April was Earth Month. We had lots of Earth Day Events. We engaged college students and the public sharing our mission to explore, enjoy, and protect the earth. Some of the students had a homework assignment to ask each table, ‘What is your mission statement?’ They also asked, ‘How can volunteers become engaged? What a great way to get the students engaged with each table at an earth day event! We also had a fantastic meeting on the Detrimental Effects of Light Pollution on Human and Environmental Health.
April was a little short of rain, but I am looking forward to May Flowers and working on our Annual Fund-Raising Gala, Under the Sea. I know November 9, seems far away, but it will be here before you know it. If you have a favorite shop, service or restaurant ask them if they would be able to provide a gift certificate for our Silent Auction. This is an easy win win, win. The business gets a new customer, win. The Loxahatchee Group receives a generous donation to fund our environmental work, win. The individual who purchases the gift certificate gets a great experience, and wins.
“If you are not a scientist and you disagree with scientists about science, it's not a disagreement. You're just wrong. Science is about finding the truth. When science changes its opinion, it didn't lie to you, it learned more.” A Peaceful Planet.
We are stronger together!
Thank you so much,
Linda Smithe Destinationloop@gmail.com
Executive Committee Chair
Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group
P.S. The Florida Legislative Session is over. To encourage future legislative champions, we continue to accept donations for the Political Committee’s Political Action Campaign, Sierra Club Florida PAC is HERE.
AN EMAIL TIP!
Getting too many Sierra Club emails? Don’t hit unsubscribe!
Use the Manage Preferences option at the bottom of this or any other Sierra Club email to choose what you want and what you don’t want.
Please keep on subscribing to My Chapter, the first option, so you continue to receive Turtle Tracks, our local newsletter.
The rest of the email options? Decide for yourself.
What Does Water Want? And Why We Must Learn To Respect That
Erica Gies Thursday, May 23, 2024, 7:30 PM,
Zoom Room opens at 7:15PM
Program: South Florida is already seeing sea-level rise, bigger rainstorms, and more frequent water scarcity, problems faced by much of the world. Climate change is definitely a factor, but another significant cause is human development choices: urban sprawl, industrial agriculture and forestry, and the highly engineered way we try to control water. We have erased much of water's natural slow phases -- wetlands, floodplains, meadows, and forests -- and that is altering the natural water cycle.
Yet sooner or later, as Erica's book makes clear, Water Always Wins. For us to win too, as climate change continues, we must move away from our controlling ways and instead seek out opportunities to work with water. That means fewer levees, canals, straightened rivers, and dams and more land returned to water for its natural processes. Putting ourselves first is no longer working, because we've undermined water's relationships and natural processes that sustain us.
Gies is an independent journalist and National Geographic Explorer who traveled to numerous places across the world to see how cutting-edge "slow water" practitioners are changing the culture of the human relationship with water, from oceans to rivers, wetlands, and more.
Register below to receive the Zoom, Meeting ID and Call in Number. We hope to see you at this informative meeting!
Signup Instructions: Upon registration Zoom link will be sent to you via email. Please check your junk/spam folder where it might wind up.
Loxahatchee Group Environmental Champion Barry Silver Dies
Many of our Sierra Club family was surprised to learn Rabbi Barry Silver had been diagnosed with colon cancer 15 years ago. “He was a crusader. He was a´ warrior,” Noah Silver, his son said.
Most recently, Silver was heavily involved in a successful 2023 effort to block a developer’s plans for a major project in Palm Beach County’s Agriculture Reserve, an area the county’s voters decided decades ago should be preserved for farmland and wetlands, water resources and open space.
In 2022, he and his synagogue sued the state over its newly enacted law banning almost all abortions after the 15th week of pregnancy. Later that year, the Palm Beach County chapter of the National Organization for Women, named Silver “Feminist of the Year.”
