Eastern Missouri Group E-Newsletter
MARCH 2013
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March 28, 2013, Sierra Club General Meeting
7:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. at Mid-County Branch Library, 7821 Maryland Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63105 (map)
Discovering Missouri's Natural Areas: Mike Leahy, Natural Areas Coordinator with the Missouri Department of Conservation, will give an overview of Missouri's natural areas and their role in the conservation of the state's natural heritage. From cypress swamps to desert-like glades, we will explore the myriad of native plants and animals that inhabit the remnant natural areas of Missouri. We will explore Natural Areas across the state but will also focus on those in the St. Louis region that are great destinations to visit to learn more about the natural history of this place.
April 25, 2013, Sierra Club General Meeting
7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Litzsinger School, 10094 Litzsinger Road at Lindbergh Blvd., Ladue, MO 63124 (map)
Our speaker will be Tom Bell, manager of Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge.
Service Outings Continue . . .
Join us on an upcoming service outing at Hawn State Park as we continue to remove old barbed wire fencing in the backcountry. There are many miles of barbed wire that the park managers are eager to see removed. While removing wire you will be seeing areas of the park that very few people get to see. Some workers who would rather not mess with barbed wire can do general maintenance on the trails. The work you do will help wildlife and improve the quality of the backcountry. Free overnight camping. The dates are:
Wednesday through Sunday, March 20-24 ~ and ~ Wednesday and Thursday, April 10-11
For more information contact: Paul Stupperich @ 314-429-4352 or Bob Gestel @ 636-296-8975. Or visit our EMG Events and Activities webpage.
Stream Team Volunteers Help Protect A Valuable Resource
Help us do water quality testing on Saturday, April 13 (rescheduled from March 23). Fox Creek is a small stream just west of Six Flags in St. Louis County. We will test the water for various parameters of significance and we will also screen out the macro-invertebrates in the water and identify them. Although we normally have a small crew of volunteers, we can always use a few more people, so if you are interested call either Leslie Lihou at 314-726-2140, or Jim Rhodes at 314-821-7758. No special equipment is needed.
New Outings Leader
Congratulation to Steve Bozoian. He has just completed his online leader training 102. Steve is a dentist and an avid backpacker. We expect to see Steve co-lead some trips this spring, perhaps a beginners backpack.
The Outings Committee would like to see more Sierrians take this online training since we have a shortage of weekend hikes and backpack trips. Contact Bob Gestel (636-296-8975) if you would like information about this training.
Vote YES on Proposition P on April 2nd!
Voters in St. Louis City and County will decide whether to impose a sales tax to support the Arch, existing parks, and trails. The Sierra Club recommends a "yes" vote. The additional funding would solve funding shortfalls at our local parks, and would finance more than 130 miles of new trails, among them connecting Jefferson Barracks to the Katy Trail, and Forest Park to Creve Coeur and Ferguson.
The sales tax increase would amount to about 2 cents on a $10 purchase, and would raise $780 million over the next 20 years. This Post Dispatch article has more background.
Come to Jefferson City to Lobby for Our Environment
This year we have four Sierra Club Lobby Days, where we go to Jefferson City to talk with legislators to advocate for our environment. We have already gone twice, with over forty Sierrans participating. It is interesting, educational and effective. Our next Lobby Day is Wednesday, April 3, and the last Lobby Day this year will be Wednesday, May 1. If you are interested in going or just learning more, you can use the links in this message, you can write Michael Berg or you can call our office at 314-644-1011.
What to Expect When You're Expecting … Backyard Chickens
Saturday, March 30 @ 10 a.m., at The Heights Community Center, 8001 Dale Avenue, Richmond Heights, MO 63117 (map). FREE and open to the public.
This event begins with a short presentation by Guy Niere, a backyard chicken instructor for St Louis Community College and sustainable living enthusiast. Mr. Niere will discuss chicken coop considerations, how to select chickens, and preparations to make for arriving chicks and their ongoing care. After the presentation, a panel will answer questions from the audience.
For more information, email Linda Lieb or call her at 314-646-8818.
Green Time TV: Threats to Global Biodiversity
Green Time airs in four Missouri areas. See listing on Facebook and greentime.tv.
In the St. Louis area it appears at noon on Saturdays and 5:30 p.m.
Wednesdays on Channel 24-1 and at 8 p.m. on Mondays on Channel 24-2 on these dates:
April 6, 8, 10: Rio + 20: What Went Wrong?: Green Time connects by
skype with Anne Petermann, who explains that privatization of nature
under the "green" economy is causing massive land grabs around the
world.
April 13, 15, 17: Stop the Takeover of Nature: Dr.
Fredric Raines and Henry Robertson explain that "reversing the trend
toward a globalized financial economy" means both supporting local
efforts and managing a commons sustainably.
April 20, 22, 24: A Darker Shade of Green: Jim Scheff, of Kentucky Heartwood, explores
the deep interconnections between forests, carbon and climate.
April
27 & 29, May 1: REDD Alert: Jim Scheff explains how a forest
differs from a tree plantation and how forests can be changed from being
a carbon sink into a carbon source.
April shows include portions of the movies Rio+20: From Sustainable
Development to Green Economy, Stop the Takeover of Nature by
Financial Markets, and A Darker Shade of Green: REDD Alert. To volunteer to help produce Green Time call 314-727-8554 or email Don Fitz.
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!