April 2017 Alabama Sierran

ALABAMA WATER RALLY THANK YOU

(Submitted by Martha Hunter, Alliance Coordinator, Alabama Rivers Alliance) A HUGE thank you to Sierra Club – Alabama Chapter for their generous support of and participation in the 2017 Alabama Water Rally!  Alabama Rivers Alliance celebrated 20 years of river protection in Alabama with nearly 200 attendees throughout the weekend.  As one of our strongest alliance members, the Alabama Chapter of Sierra Club and the local chapters all helped make the event a success with their strong attendance, leadership of hikes (thanks Ken and Roe!), participation in our panels and their financial support. 

Thanks to the Sierra Club and other generous organizations, we were able to provide more than 50 scholarships. Those scholarships helped bring people to the table that would have not had a chance to attend otherwise.

We were especially proud of this year’s effort to focus on partnership building, connecting our partners with each other, and sharing the amazing work they are doing across the state.  Participants also engaged in interactive planning around organizing for action in the face of today’s constant environmental challenges. 

One of the highlights of the weekend was our Emerging Leaders panel, which featured young professionals -- including Sierra Club’s own Jonathan Meeks -- sharing their vision for the future of our movement. It was certainly awe-inspiring to see a glimpse of what it is to come for our state and our rivers.

Here’s what one of our conference participants had to say about the weekend:

Water Rally was filled with information and strategies attendees can take home and apply in our own groups. (We are going to overhaul our intern/volunteer efforts after attending Justinn's workshop.) Equally important, some might argue more importantly, Water Rally also provides an intangible jolt of spiritual energy we need for our soul to sustain this work.

Alabama Water Rally continues to be the premier event for river advocates across the state.  We are increasingly using this event to bring new people, such as college students, together with seasoned community leaders in order to grow our knowledge, share our stories, and increase our ability to protect Alabama’s rivers.

Alabama Chapter of Sierra Club has supported this event for many years and continues to be an integral part of protecting Alabama’s 132,0000 rivers and streams.  Thank you!

Cindy Lowry, Mitch Reid, Martha Hunter, Kelly Marshall, Gilda Brame

Bus to Washington for People's Climate March

The Sierra Club Alabama Chapter will be sponsoring a bus to take members to Washington, DC, to participate in the People's Climate March on April 29. This event is intended to bring attention to the critical need to address climate change, and to educate political leaders who ridicule the concept that climate change is a serious environmental issue, is fully supported by extensive scientific research, and is caused by human factors. The Chapter and National Sierra Club are providing funds to help subsidize the bus expenses, but we also need each participant to help pay for these expenses according to their financial ability. Recommended contributions would be between $100 and $200 per person, but we will accept lesser amounts for students and other low income individuals (we will reserve some seats for the latter). If you are interested in reserving a seat on the bus, let me know immediately and indicate how much you are able to pay. Although you do not need to pay immediately, your request should be considered a definite commitment so that we can fill all seats. Priority will be given to Sierra Club members, but non-members can be accommodated if space permits. Also, if you are not able to go on the trip, please consider making a contribution to help pay for students and other low income participants.

The plan is to leave Montgomery on Friday evening (April 28) at approximately 8:00 PM, arrive in Washington Saturday morning (April 29) at about 9:00 AM, participate in activities at the Capitol, White House, and Mall  on Saturday< and then board the bus at about 6:00 PM on Saturday to return to Montgomery (sometime Sunday morning). You can get additional information about events in Washington, as well as "sister events" in other cities, at https://peoplesclimate.org/.

Feel free to email me or call (334) 491-0780 if you have questions about our bus trip.

Bob Hastings

RIVERS OF ALABAMA DAY (LOBBY/LEGISLATIVE DAY)

Sierrans! Join the Alabama Rivers Alliance on Rivers of Alabama Day - Tuesday, April 11, 2017! As part of the celebration of our 132,000 miles of rivers and streams, Alabama Rivers Alliance will be organizing in Montgomery on this day for their annual Lobby Day to let our elected officials know that Alabamians care about our water and that we demand our legislators protect and defend our 132,000 miles of rivers and streams when making policy.