State House: In 1996, Silver was elected to the Florida House of Representatives after a contentious Democratic primary and runoff primary. He enjoyed politics but he didn’t really love the legislative process. Silver was always active in causes he cared about. His achievement was that he lived what he believed. He did what he thought was right. A celebration of Silver’s life was held on Sunday, March 24. Over 1,500 people reportedly attended the online service.
If you would like to order a copy of Cosmic Judaism by Rabbi Barry Silver, contact: noahsilver@bellsouth.net
Sierra Club, Loxahatchee Group, 2020 Environmental Champion, Rabbi Barry Silver
Rabbi Silver has served Congregation L’Dor Va-Dor since 1996, emulating his father, Rabbi Sam Silver’s devotion to interfaith harmony, rational Judaism, and social action. Barry took over as Rabbi of his father’s congregation.
Rabbi Silver’s multiple interests include environmental and social justice. He has helped Native Americans save a sacred site from bulldozers in Miami, protected citrus trees from the State’s eradication program, and helped keep Scripps off Mecca Farms to save agricultural lands - which are now part of the Loxahatchee River restoration.
Rabbi Silver served from 1996 to 1998 in the Florida House of Representatives where he was named “Most Effective Environmental Legislator” by the Sierra Club and “Consumer Champion” by Florida’s largest consumer group. Since 1990, Barry has been included in Who’s Who of American Law for significant contributions to the betterment of society.
Rabbi Silver founded the Palm Beach County Environmental Coalition and the Interfaith Justice League. He has organized many interfaith rallies, demonstrations, and legal efforts on behalf of the environment and Native Americans.
Barry appeared on MSNBC, FOX News, Hannity & Colmes, CNN, 48 Hours as well as in the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, and other national and local media.
Barry represented a local homeowners association’s environmental group fighting its own board over removal of almost 300 mahogany trees. The outcome of this trial may impact current county codes, which allow for the removal of canopy trees with replacement with palms. Many of us are proud to have had the opportunity to have stood side by side with Barry over the years, to fight the good fight for saving the agriculture reserve and years ago stopping Scripps from building on an important natural area along with many other important issues. He will be missed.
Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group was pleased to recognize and appreciate Rabbi Barry Silver’s efforts for the environment.
Go Solar, Together!
Have you ever thought about putting solar panels on your roof? We’re teaming up with nonprofit Solar United Neighbors (SUN) to bring you the Palm Beach 2024 Solar Co-op — a free group to help you go solar.
The Palm Beach 2024 Solar Co-op will help Palm Beach homeowners and small business owners learn about solar together and purchase solar panels at a group rate from a single installer.
Together, co-op members will learn about solar energy and leverage their numbers to get competitive pricing and quality solar installations. After a competitive bidding process facilitated by SUN, a group of volunteers from the co-op will select a solar company to complete the co-op's installations.
As the Sprawl Turns Inland, it encroaches on the Greater Everglades Ecosystem:
Only legal challenges to permitting keep development,
which threatens critical habitat, at bay
By Richard Stowe, Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group, Executive Committee member
The 39th Annual Everglades Conference, the most expensive in Everglades Conference history, took place at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs FL. Jan. 25th - 27th. The Everglades Coalition, a 501(c)3 non-profit group and alliance of 57 local, state, and national conservation, and environmental organizations, including six Sierra Club FL. Groups, four Audubon Society FL Chapters. The conference Co-Chairs of the Everglades Coalition Board of Directors are: Mark Perry, who since 1978 has served as the Executive Director of the Florida Oceanographic Society, a 501(c)3 non-profit founded located in Stuart, FL founded in 1964 and Kelly Cox, who is Director of Everglades Policy at Audubon Florida and an adjunct professor, teaching Environmental Law and Policy, Fisheries and Wildlife Law and Policy at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science.
