Executive Committee
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Janet Stanko, Chair
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208-1341
janestan@bellsouth.net
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Gabe Hanson,
Vice-Chair
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992-9743
gabehanson@yahoo.com
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Tom Larson
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247-1876
TCLarson168@msn.com
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Ed Schlessinger, Treasurer
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730-8148
eds.greenmail@gmail.com
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| James Taylor |
386-795-3670
tayj0016@gmail.com
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| Ken Wright |
ken@jacobsonwright.com |
| Carolyn Cooper |
ckcooper51@gmail.com |
| Jake Fitzroy |
jake.fitzroy@gmail.com |
| Lisa Williams |
388-6357
LisaOW@gmail.com |
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Committee Chairs
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Conservation
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Volunteer for this position! Call 247-1876
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Environmental Education
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Volunteer for this position! Call 247-1876
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Outings
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Brian Paradise
BGParadise@comcast.net
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Website
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Bill Armstrong
armstrongjax@att.net
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Programs, Ponte Vedra
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Larry Lickenbrock
larr2604@hotmail.com
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Programs,
Duval
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Janet Larson & Pauline Berkeley
JCLarson168@msn.com
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Membership
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Volunteer for this position! Call 247-1876
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| Newsletter |
Julianne Mammana
jmm094@bucknell.edu
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Legal
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Volunteer for this position! Call 247-1876
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Publicity
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Volunteer for this position! Call 247-1876
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| Legislative |
Gabe Hanson
gabehanson@yahoo.com
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Photo of the Month
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| "Yamaka Nation tribal chairman JoDe L. Goudy prepares to speak at a landmark display of tribal unity against coal exports." |
Credit:
Sierra Club Instagram
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| Want to be a Sierra Club Outings Leader? You can help our environment and also have fun, as well as improving your outdoor skills, by becoming a Sierra Club Outings Leader. To be an Outings Leader, you'll need to attend about an hour long Outing Leaders training course, and you'll need to have a First Aid certificate. Brian Paradise, Outings Chair of the Northeast Florida Group, will be conducting training courses in coming weeks. Please let Brian know by e-mail at bgparadise@comcast.net if you're interested in attending one of these courses. |
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For more info about melaleuca mulch, visit GoMulch.com. The product is produced by FloriMulch near Ft. Meyers, FL where they harvest the invasive melaleuca tree from the Everglades and process it into mulch. It lasts as well or better than cypress mulch you'll feel much better about using it. Some people claim it even repels bugs instead of attracting them!
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Jacksonville Program
Monday, June 8: 6:30pm
Cuba- The Accidental Eden
Amanda and Ralph Hodges will host a video Presentation from the PBS Nature Series. "For decades, Cuba's wild landscape lay untouched while its Carribean neighbors poisoned them or paved over their ecological riches. Now Cuba's priceless reasures are about to face an onslaught. Tourism is already on the rise and most predict tourism will double once the US trade embargo ends. What will happen to Cuba's stunning biodiversity?"
Following the video, the Hodges will answer questions about Cuba. They visited Cuba in a licensed People to People program in 2012.
This program will be at the Lakewood Presbyterian Church, 2001 University Blvd W.
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Ponte Vedra Program
Monday June 1: 6:00 pm
GASLAND (A True Story about Fracking)
The NE Florida Sierra Club in Ponte Vedra will present a documentary about the inherent dangers of "fracking", a well-stimulation technique in which rock is fractured underground by a hydraulically pressurized liquid or fluid. The filmmaker, Josh Fox, learned that his home was on top of the Marcellus Shale, a rock formation containing natural gas that stretches across New York and Pennsylvania. He was offered $100,000 to lease his land for a new method of drilling developed by Halliburton and that's when his troubles began. GASLAND documents Josh's cross-country odyssey to find out if the controversial process of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is actually safe or not. Traveling across 24 states to interview families, EPA whistleblowers, congressmen and scientists in vast drilling areas, he learns of things gone horribly wrong! He unearths a shocking story about a practice that is understudied and inadequately regulated. The film runs for 106 minutes, so we will begin promptly at 6:00 pm.
All are welcome! For further information, contact Larry Lickenbrock at (904) 537-6047. The program will be held in the Main Meeting Room of the Ponte Vedra Beach Public Library on Library Road at A1A (blinking light south of the intersection of A1A and Solana Road, on A1A about two miles south of Butler Boulevard).
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Meeting Calendar
Wednesday, June 17 @ 6:30 pm
Combined Executive Committee/ Conservation Committee Meeting
Monday, June 1 @ 6:00 pm
PGA Meeting Room
Monday, June 8 @ 6:30pm
Jacksonville Program
Lakewood Presbyterian Church
2001 University Blvd W.
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Hiking & Exploring Princess Place Preserve 5/16/15
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Hello Sierrans!
Please enjoy our June edition of Sierra Sentry! Below you will find many opportunities to get involved and stand up for those who cannot defend themselves. There are plenty of events to get involved this month! We hope to see you soon.