DON'T WORRY: ARA will arm you with everything you need to know to talk to your representatives. The more people we have with us, the more our voices will be amplified! You will be prepared and ready to ask your rep to #DefendRivers. It’s easy, exciting AND it will make a difference. Make plans now to join us. If you are able to schedule the day off of work to spend with us in Montgomery, we need you there. MORE INFORMATION: http://alabamarivers.org/?event=rivers-of-alabama-day

#DEFENDRIVERS PADDLE

The #DefendRivers paddle and campaign engages people across Alabama in raising awareness of water issues and communicating their significance to state elected officials and those seeking to become elected officials. This year, the paddle will be held on Saturday, July 8. This annual event provides an opportunity for citizens to *float* their message directly to Alabama’s policy makers and elected officials. Stay tuned for our message — coming soon!
 
We invite everyone – no matter age or paddling experience! – to join us on the Alabama River in Montgomery for a quick and exciting trip with community members and friends. We will celebrate the natural beauty of this region while insisting our rivers are protected.

MORE INFORMATION: http://alabamarivers.org/?event=defendrivers-paddle-on-the-alabama-river-2

History of Earth Day Mobile Bay

By Carol Adams-Davis

In January 2008, in order to turn Earth Day on the Alabama coast into a sustainable annual event, the Earth Day organizers of many years, including Mobile Bay Sierra Club members, formed Earth Day Mobile Bay. The Mobile Bay Group of Alabama Chapter Sierra Club set up a 501(c)(3) non-profit Sierra Club Foundation umbrella account to give temporary non-profit status to a newly formed organization called Earth Day Mobile Bay, until it could achieve non-profit status. Today Earth Day Mobile Bay is a stand alone non-profit, no longer under the Sierra Club Foundation umbrella, but still sponsored by the Mobile Bay Group and the Alabama State Chapter. Mobile Bay Sierra Club and Earth Day Mobile Bay volunteers have worked year-round during the past nine years to produce the area's largest and most exhilarating annual Earth Day experience on the Gulf Coast. Mobile Bay Sierra Club has organized environmental film festivals, environmental science fairs, children’s parades for the planet, and many other attractions and activities as part of the Earth Day event. With more than 10,000 attendees, Earth Day Mobile Bay has grown the environmental movement on the Gulf Coast through involving community groups, environmental organizations, government agencies, museums, schools, local businesses, and leadership of Mobile and Baldwin Counties in environmental education throughout the year.

The Earth Day message is always about the personal responsibility we all share to “think globally and act locally” as environmental stewards of planet Earth. It has never been more timely or important! Our planet is in crisis due to climate change, overpopulation, and many other critical environmental issues. Every person on Earth shares the responsibility to do as much as they can to preserve the planet’s finite natural resources today and for future generations.

Earth Day has resonated, on a personal and political level, for 47 years. In months following that first grassroots Earth Day event, the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Air Act, the Safe Drinking Water Act and dozens of other landmark pieces of environmental protection legislation were passed. To a remarkable degree, Earth Day institutionalized protection for the land, air and water. The world has embraced it with the same enthusiasm as Americans did in 1970 on John Muir’s birthday, April 22.

A Letter to the Editor from David Newton

This relates to the recent AP report that the new Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stated: “the (agency’s) new chief . . . . does not believe that carbon dioxide is a primary contributor to global warming, a statement at odds with mainstream scientific consensus and his own agency.”
 
I don’t know of a single report appearing in a peer reviewed scientific journal that rejects carbon dioxide as a primary contributor to global warming.  Further, I am unaware, of any nation’s academy of sciences that rejects the fact that climate change is happening and the burning of fossil fuels by humans is largely to blame.
 
Also, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences reported in “Climate Change – Evidence, Impacts, and Choices” that, “In 1896, Swedish scientist Svante Arrhenius was the first to calculate the warming power of excess carbon dioxide (CO2).  From his calculations, Arrhenius predicted that if human activities increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere, a warming trend would result.”
 
If you would like to contact the EPA about this, you may have to send a letter or email, because the mailbox at 202-564-4700 is (at this writing-March 14, 2017) full and not accepting messages.
 
