Meetings: plastics plus a John Muir celebration
The Sierra Club’s Northeast Florida Group offers meetings in Jacksonville, in Ponte Vedra, and in St. Augustine. Our meetings are free and open to all, both members and non-members.
March 9, Monday, 7 p.m
., at Lakewood Presbyterian Church, 2001 University Blvd W in Jacksonville, in the rear of the education building. The Plastic Problem. Plastic pollution is a pervasive global issue. Join us as we discuss a major road for change: the need for corporate innovation and design change. Lia Colabello, managing principal of Plastic Pollution Solutions, will be the speaker. Social time starts at 6:30 p.m.
April 4, Saturday, 10 a.m.
at the U.U. Fellowship building, 2487 A1A South, St. Augustine. Contact
John Pilecki
for more information.
April 6, Monday, 6 p.m.
at the Ponte Vedra Library. A celebration of
John Muir
, the environmentalist and Sierra Club founder, who was born on April 21, 1838 and died on Dec. 24, 1914.
May 11, Monday, 7 p.m.
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.
|
Our folks in Tallahassee
Sierrans lobby
in Tallahassee halls
By BARBARA GUBBIN
Seventeen members of the Northeast Florida Sierra Club drove to Tallahassee on Feb. 6 to join Rethink Energy Advocacy Day and advocate for our environment with our legislators.
Our focus was in four areas: renewable energy, including solar schools; banning fracking; supporting the establishment of a statewide office of resiliency and strengthening climate and resiliency research; and heat stress illness prevention.
Not many legislators were available for in-person meetings as they were on the floor or in committee meetings. But we met with aides for nine senators and representatives and left materials for another five at their offices.
Look out for and act on alerts you will receive in the next few weeks as bills on these topics, clean water, and other issues come up for final votes.
Once the session is over we will be looking to Sierra Club members to visit their legislators when they return home to review the session and judge how the environment fared.
Given the current composition of our legislature we do not see many of “our” bills making progress. For example, we have been supporting “ban fracking” bills since 2013 without one being passed. But, other than one fracking effort in 2013 in Collier County that was closed down, no fracking has occurred in Florida. There is reason to be persistent.
Electing legislators who hold our views and building personal relationships with elected officials are both critical to getting legislation passed, and that takes perseverance over time. Thank you to everyone who came, spoke out, sent a note, and plans to persevere!
—Barbara Gubbin is our group’s political and legislative chair
|
Learn more about Sierra
at our reception April 17
New Sierra Club members, and those who want to get more involved in the efforts of the Northeast Florida Group, are invited to a get-together at 6:30 p.m., Friday, April 17, in the Clubhouse of the Ocean Grove Condominiums, 1 Arbor Club Drive, Ponte Vedra Beach 32082.
We will have tables set up for the various ongoing efforts of the Northeast Florida Group, including outings, political action, programs, and communications and social media. New members and members who want to consider getting involved can get information at these tables from leaders of the group leaders who are currently working on the various environmental advocacy projects.
Light refreshments will be served. The Ocean Grove Condominiums are located immediately south of the Ponte Vedra-Palm Valley School on AIA, about 3 miles south of Butler Boulevard. Please RSVP on
Meetup
or to
Brian Paradise
.
|
Happier yards yield a happier you
The numbers of endangered species are increasing, leading many of us to wonder what we as individuals can do. A Sierra Club official has some ideas.
Lisa Williams, a member of the Northeast Florida Group’s executive committee, will explore some of the Florida-friendly techniques we as homeowners can employ to help make a difference for wildlife.
Her presentation, Backyard Habitat, will be at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at the Murray Hill library, 918 Edgewood Ave S, Jacksonville, FL 32205. It’s free and open to all.
Her engaging presentations are available to business and civic groups looking for fresh program ideas. Contact
Lisa Williams
.
|
|
First St. Augustine meet (photo by John Pilecki)
Risks to sea turtles
highlight meeting
Sea turtle defenders told the first meeting of a St. Augustine Sierra program group that “hard armoring” beaches to prevent erosion endangers the turtles because they interfere with the endangered turtles’ nesting patterns.
“Hard armoring” includes
geotubes
, fences, and sea walls.
Nancy Condron of Mickler’s Landing Turtle Patrol and Nicole Crosby of Never Endanger Sea Turtles told about 25 Sierrans at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship building in St. Augustine that the techniques generally require expensive maintenance which poses added danger..
The preferred method, they said, is beach nourishment since, if done properly using sand, it presents a much lower threat to sea turtles' nesting patterns.
John Pilecki, a Northeast Florida Sierra group board member and organizer of the meeting, said he was pleased with the turnout—his hope is to make it easier for St. Johns County residents to become involved in Sierra activities.
The next St. Augustine program meeting will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 4 at the U.U. Fellowship building, 2487 A1A South, St. Augustine.
Contact Pilecki
for more information.
|
New outings and cleanups need leaders
By BILL ARMSTRONG
Want to lead outings or cleanups?
We love taking folks out on hikes and kayak trips, and now we’re expanding our outings to include cleaning up trails around in and around Jacksonville.
We need your help! If you're not sure about leading groups on hikes or kayak trips, maybe you could lead a group on a cleanup.
Here are the details: We are now responsible for cleaning up part of the new S-Line (a paved trail in downtown Jacksonville) along with a section of Heckscher Drive near the Mayport ferry. We’ll work on a half-mile segment of each every three months. Could you lead one of these two new groups?
Hike, paddle, or cleanup—we can use you. If you are a Sierra Club member, we can train you and help you get started. Interested? Contact outings chair
Bill Armstrong
for all the details.
|
Outside in March:
Paddles, Hikes Await
With the cooler weather, we have a great outdoor lineup this month. To see full outing descriptions 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, March 7, 10 a.m
. Educational Hike - Little Talbot Island State Park. Join us for a four-mile hike on the Dune Ridge Trail. We will be accompanied by a Master Naturalist who will talk about the various habitats that we walk through and provide information on the flora and fauna.
Sunday, March 15, 10 a.m
. Hike the Rice Creek Conservation Area. Let's hike 5-ish miles through this historic, beautiful, lush wetland area. We'll hike on part of the Florida Trail, cross thirty-some foot bridges through a swamp, see huge Cypress trees, maybe see a gator or two, see the long Florida Trail boardwalk, and visit the famous "Rice Creek Hilton."
Saturday, March 21, 10 a.m.
St. Johns River Celebration Clean-Up - Julington Creek. Sierra Club will be cleaning up two boat ramp areas and Julington Creek.
Saturday March 28, 9 a.m.
GTM Reserve Fitness Hike on Middle Loop. This hike will be a 6-mile hike. Participants should be capable of hiking at a brisk pace (3 mph) for an extended period.
|
Group's new strategic plan
shows our sense of purpose
We exist to explore, enjoy, and protect the Northeast Florida area's ecosystems and resources.
With the present challenges and emerging threats to the environment, there is an urgency for our club to double its efforts to fulfill our purpose.
To achieve this, we have developed a two-year strategic plan composed of goals and related objectives which reflect our priorities.
For an overview of the strategic plan,
click here
.
And to read the plan itself, in pdf form,
click here
.
There are many opportunities for you to become involved. If you have questions or comments, write to our plan coordinator and executive committee member
Logan Cross
.
|
|