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Dangers of Seismic Testing
By Maria Andal, Sierra Club
Contact Jacksonville City Council Members And Ask Them to Pass Resolution 2015-350 Opposing Seismic Airgun Testing In The Atlantic Ocean?!
Marine life, especially dolphins and whales, depend on their sensitive hearing to communicate, find food, socialize, mate, and ultimately, survive. But right now Big Oil and Gas is pushing hard to conduct seismic air gun testing to search for oil and gas off the East Coast, a process that can turn 300,000 square miles of Atlantic Ocean into a blast zone. This area stretches from Delaware to Florida. See Figure 1 below.
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| Figure 1 Areas that would be opened to seismic testing for oil and gas deposits off the Atlantic |
The sound of the blasts is comparable to the sound of jet engines, blasting every ten seconds for months on end in your own back yard. According to the Department of the Interior, seismic airgun testing in the Atlantic Ocean will injure or kill 138,500 dolphins and whales, including endangered North Atlantic right whales. The area opened up for seismic airgun testing is the only calving area in the world for the North Atlantic right whale. NOAA Fisheries estimate the western North Atlantic population numbers at about 450 individual right whales, which renders them critically endangered.
The biggest threats to their survival are habitat degradation, noise from industrial activities, contaminants, climate and ecosystem change. Seismic airgun testing will further contribute to the decline of the Atlantic right whale population to the point of extinction. These blasts severely harm not only whales, but all marine life, including dolphins, sea turtles, and fish. The types of impacts marine mammals may endure include temporary and permanent hearing loss, abandonment of habitat, disruption of mating and feeding, beach stranding, and even death. Besides the horror to marine life, seismic airgun testing will have a devastating effect on the commercial and recreational fisheries, as well as ocean-based tourism and coastal recreation from Delaware to Florida. 730,000 people in this region depend on a healthy ocean for their livelihoods. Seismic airgun testing will destroy jobs created by tourism and fish. Further, it is the first step toward expanding deepwater drilling, the same practice that caused the well-known Deepwater Horizon oil spill disaster. Offshore drilling is dirty and dangerous, and seismic airguns are an insult to ocean economies and ecosystems.
We have a great opportunity to make our voices heard in opposition to seismic airgun testing. All it takes is for you to contact Jacksonville City Council, and ask them to pass city council member John Crescimbeni's resolution 2015-350. The resolution will be in Rules committee on June 1, 2015, and if it passes, it will then be headed for a City Council vote on June 9, 2015. Please click here to contact city council members and make your voices heard loud and clear.
To learn more about seismic airgun testing please click here.
As Captain Paul Watson, founder of Sea Shepherd, put it so eloquently, "What the great majority of people do not understand is this: unless we stop the degradation of our oceans, marine ecological systems will begin collapsing and when enough of them fail, the oceans will die. And if the oceans die, then civilization collapses and we all die."
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| Figure 2 Mother and baby dolphin |
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| Figure 3 North Atlantic Right Whale, mother and baby. |
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"Your Time...To Explore the Wild Places of the Earth...is Now"
Ken Fisher, Sierra Club Outing Leader
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President Theodore Roosevelt (26th US President) and John Muir (Founder of the Sierra Club), 1906
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Most of you are probably familiar with the mission statement of the Sierra Club:To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.
This month I have decided to focus on the first two words of the mission statement: To explore. And to do this, one must get outside and get involved. One of the best ways to do this in Northeast Florida is through our club's vast offering of outings. If you haven't already done so, please sign up for a free account at meetup.com, search for and join the Sierra Club of Northeast Florida group, and finally come out and join the fun! (Internet link also at end of article).
I learned about this opportunity through a current member a couple years ago. I signed up, showed up, later become an outing leader, and now I can't stop! Our outings are a perfect way to connect with nature, meet new friends, and EXPLORE! We host a variety of outings including hiking, kayaking, and biking. Twice in recent months we have hosted weekend getaways, which included all three outings!
Where do we go? As a sampling, recent outings have been held at the Jacksonville Arboretum, Princess Place Preserve, Jekyll Island, Guana Preserve and even St Augustine Historic Walking Tours. Upcoming outings are scheduled for the Theodore Roosevelt Area, Gold Head State Part, Thomas Creek, and St Marys/Cumberland Island.
Regardless if you are familiar with these locations or not, Your Time...To Explore the Wild Places of Earth (or at least Jacksonville)...Is Now! Don't delay; sign up today! Regular participants, keep coming back; if you haven't been in a while or at all, we hope to see you at an upcoming outing soo
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Is Fracking in Florida's Future?
By: Julianne Mammana
As an ex-resident of
a suburb outside of Philadelphia, I have seen first hand the negative externalities associated with hydraulic fracturing. From flammable tap water to dying livestock, these dangers are widespread and imminent. This harmful excavation of drilling for natural gas has long plagued the north east coal mining regions of America where natural gas is abundant. In recent news, there have been attempts to expand fracking to the southern most parts of the country, specifically our beloved state of Florida. The dangers of natural gas drilling are eminent, permanent, and damaging to families, animals, the environment, and the community in general. Seeping pools of "frack fluid" leave behind disgusting, toxic messes where there was once lush landscape. The drilling companies fail to acknowledge the complete list of chemicals present in this fluid, a list that has been found to include numerous toxic chemicals that can potentially seep into our groundwater supply and contaminate our drinking water. The negative externalities associated with fracking clearly outweigh the benefits. Tell our leaders that you won't stand for fracking today. For more information visit here.
