St. Augustine Beach sunrise: William C. Bean is a retired CPA whose passion is photography. Most mornings, around sunrise, he shoots the ocean view from St. Augustine Beach. This one, which he shot on Dec. 12, has an ominous look to it. He said the word “foreboding” was the most common word used by people describing the photo. |
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CREST members at the Aroretum |
CREST members
explore the Arboretum
and like what they see
by BILL ARMSTRONG
Group Outings Chair
A downtown group focused on environmental restoration and cleanup along McCoys Creek got a chance to visit the Jacksonville Arboretum and to see what a successful restoration looked like.
The outing was last month as I led members of the CREST organization on a hike at the Arboretum, at 1445 Millcoe Road near Ft. Caroline Road.
CREST—Community Restoration Environmental Stewardship Training—is an arm of Groundwork Jacksonville, a non-profit focused on building the Emerald Trail through downtown Jacksonville. CREST was developed in response to residents’ desire to improve their neighborhoods and increase economic opportunities in their local community. The program trains residents to be environmental stewards with workshops, creek clean-ups and field trips.
During their hike through the Arboretum, the group enjoyed a wonderful hike in the woods and witnessed how an area impacted by strip mining and neglect was restored to a beautiful haven for native plants, wildlife, and hiking trails. We look forward to more hikes like this with the CREST group.
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Meetings & events:
January's Zoom
While the pandemic surges, we’re presenting our normal menu of outside group hikes and face-to-face meetings online. Here are the events of interest:
Amanda Rice Waddle, the director of zero waste at The Repurpose Project in Gainesville, will talk about what zero waste means and how it can both help mitigate climate change and improve individual lives. In addition, we will have an overview of the state Sierra Club’s “Stop Using Plastic Bags, Publix,” petition drive.
Future generations will thank us.
Anytime
For inspiration and information, Go on a virtual hike with our knowledegable guides and experience North Florida's wonderful parks and preserves, our national park systems, scenic trails, and overseas treks as well.
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Major issues take shape
in state legislature;
your help is vital
By BARBARA GUBBIN
Group Legislative Chair
The state legislature meets from March 2 through April 30 for the 2021 legislative session, and both the state Sierra Club and our Northeast Florida group are gearing up to work on major legislative priorities: clean energy, land conservation, smart growth, water quality and quantity, voting rights and democracy, state interference in local decision-making, and the all-important budget.
Our Northeast Florida Group’s Political Team has reviewed the list of legislative priorities and identified key outcomes we will prioritize in our communications with state senators and representatives representing our area.
But we need your help for this task. The idea is that the political team will hold virtual meetings with our legislators to talk up the issues we have prioritized. You won’t be alone in this, and you will be given all the background materials you need.
To get involved, write to me, Barbara Gubbin, to indicate your interest, and I will put you to work.
A complete report, including details on the priority items, is on our group’s website.
If you want to be alerted to issues you can sign up for the Florida Report on the Chapter website. Look for the Florida Politics tab and click on Legislative Advocacy.
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Sierrans decry Trump try
on wetlands development
A federal shift to put more environmental control in state hands is being vigorously opposed by the state Sierra Club, the Northeast Florida Group, and a host of civic and environmental groups.
The issue is the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s granting to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection the full authority to run a vital program that protects marshes, cypress forests, ponds and other wetlands under the Clean Water Act. The fear, of course, is that the state will be eager to approve permits that allow development in these areas.
This “decision by the Trump EPA will lead to the destruction of many of Florida's remaining wetlands and will harm the state's wildlife and fisheries dependent on those wetlands for survival,” Frank Jackalone, Sierra Club Florida director, said in a statement.
“Delegating the power to grant wetland dredge and fill permits to the State of Florida is a dream come true for the developers, miners, and road builders who spend lavishly to elect, influence, and control Florida politicians.”
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Notes from the chair
The state of our club:
adapting, doing well
By LOGAN CROSS
Northeast Florida Group Chair
The mission/purpose of the Sierra Club of Northeast Florida (SCNEF) is “to explore, enjoy, and protect regional ecosystems and resources.” Though I am hard to please as an evaluator, I believe the SCNEF is doing a very good job of fulfilling its purpose/mission. Here is why.