David Newton
336 Carter St.
Auburn, AL 36830

SEWAGE RIGHT TO KNOW: Demand Public Notification of Sewage Spills

On March 7, 2017, the Alabama Rivers Alliance and all 8 Waterkeeper Alliance groups in Alabama sent a petition to the Alabama Environmental Management Commission requesting better public notification of sewage spills.  You can read the petition and learn more here: blackwarriorriver.org/sewage-notification.
TAKE ACTION: Tell the Alabama Environmental Management Commission that you demand public notification of sewage spills. Fill out your form here: https://blackwarriorriver.org/sewage-notification/

THE DANGER DOWNSTREAM

Weld Birmingham talks to Mitch Reid (Alabama Rivers Alliance's program director), Michael Hansen (Gasp's executive director), Nelson Brooke (Black Warrior Riverkeeper) and more about the recent threats to the EPA.
Read the article here: http://weldbham.com/blog/2017/03/21/danger-downstream-enviornment-alabama/#

Alabama Sierra Club Has a New Facebook Page

For the last few years, we've had a relatively lively Facebook Group on Facebook. In order to take advantage of the some of the options Facebook provides for nonprofit pages, we've added a new Alabama Sierra Club page. Please consider visiting the link and liking our new page!

Alabama Sierra Club Needs YOUR Help

We would like a bigger presence on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. Contact Lucina Horner at Lucina@juno.com if you are interested in becoming involved in creating a Sierra Club presence and expanding our presence on Facebook.

Renew Alabama Conference

We cordially invite you to join the Renew Alabama Conference for a day of community cross-sector conversation, workshops and training with a diverse group of partners uniting under a common banner to work towards social and climate justice. The conference will be held Saturday, May 6 2017 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the UAB Edge of Chaos.

The hard truth is that those who contribute the least to climate change will be impacted the most, exacerbating social injustices that many are already working hard to combat. Addressing climate change presents the opportunity to support these efforts head on, while fostering community-led solutions and economic development in historically disadvantaged communities.

This event will consist of workshops that address the local impacts of climate change and how to use storytelling in advocacy work, as well as breakout sessions covering topics such as clean air, clean water, renewable energy, community organizing, and faith and climate.  We will end the day with a networking reception!

The vision of Renew Alabama is to create a coalition of organizations, businesses, and individuals working together to advance renewable energy, climate solutions, and energy equity. By combining diverse perspectives and innovative thinking, we will create the blueprint for a healthier, more sustainable Alabama.

Host organizations include: Alabama Center for Rural Enterprise (ACRE), Alabama Environmental Council, Alabama Rivers Alliance, Center for Earth Ethics, Climate Speakers Network, Energy Alabama, Gasp, the UAB Sustainability Center, Village Creek Human and Environmental Justice Society and more.

from Michael Hansen, Executive Director, Gasp

UPDATE ON DAUPHIN ISLAND EROSION PROBLEMS and RELATED ISSUES AFFECTING MOBILE BAY
March 31, 2016

Updates are sent to individuals interested in Dauphin Island's erosion problem and related actions affecting Mobile Bay.  If you find the below information useful, please share this message with your friends who have a similar interest in the well-being of Dauphin Island and Mobile Bay and ask them to contact us to be added to the distribution list.

Corps' March 16 Public Meeting on Study to Deepen and Widen Mobile Harbor
THE MEETING - This Update summarizes our appraisal of the Corps' March 16 Public Meeting.  Upwards to 100 people attended the meeting.  That was a good turnout, considering it was held in Daphne.  We talked with many of the attendees.  Almost all had significant concerns about potential adverse effects from enlarging the ship channel and where the dredged material would be placed.

The meeting was advertised by the Corps as an "In-Progress Public Meeting" to update the public on the status of the Study.  The below link to the Corps' Study website shows the posters the Corps used at the meeting:

http://www.sam.usace.army.mil/Portals/46/docs/program_management/MHGRR/16_March_2017_Public_Meeting_Slides.pdf

Based on the information contained on the posters and discussions with the Corps staff, the meeting actually dealt more with the Study "Process", instead of reporting on the Study's "Progress".  Very little information of substance was provided about the status of the Study.  The Corps staff gave only superficial answers to most questions, with some responses being either vague or evasive.  All of the attendees with whom we talked, left the meeting feeling they had learned very little about where the Study was heading and how the project could ultimately affect their interests. '

A major problem was the manner in which the Corps conducted the meeting.  The meeting was originally advertised as a "workshop", but was changed at the last minute to be an "open house".  That style required the attendees to circulate between individual stations and talk with the Corps staff.  The problem with that approach is that many of the attendees did not know what specific questions to ask and went to the meeting wanting to hear what both the Corps and their fellow attendees had to say.  In our view, the Corps selected the "open house" style to avoid having to deal with hard questions from a large group of individuals, many of which may not be happy with the Study and/or the Corps and the Port Authority.