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Oil and Gas Exploration and Drilling in Florida
This Action request is related to the earlier article about Seismic Airgun Blasting, but its focus is on Federal Legislation for a moratorium on oil/gas drilling in the Atlantic.
This April, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection sent a letter to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management advising against approving permits for companies to begin offshore drilling and/or exploration activities until more information is collected on how these activities will affect marine life. The department stresses that marine and coastal resources are vital to the Florida economy, and that offshore energy production has the potential to damage these resources.
We need to ask Congress members to in addition to cosponsoring bills prohibiting drilling in the Atlantic, please also consider cosponsoring these Florida specific bills:
House Members - Please cosponsor H.R. 1895 to prohibit oil or gas leasing or preleasing on the Florida coast. Introduced by Rep. Castor (D-FL), H.R. 1895 would prohibit the Secretary of the Interior from offering tracts for oil and gas leasing or preleasing off the coast of Florida
To sign on/for more information, contact Javier Gamboa, in Congresswoman Castor's office: javier.gamboa@mail.house.gov
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June Outings
Saturday, June 6, 10:00 a.m.: Hike the Theodore Roosevelt Area
We'll walk the beautiful Timicuan Ecological and Historical Preserve in the Theodore Roosevelt area of Jacksonville. Experience a few miles of peaceful, wooded nature trails, vast grasslands supporting water and land animals, and ancient piles of oyster shells revealing clues about an extinct culture. This will be about a two- hour hike of three miles. The trail entrance is at 13165 Mount Pleasant Rd., 1 mile southeast of Fort Caroline National Memorial. Bring water and insect repellent. Children capable of a long hike in hot weather are OK. No pets, please. See a brochure and map under More/Files. RSVP on Meetup or to Outing Leader Bill Armstrong at armsfam@yahoo.com.
Saturday, June 13, 10:00 a.m.: Hike Gold Head Branch State Park
We'll hike approximately five miles on a variety of terrains with some elevation changes. We'll meet at the picnic area parking lot. Once you enter the park and pay ($5.00 per car), drive to the parking lot located 1.8 miles from the ranger station. The picnic area is located at Little Lake Johnson. Please bring a picnic lunch, as there is a great picnic area in the shade where we can enjoy lunch together after the hike. Also, bring bug spray and plenty of water, but please no children or pets. RSVP on Meetup.com (Sierra Club Northeast Florida) or with outing leader Ken Fisher at 904-210-7765 / kpf1965@gmail.com.
Saturday, June 27, 10:00 a.m.: Kayak Thomas Creek
We'll paddle for a total of about six miles on the beautiful Thomas Creek on the Northside. The creek winds northeast into the Four Creeks State Forest. The Thomas Creek Preserve boat ramp is located at 17198 Ethel Road, Jacksonville, FL 32218. Take I-295 West beltway to Exit 32 (Lem Turner Rd/SR 115). Go north on SR 115 about 5 miles. Turn right at the light on Lannie Rd and go about 3 miles. Turn left on Ethel Rd (goes between the prison and the cemetery). Follow Ethel Rd to the boat ramp. NOTE: Following your GPS often takes you to the prison, so use the directions above to get to the boat ramp. No rentals available nearby. Bring your own kayak or canoe. PFD and whistle are required. You must WEAR your PFD. Bring bug repellent and water. RSVP on Meetup or to Outing Leader Bill Armstrong at armsfam@yahoo.com
Saturday, July 4, 11:00 a.m.: 2nd Annual Hike Cumberland Island and 4th of July Celebration in St Marys
We'll hike beautiful Cumberland Island and then spend the evening at the annual St Marys 4th of July celebration. A ferry from St Marys will take us to and from Cumberland Island. The ferry leaves St. Marys at 11:45 a.m. Please arrive by 11:15 a.m. and check in at the Cumberland Island Visitors Center (100 W. St. Marys St.). We'll return to St Marys at 5:30 p.m. and you can head home or stay in the town filled with street vendors selling food, drinks, and crafts. Finally, when dark, the fireworks show is a great way to cap off your day! The combined fee for the ferry ($25) and park entrance ($4) is $29 for adults. In addition to signing up, you must call the Cumberland Island Ferry to make a reservation. I would call now (877-860-6787), as space is limited and it's hard to get through!. Please bring a picnic lunch that we will eat once we get to the island. A hat, sunscreen and bug spray are also highly recommended. Also, bring a bathing suit, as swimming is an option on the island...it will be hot and the water feels so good after hiking! Finally, bring a blanket or chair for viewing the fireworks. RSVP on Meetup.com (Sierra Club Northeast Florida) or with outing leader Ken Fisher at 904-210-7765 / kpf1965@gmail.com.
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" Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it."
-Rumi
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