oil may increase the risk for certain types of non-melanoma skin cancers.

Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection: Infection with certain types of HPV, particularly those that affect the anal or genital area, may increase skin cancer risks.

Radiation exposure: Treatment with radiation can increase the risk for developing skin cancers in the exposed area.

Psoriasis treatment: A treatment for psoriasis, psoralen and ultraviolet light treatment (PUVA) can increase the risk for developing squamous cell carcinoma.

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