Eastern Missouri Group E-Newsletter
September 2011
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September 22, 2011, Sierra Club General Meeting
7:30 pm to 9:00 pm at Litzsinger School, 10094 Litzsinger Road at Lindbergh Blvd., Ladue, MO 63124 (map)
Our program presenter, Marty Koch, will introduce us to lots of out-of-the-way places for hiking and exploring. Marty will share his favorite areas gleaned from 40 years of experience traveling the Ozark Mountains. Some offer amazing wildflowers, wildlife, and waterfalls while others take hikers to great geologic formations. The day hikes featured will cover many areas of the Missouri and Arkansas Ozarks.
Free and open to the public. Join us for dinner before the meeting at around 6:00 pm at The Daily Bread Cafe, 11719 Manchester Road in Des Peres. (map)
October 27, 2011, Sierra Club General Meeting
7:30 pm to 9:00 pm at Litzsinger School, 10094 Litzsinger Road at Lindbergh Blvd., Ladue, MO 63124 (map)
John Hickey, Executive Director of the Missouri Chapter of the Sierra Club, will discuss "Crunch Time for the Future of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways" and Sierra Club plans for ensuring a positive outcome to the rivers' future. Free and open to the public. Join us for dinner before the meeting at around 6:00 pm at The Daily Bread Cafe, 11719 Manchester Road in Des Peres. (map)
Join us at Cuivre River State Park October 14-16
Just
50 miles north of St. Louis this easily accessible park is in the
Lincoln Hills area, an Ozark like island in north Missouri's rolling
plains. What a great way to spend a fall weekend with family and
friends!
Print out the registration form. Each camper will need to sign a liability waiver. We will email more information and a list of some of the activities when you register.
We are still looking for a volunteer to help with the Kids Korner and several musicians for the Saturday bonfire!
Contact Penny at 314-644-0890.
Trail Building Demonstration Oct 15 at Cuivre River State Park
You will see the tools we use and how we use them. We will reroute and replace a worn out half-mile section of trail. Join us for the morning, afternoon or both. If you have never done trail maintenance, this is the perfect chance to see what it is all about. Sign up with Paul Stupperich, (314) 429-4352, or Bob Gestel, (636) 296-8975, or after arriving at Camp Sherwood.
Giving Inner City Kids the Opportunity to Learn About Nature
Inner
City Outings is a Sierra Club outreach program that takes urban
children out into the great outdoors and exposes them to the wonders of
nature. At the August EMG General Meeting, we asked for donations to
help our Inner City Outings group pay for taking youth
to the October Chapter Campout at Cuivre River State Park. We received
an enthusiastic and generous response of $482 in donations for that
impromptu request. This will help send more than 20 kids to the
campout. We appreciate this marvelous outpouring of generosity!
Correction
The cover of the September SierraScape
featured a photo of a cave entrance above Courtois Creek, labelled "Bear Cave." The correct
name of the cave is "Bat Cave." We apologize if our mislabelling has
caused confusion among any bats, bears, or speleologists.
Fall Trail Work -- Your Help Is Needed
It
is that time of the year to start hiking in the Ozarks and in other
parts of the state. Missouri is blessed with some beautiful trails
throughout the state and the fall season is the perfect time of the year
to explore these trails. It is also the time of the year to start to
maintain and rebuild the trails that take hikers into the outdoors and
our wildlands.
For over 30 years, the Sierra Club has help maintain the Ozark Trail and trails at Hawn State Park. Your help is needed in the Pioneer Forest the last week of October. We will be working on the Ozark Trail or the Current River Trail. You may join us for the whole week or any part of the week from October 22nd through October 30th in the Pioneer Forest.
Contact Paul Stupperich, (314) 429-4352, or Bob Gestel, (636) 296-8975, for more information.
Hope to see you on the trail. All tools will be provided -- we need your time, your muscles and your smile!
Net Zero Energy Home
Long-time EMG members Jim and Phyllis Young have the first net zero energy home in St. Louis city. Many of us know Jim as the tireless coordinator of lemonade production and sales. Jim and Phyllis have hosted many lemonade volunteer appreciation parties in this very home. Congratulations!
Chapter Director John Hickey on KY 98 radio Sunday, September 18
KY98 radio will broadcast a 30 minute interview with John at 6am this Sunday. You can listen on the radio at 98.1 FM, or you can listen on the web at www.y98.com. John discusses key Sierra Club campaigns being waged in our area. This is a great opportunity to learn about the breadth of Club activity. Also, you can forward this info to your friends who need to learn more about the Club!
University City Leads in Sustainability
by Lois Sechrist
University City has been a leader in sustainable practices in the St. Louis area for many years. It has one of the oldest curbside recycling programs in the state. Its bike paths, walking trails, and pedestrian friendly shopping district demonstrate the nationwide movement of local governments committed to making environmental issues a priority. The City has switched to lower-energy traffic lights and the historic renovation of the 100-year-old City Hall was the first LEED Certified municipal building in St. Louis.
University City established a Green Practices Committee in 2008, which will become a full City Commission this fall. The Committee submitted a Resolution to the City Council in 2009 to tackle five priorities:
Perform a greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventory and set aggressive but attainable emission reduction goals for 2015, 2020 and 2025.
Perform energy audits of all City facilities and develop an Energy Master Plan to reduce the amount of energy used in its operations.
Analyze street lighting and develop a comprehensive approach to reduce energy use and cost.
Revise Building and Zoning codes to align with sustainable design, construction and operating best practices
Define sustainable design guidelines for capital projects and the respective return on investment expectations for such projects
The Committee is issuing a 47-page Sustainability Strategic Plan this fall, which outlines goals and action items for the following seven areas:
Ecosystems/ Habitat
Water/ Stormwater
Air Quality/ Transportation
Waste/ Resource Conservation
Land Use/ Open Space/ Parks
Energy
Green Buildings
Please contact Lynnette Hicks with University City to learn more about University City green practices. We would be happy to share what we have learned and where we plan to go next!
NATIONAL WILDERNESS MONTH
The President of the United States declared September as National Wilderness Month. In his proclamation he wrote:
"Protecting our wilderness areas and their riches -- clean water, stretches of undisturbed land, thriving wildlife, and healthy ecosystems -- is critical to the health of our environment and our communities. Today, wilderness areas serve as places for us to roam, hunt, fish, and find solitude. They are also strong engines of local economies, providing tourism and recreation revenue for communities."
Missouri has seven Wilderness areas on U.S. Forest Service lands plus one that is on Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. With the advent of climate change these areas may become critical refuges for species which can’t survive the multiple stressors found on more developed public lands.
Eastern Missouri Group Outings Schedule
Sierra Club members and non-members are welcome to join Club members on our outings.
Visit the Eastern Missouri Group website for more information about outings, activities, and issues.
Please consider making a donation to the Eastern Missouri Group today!