Monthly Newsletter of the Sierra Club Eastern Missouri Group
September 2015
Eastern Missouri Group Website | Join | Group Leadership
Monday, September 21 - 9 am
Time to Plant the Sierra Club Native Garden
The time has come! We are ready to plant the Sierra Club's native garden. Please join us at 9 am on the morning of Monday September 21 as we plant the newly designed native plant garden!
Please RSVP by emailing Gretchen at gretchen.waddellbarwick@sierraclub.org. Wear comfortable shoes and clothes. Bring your own gloves and spade if you have one. We will have most tools available for your use. We will provide water and snacks.
WHAT: Plant the Sierra Club Native Garden
WHERE: The Sierra Club Office
2818 Sutton Ave Maplewood, MO 63143
WHEN: 9:00 AM Monday September 21, 2015
Thank you to Scott Woodbury of the Shaw Nature Reserve who donated these plants and his team for watching over them as they grow. Thank you to all who helped to plan, plant. pot and nurture these plants as they grew from seedlings: Caroline Pufalt, Jim Rhodes, Stephanie Sigala, Penny Holtzman, Prem Barton, Becky Denny, Kathy Bildner, Mary Gibbons, Martha LaFata, Anne Rankin, James and William Hickey, Michael and Eddie Berg. We could not have gotten this far without you!
Thursday, September 24 - 7 pm
Membership Meeting - Hiking in the Ozarks
Larry Larsline will give a lively presentation on hiking in the Ozarks, including fifty images of seldom seen shut-ins, waterfalls, canyons, glades and overlooks and rare distant views over 20+ miles. He will go over controversies such as whether or not Mina Sauk is really the highest waterfall in Missouri. This monthly membership meeting will be at the Missouri Sierra Club office: 2818 Sutton Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63143.
Thursday, September 24 - 9 am
Show Up for Clean Air
Dangerous sulfur dioxide emissions from Ameren's Labadie coal plant are causing asthma, strokes, and heart attacks in St. Charles and Franklin County. Voice your support for the MACC to designate an option 1, non-attainment area so that we can address this serious issue. This hearing is the final decision on whether or not DNR and Ameren will be required to clean up the air pollution in St. Charles and Franklin County from Ameren's Labadie coal plant. Attend and voice your concerns for clean air now!
- MACC hearing on Sept. 24th @ 9:00 AM
- Address: St. Louis Regional Office, 7545 South Lindbergh, Suite 220, St. Louis, MO 63125
For more information contact Rajiv Ravulapati at 314 644 1011 or rajiv.ravulapati@sierraclub.org
Saturday October 17 to Saturday October 24
Trailwork in Honor of Leo Drey
Join the Sierra Club and the Trails Committee for the October Trail work week. This year we are dedicating the work week to the late Leo Drey for all he did for the Ozark Trail and the Current River Country. With over 1000 volunteer hours last year on the Ozark Trail, the Bees Bluff Trail and the Brushy Creek Trail we feel this work week is a way to honor Leo and all he did for Ozark Trail. We will stay in the beautiful Current River State Park. So join us for the a weekend or the whole week of October 17th-24th.
There will be some changes to the work week this year. We will be working on the Current River Trail as well as the Ozark Trail. We will also have some speakers talking about the Pioneer Forest, the Brushy Creek Trail and other issues concerning the Ozarks. Join us for the day the weekend or the week. Hope to see you October 17th-24th. Contact Paul Stupperich at lonebuffalo@earthlink.net or Becky Denny at dardenney3@gmail.com.
Saturday, October 24 - 6:30 pm
Fall Trivia Fun and Fundraiser - Registration Now Open!
Our 4th annual Trivia Night and silent auction will be held on Saturday October 24, 2015 at The Heights: 8001 Dale Ave, Richmond Heights, MO. Doors open at 6:30pm.
Gather your friends or family together for an evening of fun -- Cash Prizes, Games, Mulligans, and a 50/50 Raffle... plus, back by popular demand, we will have a costume contest! Participants will be allowed to bring snacks and beverages (no glass bottles please). Popcorn, soft drinks, and beer will be provided. This is an Eastern Missouri Group event and proceeds benefit our environmental work here in Missouri.