Please examine Slide 19 in the above link.  This poster summarizes the Corps' opinion of the key comments provided by the public in the January 2016 Scoping Process.  In our view, the following are some of the significant problems with that summary: The summary does not sufficiently address all of the important comments submitted by the public.  The Corps has decided to ignore many of the public's Scoping Comments without providing an explanation for its decision to do so.

Omitted from the summary are concerns over the use of thin layer disposal and the planned 1200-acre emergent marsh island in Upper Mobile Bay, both of which will used to dispose maintenance dredged material.
The Corps does not plan to analyze the historic loss of sand (approximately 20,000,000 cubic yards) from the nearshore littoral system that has occurred since 1980 because of maintenance of the Outer Bar Channel.  The current study is supposed to update and correct errors in the Corps' 1980 report.  This is significant since the 1980 report ignored altogether the loss of littoral drift sands and the resulting impact on Dauphin Island.

The summary provides misleading information about the Settlement of the 2000-2009 Dauphin Island Property Owners Association (DIPOA) Class Action Lawsuit against the Corps that contended maintenance of the Outer Bar Channel contributed to the erosion of Dauphin Island.  In settling the lawsuit, the DIPOA never agreed to the conclusions reached in the 2008 Byrne, et al report contracted by the Corps.  The complaint at the heart of the lawsuit was never finally adjudicated.  Instead, both sides agreed to terminate the lawsuit, with the government paying $1.5 million to the DIPOA in return for the Class agreeing never to sue the Corps again on this matter.

The summary also provides misleading information about the status of the 1978 report.  The Corps maintains the 2010 Byrne et al report supersedes the Corps' 1978 report that concluded maintenance of the Outer Bar Channel contributes to the erosion of Dauphin Island.  However, the Corps position is not universally accepted by all coastal scientists and engineers, and is at odds with widely accepted science over the general pattern of shoreline erosion typically observed to occur when navigation channels are dredged through coastal inlets.  Thus, the summary would incorrectly have you believe this issue has been resolved to the Corps' satisfaction which is not the case.  In fact, this very issue is being addressed in the ongoing Alabama Barrier Island Restoration Assessment which has not been completed.  It is important to note, the Corps refuses to provide information on the status of that separate Assessment.

SIGN PETITION - The Corps will hold future "In-Progress" Public Meetings about every four months, with the next meeting tentatively scheduled for July 25, 2017.  We must convince the Corps that the public does not future meetings held in the "open house".  Instead a format is needed that assures every attendee hears the same information, while also promoting positive interaction between the Corps staff and all attendees.  To achieve that, we have prepared an electronic petition requesting the Corps to use an alternative style for all future "In-Progress" meetings that satisfies the public's expectations for receiving REAL STUDY PROGRESS information.  The petition can be accessed via the below link, where it can be easily read and electronically signed:

http://www.getpetition.com/petitions/changeformatofmobileharborstudypublicmeetings

The Corps made the decision to hold the "In-Progress" Meetings only after the public demanded that it do so.  Now, the public must again tell the Corps to use a style for a more effective format for future public meetings that better satisfies the public's expectation for information and communication.  Please sign the petition, and then ask your immediate family members, relatives, neighbors, and friends to also sign.  Because of the importance of the Mobile Harbor Study to Alabama's extremely limited coastal resources, we also urge you to share the petition near and far to help us reach the goal of receiving 5,000 signatures.  Surely, the Corps won't ignore the wishes of that many individuals. 

SEND COMMENTS TO THE CORPS - The Corps asked the public to submit comments either electronically or by regular mail:
Email: MobileHarborGRR@usace.army.mil
Postal Mail: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ATTN: PD-F P.O. Box 2288 Mobile, AL 36628

If you have concerns and issues that you want the Corps to address in the Study, PLEASE SUBMIT THEM.  If you do not tell the Corps, they will not know what your concerns are.  As usual, if you do not mind sharing them with us, that would be much appreciated.

Thanks for your support.

