Outpost development
goes to commission
for decision
The future of the pristine 90-acre Outpost tract, next to the state-owned Guana preserve, moves to the St. Johns County Commissioners Sept. 17, when the board considers a property rezoning application from conservation (a designation made 30 years ago) to residential.
Guana supporters flood meeting (Photo by John Pilecki)
The owner of the land, a subsidiary of Gate Petroleum, wants a high-end waterfront residential development there. The Sept. 17 commission meeting will be in the St. Johns County administration building auditorium, 500 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine. The time has not been set,
but check here
for the latest information.
On August 15, at a standing-room only meeting, the county’s planning and zoning board voted 3 to 2 to approve the rezoning, despite the more than 40 comments opposing the move and no comments favoring it. Save Guana Now co-president Nicole Crosby noted that one of the favorable votes came from a man who had just ended a stint as president of the Florida Homebuilders Association. Among the opponents at the meeting were Sierra members
John Pilecki
and Brian Paradise who emphasized the need to preserve pristine land in the rapidly growing county.
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Beach Cleanup Sept. 14;
bring your own gear
The Sierra Club and our partner Sea Shepherds are joining forces for a beach cleanup outing from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 14. Everyone is welcome.
We will meet at the Jacksonville Beach Lifeguard Station on Ocean Front North, at the end of Beach Boulevard.
We encourage you to bring your own eco-friendly reusable gloves and reusable bags or a bucket.
We want to not only clean a section of the beach, but make people aware of why it is vital to control the plastic pollution problem. We will be photographing and tracking single-use plastics to make our point clear.
Make an impact while enjoying a morning at the beach. For more information,
contact Candice Rue
.
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Fascinating, challenging
club meetings ahead
Oct. 14, Monday, 7 p.m
., at the UNF University Center, 12000 Alumni Drive, room 1088. Free parking at the center. This is a special Sierra meeting exploring plastic hazards with a marine biologist and featuring a documentary film,
The Smog of the Sea.
The meeting is a joint meeting of our club’s two program groups, the Beaches and Lakewood. Everyone is welcome. University of Florida marine biologist Maia McGuire will lead the discussion after the film and will return for our January meeting.
November
. To be announced.
December
, at the Ponte Vedra library. Details to be announced
Jan. 13, 2020, Monday
, at Lakewood Presbyterian Church, 2001 University Blvd W in Jacksonville, in the rear of the education building. Marine biologist Maia McGuire, who was featured at the October meeting, returns to lead a full discussion on microplastics in the ocean. Refreshments from 6:30-7 p.m.; the program starts at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome.
February
. To be announced.
March
. To be announced.
April
. To be announced.
May 11, Monday
, at Lakewood Presbyterian Church, 2001 University Blvd W in Jacksonville, in the rear of the education building. Josh Gellers, a UNF associate professor of political science, will speak on “Human Rights and the Environment: Origins, Impacts, and New Directions.” He will explore different human rights approaches to environmental protection. Social time starts at 6:30 p.m. The program starts at 7 p.m. All are welcome.
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Singer, songwriter performs
at club fundraiser Oct. 16
Our club is hosting a fundraiser and social on Wednesday, Oct. 16, featuring Jacksonville singer, songwriter, and Sierra activist Madison Carr.
Her concert starts at 7 p.m. at the
Mudville Grille
, 3105 Beach Blvd., near the intersection of Beach and Atlantic boulevards. The doors open at 6 p.m., with a happy hour until 7 p.m. Come early to see old friends and meet new ones. Everyone is welcome.
Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. Reserve your ticket by sending a check for $12 per person, payable to Northeast Florida Group, Sierra Club. Send the check to Brian Paradise at 13 Arbor Club Drive, # 315, Ponte Vedra Beach. FL. 32082.
Mudville Grille offers a good selection of food and drinks (including a few vegetarian choices) at modest prices.
Proceeds from the concert will go towards specific environmental programs of our local Sierra Club including the Sierra Student Coalition.
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Outside in September:
paddles, hikes await
There's a great outdoor lineup this month. To see a full outing description and RSVP for any of the events, go to our
website
or
Meetup pages.
All the outings are free (except for park fees) and are open to all. Some outings require a greater level of fitness and skill than others. No pets or firearms allowed on outings. Outing participants are required to sign a waiver and release of liability at the start of the outing. Here is a copy of
the waiver form
. You'll get one to sign at the outing.
Saturday, Sept. 7, 11 a.m.
Kayak Pottsburg Creek. We'll put in at the boat ramp next to All Wet Sports at 8550 Beach Boulevard, and paddle up the creek (south) for about a 2 1/2 hour round trip. Rentals available.
Saturday, Sept. 14, 9 a.m.
Kayak Deep Creek. Join us for a backwater paddle on Deep Creek.
Saturday, Sept. 14, 9 a.m.
Beach cleanup service outing. Help the beach while enjoying a morning by the ocean. (Details in this newsletter and Meetup)
Sunday, Sept. 15, 9 a.m.
Paddle Dutton Island Preserve. Join us for a morning paddle along the Dutton Island Preserve kayak trail, winding through the salt marsh offering exceptional wildlife viewing.
Saturday Sept. 21, 9 a.m.
GTM Reserve Fitness Hike, Middle Loop. This hike will take place in the Guana Tolomoto Matanzas (GTM) Reserve and will use its trail system to create a 6-mile hike. We will hike at a 3 mph pace.
Saturday, Sept. 28, 9 a.m
. Hike the Trails at UNF. We’ll hike the trails of the Sawmill Slough Preserve at the University of North Florida Wildlife Sanctuary and pass through upland pines, turkey-oak woodlands and cypress swamps. The hike will be about 4 miles.
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Rate your representatives:
legislative tally tells all
How did your state legislators vote on environmental issues in 2019? The Sierra Club’s Florida chapter has an easy-to-use guide to all the legislators’ votes, with a thumbs up or down on major issues.
The legislators are listed in alphabetical order. That means you’ll need the names of your state senator and state representative. To do that, go to this
state government website
. Enter your address and you’ll get the names you need.
to see how your representatives did. The state senators are listed first, then the representatives. After that, let them know your reaction and ideas by a phone call or an email.
Overall, the legislators either ignored or worsened the state’s environment. “Despite full knowledge of the environmental challenges Florida faces, the legislature did very little to make things better,” said Sierra Florida Chapter Director Frank Jackalone. “In fact, things are just going to get worse.”
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Create a habitat
in your backyard
The numbers of endangered species are increasing, leading many to wonder what we as individuals can do. We have a program to help.
Backyard Habitat will explore some of Florida Friendly techniques we as homeowners can employ to help make a difference for wildlife.
Recognizing that our home landscapes are a part of a larger natural system can help guide us to make yards that are visibly appealing yet continue to provide ecosystem services, says Lisa Williams of the NEFL Sierra executive board. She will speak on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 3:30-5 pm at the Murray Hill library at 918 Edgewood Ave S.
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Sierra Club, Northeast Florida Group | sierrasentry@gmail.com | sierraclub.org/florida/northeast-florida
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