A table is $160 and seats 8. We strongly recommend submitting registration for a table but will offer an individual registration option. Individual registration is $30/person. You may now register on our website at http://www.sierraclub.org/missouri/eastern-missouri.
For additional information, or to become a sponsor, donor, or volunteer, call the EMG office at 314-644-1011 or Sarah Willey at 660-988-1412.
Support the Trivia Night Fundraiser with Your Donations
Sierra Club members - In the last two years some members donated items for the Silent Auction at Trivia Night seeking to downsize or provide items for repurposing. Examples: decorative cups & bowls, books,baskets, stoneware, handcrafted items, framed prints or photos etc. We are trying to organize this process a little better, so if you are interested in donating please help in the following way:
Contact us by October 12 to leave a message for Sue King at the office 314-644-1011 or home 314-752-4797. We will need to talk about how many items you have, how to get them to the event, retail value etc. and how the donors can assist in the set up that evening.
September Outings
Sierra Club Outings are open to the public. A dollar per person donation is requested. No guns or pets are allowed on trips. Use of audible electronics must be approved by the leader. Participants must sign a liability release. Outings Leaders are volunteers. Outings officially start at the trailhead or river access. Carpooling is encouraged but not the responsibility of the Leader. For more information contact the Leader of a particular Outing or for general information contact Doug Melville, (636) 288-1055 or douglas.k.melville@gmail.com. All are encouraged to check for recent outing additions at http://sierraclub.org/missouri/eastern-missouri/outings
Sep 18, Fri: Day hike. For more info on our early fall hike contact jleachross@hotmail.com or thisissuzanne@yahoo.com
Sep 22-24, Tue-Thu: Piney Creek & Hercules Glades Wilderness Areas. For this hike we will begin on Tuesday afternoon for a journey to Branson, MO. After a good nights sleep, we will be going to Piney Creek Wilderness Area for hike in this primitive area. With rugged terrain, creek crossings and a side trip to Table Rock Lake, this 6 mile hike will give you great hike to remember. The next day, we will be going to the Hercules Glades Wilderness Area for a second hike. The Coy Bald Trail gives you several glades to cross and enjoy the view of the White River Valley where this Wilderness Area is located. Depending on what Fall flowers are blooming, we should see several varieties on different Glades at different elevations. As you trek this 6.5 mile trail, you can imagine what the "Bald Knobbers" did in this valley during the 1880s. After this hike we will be returning to St. Louis with pictures and memories of this special outing. Contact Doug Melville, (636) 288-1055 or douglas.k.melville@gmail.com for further information.
Sep 25, Fri: Day hike. Should be cooler weather by now for 7-9 mile woodsy hike. For info contact thisissuzanne@yahoo.com
Sep 25-27, Fri-Sun: 14th Annual Car Camping Fall Celebration Campout at Hawn S.P. Great for beginner campers and families. Bring your own food and gear. Call if you need advice or suggestions. You are also welcome to come for short laid back day hikes if you don't want to camp. Small camping fee to be determined. George Behrens, (314) 821-0247.
You can learn about more outings here.
Residents of Maryland Heights Needed
The city of Maryland Heights has cleared the way for a 1000-home, mixed use project in the Maryland Park Lake District, formerly known as Howard Bend - in other words, the Missouri River floodplain. That's the bad news. The good news is Big Box development is now prohibited and Agricultural use is now allowed!
So large scale development in the floodplain is going forward in some form. Now what do we do? We promote sustainable development that will create value not only for landowners, the city, and the region, but residents and wildlife as well. With support from the Eastern Missouri Chapter of the Sierra Club, we've completed a "Feasibility Study of Sustainable Development and Conservation Options for the Maryland Park Lake District". This study, completed by The i5 Group, shows us how to think of our natural resources as an asset that provides significant economic, social and environmental benefits. A green infrastructure plan is how we invest in those assets.
We need help from residents of Maryland Heights to promote the green infrastructure plan to their Ward people.