For many years the SCNEF has provided a broad array of educational programs designed to address regional environmental topics and member interests. It made these programs accessible by providing them at locations around the region. With the onset of the pandemic, our program leaders quickly shifted to virtual programs delivered online. In many ways this shift has broadened the reach of the programs as the participation level has increased.
The SCNEF has maintained a robust outings program that provides a broad array of opportunities for outdoor recreation, learning, and service. For many years it has provided more outing opportunities with higher levels of participation than other Sierra Club groups in Florida. When traditional, in-person outings were suspended due to the pandemic, they were quickly replaced by virtual events that showcase the outing experience of members, regional recreation locations, and skills for outdoor recreation. These virtual outing experiences have been appreciated and well-attended.
The SCNEF has a political-legislative team that has been actively involved in political campaigns at the local, regional, and national levels. During every election cycle, the team has reviewed candidates, endorsed pro-environment candidates, and actively campaigned on their behalf. During post-election periods the team has engaged with politicians while advocating for legislation to protect the environment.
The SCNEF has been actively involved in local and regional initiatives to preserve and protect natural areas, parks, and waterways. It has partnered with other regional organizations to plant trees and increase the urban tree canopy. It has also partnered with other organizations in efforts to prevent or stop industrial practices that harm the environment. Many of our members are serving on committees and teams created to address pressing environmental issues within the region.
Overall, the SCNEF is fulfilling its mission and more. You all should feel good about this and the members who have invested many hours and considerable effort to make this happen deserve our thanks. You should not be satisfied, though, because the SCNEF can be and do more. With the name recognition of the Sierra Club, a large regional membership, and these assets, the SCNEF should be more prominent and influential in the region.
On a personal level, I have a vision for what the organization can be in two to three years. It is aspirational, but achievable. I will share this vision with you in the near future for your consideration. In the interim, I encourage you to think about what the SCNEF can be in the not-too-distant future. To help with the visioning process please share your thoughts with me or other members of the SCNEF Executive Committee. Thanks for your membership, support, and contributions!
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Sierrans urge governor
to restore the riverway
Join environmental groups state-wide to urge Governor Ron DeSantis to restore the Great Florida Riverway. It is time to save the Ocklawaha, Silver, and St. Johns Rivers, as well as historic Silver Springs. Take action here!
The Great Florida Riverway is one of Florida’s environmental and economic treasures, but it needs help.
This 217-mile river system reaches from the Green Swamp in Central Florida to the Atlantic Ocean via the Ocklawaha and St. Johns Rivers. The Great Florida Riverway is home to 50 freshwater springs: 25 at historic Silver Springs, 20 on the Ocklawaha River, and five in the Harris Chain of Lakes. Like the Everglades to the south, restoring the Great Florida Riverway is vital to improving the ecosystem and economic health of North and Central Florida.
The Ocklawaha, the heart of the Great Florida Riverway, was dammed in 1968. Constructed for a canal that was never completed, the dam flooded over 7,500 acres of forested wetlands, 20 springs, and 16 miles of the Ocklawaha River. The continued decline of water quality, spring flow, wetland forests, fish, wildlife, and recreation has led American Rivers to designate the Ocklawaha River as one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers.
Restoring the Great Florida Riverway by breaching this dam will re-establish access to essential habitat for manatees, bring back migratory fish, connect three river ecosystems, replenish historic Silver Springs, and restore a lost riverway for all Floridians .
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About the Sierra Sentry
The Sierra Sentry is the newsletter of the Sierra Club’s Northeast Florida Group. It is published every month with environmental news and activites of interest to area residents.
Contributions—photos, essays, and poems—from readers are welcomed. Questions and comments? Write to the editor, Robert Blade.
Not a member of Sierra? Go here to join and receive a free tote bag.
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Sierra Club, Northeast Florida Group | sierrasentry@gmail.com | sierraclub.org/florida/northeast-florida |
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