Glen Coffee                       
251/873-4404 (home)           
251/599-6925 (cell)

News From National Sierra Club: COMING UP THE WEEK OF APRIL 2

Next week is a full-on press to stop the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch . Here comes the Robert's Rules breakdown: On Monday, April 3, we expect a close Judiciary Committee vote. Presuming he survives that forum, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will file a cloture petition with a vote on cloture to end a Democratic filibuster on Thursday April 6. Presuming McConnell does not have 60 votes to proceed, there could be a full Senate floor vote on changing the rules to require only 51 votes to confirm (the so-called "nuclear option") and then a second vote on confirmation by a simple majority as early as Friday, April 7. In the week leading up to this vote we will participate in a rally, increase social media action and digital engagement, lobby key Senators, and do pre-vote and post-vote accountability, and press!

Meanwhile, we are continuing press and preparation of legal actions around Trump administration key executive actions on the Keystone XL pipeline, the Clean Power Plan, the coal leasing moratorium, the methane rule, and more. Contact Melinda Pierce or Mary Anne Hitt. 

Get ready - the Peoples Climate March in Washington, DC, is now less than a month away. Recruitment and bug organizing and other logistics are on-going.  Contact Maura Cowley or Rachel Mandelbaum.

Sierra Club President Aaron Mair will speak at Villanova University near Philadelphia on April 8. He will not tease them about their tournament upset.

SAVE THE DATE: People's Climate Mobilization, April 29, 2017, Washington DC

We're excited to let you know that the People's Climate Movement is planning a movement-scale mobilization in Washington, DC on April 29, 2017. Following the election, the mobilization is more critical than ever before. It will be a key moment for the climate movement to come together and show our country, and the world, that we remain strong and will continue fighting for racial, economic and climate justice. It will also strengthen and provide momentum so that local and state campaigns can win bolder policies and raise the demand for an equitable transition to a new energy economy.

In addition to the mass mobilization on April 29, the People's Climate Movement will be organizing massive distributed events across the country in the first 100 Hours of the Trump Administration. We will organize bold actions throughout the first 100 days and we will be in Washington DC on April 29th to let the Trump Administration and the world know that we are going to keep fighting for everything and everyone that we love.

The Sierra Club will launch our action page and social media outreach this week and next in parallel with the launch of the People's Climate Movement First 100 Days Fight for Climate, Jobs and Justice website. Look for more details soon on where and how to get involved.

The Sierra Club will be playing a leading role in helping to plan and do turn out for the event in coordination with hundreds of partner organizations. The People's Climate Movement is a large and diverse coalition, focused on ensuring strong leadership from across the climate and climate justice movements.

Feel free to reach out if you have any initial questions. Maura Cowley (maura.cowley@sierraclub.org) from the Federal and International Climate Campaign is Sierra Club's representative on the People's Climate Movement Mobilization Support Team.

from Scott Elkins, National Sierra Club

National Club Election Is Underway

A Democratic Sierra Club Demands Grassroots Participation. The annual election for the Club's Board of Directors is now underway. Those eligible to vote in the national Sierra Club election will receive in the mail (or by Internet if you chose the electronic delivery option) your national Sierra Club ballot in early March. This will include information on the candidates and where you can find additional information on the Club's web site. Your participation is critical for a Strong Sierra Club.

The Sierra Club is a democratically structured organization at all levels. The Club requires the regular flow of views on policy and priorities from its grassroots membership in order to function well. Yearly participation in elections at all Club levels is a major membership obligation. In a typical year less than 10% of eligible members vote in the Board elections. A minimum of 5% is required for the elections to be valid. Our grassroots structure is strengthened when our participation is high. Therefore your participation is needed in the voting process.

How can I learn about the candidates? Members frequently state that they don't know the candidates and find it difficult to vote without learning more.

Each candidate provides a statement about themselves and their views on the issues on the official election ballot. You can learn more by asking questions of your group and chapter leadership and other experienced members you know. You can also visit the Club's election web site for additional information about candidates:
http://www.sierraclub.org/board/election

Then make your choice and cast your vote! Voting Online is Quick and Easy! Even if you receive your election materials in the mail, we encourage you to use the user-friendly Internet voting site to save time and postage. If sending via ground mail, please note your ballots must be received by no later than Election Day, April 26, 2017