To find out which Ward you live in, Click Here.
Ward 1: Ken Gold (314-434-2543) kgold@marylandheights.com; Don Hunt (314-878-8579) dhunt@marylandheights.com
Ward 2:Kim Baker (314-275-4954), kbaker@marylandheights.com; Ed Dirck (314-878-9001), edirck@marylandheights.com
Ward 3: Chuck Caverly (314-566-0424),chuckcaverly@marylandheights.com; Michael Hachmeister (314-291-4236), mhachmeister@marylandheights.com
Ward 4: Norm Rhea (314-739-0096), nrhea@marylandheights.com; Jim Carver (314-291-8958), jimcarver@marylandheights.com
For more info or if you are interested in helping contact Toni Armstrong @ toniarmstrong1@aol.com.
Stop the Sea of Plastic Bags
Earlier this year Columbia MO considered a plastic bag phase out plan for the city. Many other US cities have done the same. Plastic bags are a source of pollution which harms waterways, wildlife, clogs sewage systems, and are hard to recycle.
Yet this simple, common sense step invoked a response from the MO state legislature in the passage of a bill that would deny local communities the authority to pass plastic bag bans. Governor Nixon has wisely vetoed this “plastic bags everywhere” bill. His veto will be challenged in during tomorrow's special legislative session. We need to ask our legislators to support the Governor’s veto so that local community control on this issue is restored.
The bill we want to defeat is House Bill 722. Via the link below you can easily ask your state senator and representative to support the governor’s veto. Don't let lawmakers in Jefferson City take away the right of your community to control plastic bag pollution!
You can take action here to contact your Senator and Representative.
Green Time TV
Many environmental problems seem impossible to cope with. October Green Time episodes explore how real efforts are being made to overcome them.
Green Time appears in four Missouri areas. See the webpage at greentime.tv. In the St. Louis area it airs at noon on Saturdays on Channel 24-1 and at 8 pm on Mondays on Channel 24-2 on these dates:
· October 3 & 5: “Residential Energy Efficiency and Our Homes,” Sierra Club members Laura Neuman-Howe and Jeff Howe discuss energy efficiency upgrades in their home with host John Hickey. They look at energy efficiency effects on utility bills and rebates and assistance that are available to home owners. How can you make your home more efficient?
· October 10 & 12: “Climate Change & Black Communities,” Rev. Rodrick Burton and Romona Williams discuss climate change and environmental justice with host John Hickey. They cover the way congregations can fight climate change and the importance of these efforts to the African American community, especially the rate of asthma.
· October 17 & 19: “Threat to the Eleven Point River,” Have you heard of a “tank farm?” Tom Kruzen and Don Fitz discuss how the chemicals stored in tank farms can threaten aquatic and land animals as well as human health. They look at ways that sinkholes and losing streams associated with karst topography in the Ozarks create unique dangers.
· October 24 & 26: “Pollution in Missouri's Karst Land,” What could happen if there was a “perfect storm” combining dangers of very toxic chemicals, extremely thick fluids, storage close to railroad tracks and inadequately prepared first responders? Tom Kruzen and Don Fitz discuss the potential scenario with a tank farm in Missouri’s Ozarks.
· October 31 & Nov 2: “Lead: The Unseen Burden.” Lead poisoning damages the kidneys and central nervous, cardiovascular and reproductive systems. Don Fitz, Jed Hawkes Koball, and Bob Criss, discusses inherent problems with lead. Trade agreements, such as the Trans Pacific Partnership, greatly weaken countries’ right to protect themselves.
October shows include the movies “Coal Plants for 5th Graders (and Some Congress Members),” “Get Outside with Sierra Club Outings,” “Ian Somerhalder: Let’s Move Beyond Coal,” “Cost of Coal: Siobhan Washington,” “Karst in the Ozarks,” “Lead Added to Gasoline,” “Tetraethyl Lead 1950s,” and “Gasoline For Everybody.”
To volunteer to help produce Green Time call 314-727-8554 or email don@greentime.tv
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Eastern Missouri Group Outings Calendar
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!