PROCEDURE FOR SENDING MATERIAL TO THE ALABAMA SIERRAN

Many thanks to Roe Hyche, Bob Hastings, and Peggie Griffin for agreeing to be the new newsletter committee.
The newsletter is put together monthly, and material for the newsletter should be sent to plgriffin@comcast.net, with a subject line of "For the Editorial Board" no later than the 15th of the month. Group newsletter editors may continue sending group meeting information and calendars of events to Joe Watts at joe@joewatts.com, no later than the 25th of each month.
Guidelines for Material:

• The newsletter committee is seeking articles about Alabama environmental issues, articles highlighting Alabama’s special beautiful places, and engaging write-ups about group and chapter activities.
• Articles should be originally written for the Alabama Sierran, factual, and timely.
• A link to another publication should only be used rarely, but if a link is to be used, a full summary of the information (at least a paragraph long) should be written, with the link provided for more detailed information.
• The newsletter committee has the right to make any changes, so that material will meet these guidelines

Outings and Events

Cahaba Group

Sunday, April 9, 2017 Pinhoti Challenge Day Hike. Continuing our way north on the Pinhoti, this month we'll hike part of Section 12 from North FS 500 to CR 94. We'll hike up and over Oakey Mountain, Alabama's 3rd highest point. 8.5 miles. Moderate to strenuous; not for the faint of heart. After leaving the Terrapin Creek Watershed Lake Dam, the trail gains over 1000 feet of elevation in under 1 mile.  Hiking boots a necessity, as well as plenty of water and a picnic lunch. Dress for the weather. There will be an optional dinner afterwards. Hike leader: Kenneth Hyche - 205-540-3930; email - kennethhyche@yahoo.com
Meet at Bass Pro Shop in Leeds at 7:00am (park in the uppermost parking lot), or Target in Oxford off exit 188 of I-20 at 8:00am.

Thursday, April 13, 2017 @ 6pm. Darryl Patton Plant Walk  Join us for a plant walk/discussion at Ruffner Mountain Nature Preserve (1214 81st Street South, Birmingham, AL) led by renowned herbalist and forager Darryl Patton.  
We will meet in the parking lot of the Nature Center at 6:00p and walk from there along the Geology Trail where Darryl will point out medicinal and edible plants "in the wild" as it were. Darryl Patton is a wilderness survival expert, outdoorsman, adventure traveler, and herbalist who studied under the tutelage of Tommie Bass - one of the last of the old Appalachian Mountain herb doctors. Patton teaches wilderness survival skills around the country and is an instructor with Randall's Adventure Training in Ft. Payne, has been a consultant for the Discovery Channel's 'Man vs. Wild' with Bear Grylls, and also is the author of 'Mountain Medicine, The Herbal Remedies of Tommie Bass.'
Patton's walk will last about forty-five minutes and he will focus on presenting the traditional edible and medicinal uses of many of the indigenous plants that can be found in the Appalachian region of the southeastern states. 
The walk will not be strenuous and is suitable for all ages. Time permitted, we will meet on the back porch at Ruffner to continue the discussion, as well as enjoy some after-walk refreshments.

4/29/17. Easy Canoe Trip on the Locust Fork River, Saturday April 29 at 9am. Join us for a fun paddle trip on the Locust Fork River. Hosted by the Friends of the Locust Fork River, and they have been kind enough to include the Cahaba Sierra Club as a participant. Limited to 25 people. Scenic with a couple of small rapids. Suitable for beginners. Wildflowers and wildlife abound. We usually see bald eagles and ospreys. Some boats available to borrow on a first come basis. Otherwise you will need to provide your own boat, paddle, life jacket. Also bring lunch, sunscreen, water and a change of clothes. Potluck dinner at the trip leaders house afterward.  Please bring a side dish or chips/dips or dessert or drinks. BYOB. Please call Vicky Wilson at 205-960-4524 for the meeting place and directions or if you need any more information.
Contact Vicky Wilson to register and get directions: VickyWilson@hotmail.com 

Typical Monthly meetings - 2nd Thursday every month at 6:00 pm at the Birmingham Zoo Auditorium (building to the right of entrance gate) NOTE: locations do vary, so check the facebook page for the latest information.
Business meeting at 6:00, presentation at 6:30.

For many Sierra Club, Cahaba Group outings (plus some non-Sierra Club outings), check out the Birmingham Adventure Group on Meetup: http://www.meetup.com/BirminghamAdventureGroup/

Coosa Valley Group

Thurs., April 13, 6:30 pm – Peggy Hill - Eco-Friendly Tips on Lawn and Garden Maintenance at the Joe M. Ford Center, 405 Korner. St., Gadsden.
How you manage your yard directly impacts the health of the planet. At this month’s Coosa Valley Sierra Club meeting writer, Peggy Hill presents a lively, fast-paced program that covers such important topics as fertilization, pest control, plant selection and more. Learn how you can sit a little lighter on the earth. An expert in gardening, Peggy Hill writes for Alabama Gardener Magazine and has over ninety printed articles to her credit. That’s in addition to articles on the two gardening blogs she maintains, hiddenhillsgarden.com and statebystategardening.com/al/peggyspicks. She obtained ‘Garden Consultant’ status through the Garden Clubs of Alabama and was certified as a Master Gardener. As Peggy’s passion for gardening grew, so did her love for nature. She currently serves on the board of the non-profit organization, Smith Lake Environmental Preservation Committee; and she is the driving force behind SaveSmithLake.com, an effort to preserve the Section 16 land on Smith Lake. For more information, visit SaveSmithLake.com or her gardening website, theplantho.com.
 
Thurs., May 11, 6:30 pm – Dr. Frannie Koe, Eating Healthy for You and the Planet.
Thurs., June 8, 6:30 pm – Roe and Ken Hyche, Cahaba Group Outings Leaders
Thurs., July 13, 6:30 pm – James Lowery – The Cahaba Impact Crater
Thurs., Aug. 10 – 6:30 pm – Glen Coffee – Dredging the Mobile Bay

Directions to the Joe M. Ford Center:  From I-59, take the exit for I-759.  Follow I-759 until it ends at George Wallace Dr.  Turn right, then take the first left onto East Cardinal Drive.  The Joe Ford Center is the first building on the right.

Connect with Sierra Club: By phone |256| 459 8177 (get info, text, leave a message) fb.com/CoosaValleySierraClub

Mobile Bay Group

Tuesday evening, April 4th at 7:00 p.m.
Refreshments will be served at 6:30 p.m.
Please forward this invitation to any interested people or groups. Please also share the facebook event.
Where: 5 Rivers, Tensaw Theater, Please follow the Sierra Club signs.
(The General Public is invited, No Admission)
Location address: 5 Rivers, Alabama’s Delta Resource Center, 30945 Five Rivers Blvd., Spanish Fort, AL 36527  (entrance is across from Meaher State Park on the Mobile Bay Causeway).
For more information, please contact Carol Adams-Davis, 702-496-5050 or email: mcadamsdavis@earthlink.net

Saturday, April 22. Earth Day Mobile Bay

Montgomery Group

Sat. 4/01.  Cheaha Wilderness Day Hike, AL.  We will hike the ridgeline south of Mount Cheaha State Park for about a 7 mile round trip.  Wear good hiking shoes since the trail is quite rocky.  Bring trail snacks and at least 2 liters of water.  Rated moderate.  Meet 8 AM at the Hwy 231 Winn Dixie just south of Wetumpka.  The drive is about 2 hours.  Free.

Note that our regular monthly meetings are the 3rd Thursday of each month at Aldersgate Methodist Church (Room 25) on Vaughn Road in Montgomery at 7:00 PM, and all are welcome to attend.

General Note:  Saturday outings may take all day and last into early evening.  The Sierra Club encourages carpooling to save fuel, but please be prepared to drive your own car on club outings.

North Alabama Group

West Alabama Group

Visit our website for up-to-date info.: http://www.sierraclub.org/alabama/west-alabama

Thurs. 4/20. 7:00 PM. Monthly meeting. Tuscaloosa County High School girl students will present an environmental project they have been working on, Advisor Casie Jones. University Lutheran Church, 911 5th Avenue, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401.

Sat. 4/22. Turkey Creek Nature Preserve: Come with us to beautiful and unique jewel in Pinson, Alabama. In a partnership between the Alabama Forever Wild Land Program and the Freshwater Land Trust, this preserve was opened to the public in 2009. There is a 3.2 mile multi-use trail and part of Turkey Creek Road allows views of the canyon in which Turkey Creek flows. We probably will not hike the entire trail. The Vermillion Darter is an endangered fish that is found nowhere else but Turkey Creek! So, come with us and enjoy this unique site. Bring picnic lunch, water, sturdy shoes, etc. Meet at the old Books-a-Million lot at 9:00 a.m.