I attended the quarterly meeting as Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group alternate to our Loxahatchee Group Conservation Chair, Drew Martin, who participated in the meeting remotely. When I arrived at the Hyatt Regency conference room, I was seated next to Nicole Johnson, Policy Director at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and Mark Perry. conference co-chair. I learned from Nicole that Kingston, a proposed 6,600-acre development and future home to 10,000-homes on the eastern border of Collier and Lee Counties and Bellmar, a proposed 1700 acre, 4,000-home development set located one-mile north of Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Collier County, are putting Florida Panthers in peril. Together these developments are predicted to produce 25 road kill deaths of Florida Panther annually. The projects are currently under litigation over a dispute as to which agency, state or federal should be responsible for granting permits. During the meeting, Beth Alvi, Audubon Florida’s Senior Policy Director, gave a detailed analysis of the 2024 legislative session in Tallahassee.
The Everglades Conference officially commenced with a reception at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in Naples. Set in a beautiful outdoor space on a comfortable winter night, attendees packed in between buildings that housed both the Dalton Discovery Center and Von Arx Wildlife Hospital, the reception, sponsored by South Florida Water Management District, featured its managers and staff.
Friday afternoon students took to the stage in a session called Future Leader Roundtable. The students hailed from University of Miami, FIU and Nova Southeastern University.
The topic for the next session was private lands and the role private lands can play in supporting conservation by creating habitat, supporting wildlife, aquifer recharge and wetland restoration.
The first session on Saturday called Western Everglades featured Curtis Osceola, a of the Florida Miccosukee Tribe of member and Tina Osceola, a member of the Seminole Tribe of Florida.
A late afternoon session had an excellent panel, which discussed the future of wetlands protection after the May 2023 Sackett v. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruling.
The Everglades Conference ended with a dinner followed by a passionate speech about as the sprawl turns by US House Rep Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.
Right to Clean Water Petition Drive is Back! And we need your help!
It’s important to quickly review what the proposed amendment does. It creates a fundamental right to clean and healthy water, by legally holding Florida State executive agencies accountable for actions or inactions that harm or threaten to harm Florida’s waters.
The 2026 amendment is even more effective than the previous amendment after review of Florida Supreme Court cases, collaboration with multiple legal experts, and environmental organizations.
To capture as many valid signed petitions as we can the Right to Clean Water needs Clean Water Ambassadors.
What are the skills needed to become a Right to Clean Water ambassador?
Be friendly, engage other friendly people.
Attend local events that fit your schedule for 2-4 hours.
Carry a clipboard, pen, and RTCW supplied copies of petitions and fully approved text.
Collect Florida voter signed petitions.
Contact Paula McClease, p9125@comcast.net to arrange pick up or drop off 9125 Demery Drive, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, 33410.
That is not much to help ensure your children and grandchildren will have access to clean water.
Please consider becoming a Clean Water Ambassador. If anyone has any questions about the Right to Clean Water, please email Paula McClease p9125@comcast.net.
Wavemakers: Ocean Symposium with Keynote Speaker, Dr. Sylvia Earle
By Madelyn Marconi
On Friday, April 26th, I had the absolute honor of hearing Dr. Sylvia Earle speak at the Manatee Lagoon in Riviera Beach during the Wave Makers Ocean Symposium. Dr. Earle is a renowned explorer, author, and lecturer. In addition, she is a National Geographic Explorer in Residence and referred to as "Her Deepness" by the New Yorker and the New York Times. She was the first "Hero for the Planet," named by Time Magazine.
Hearing Dr. Earle speak was inspiring, to say the least. Even in her mid-80s, she is still spreading positivity and optimism for the future of our beautiful oceans and the planet. She emphasized the importance of the younger generation's part in helping decrease the effects of climate change and to help preserve the unique wildlife that inhabits the deep blue ocean. Dr. Earle is an inspiration to many as she emphasized being kind to all living things and how everyone has the power to create change.
The Ocean Symposium event was put on by Wave Makers, a 501(c)(3) based in South Florida. Their mission is to strive to empower greatness in every individual through media, education, and game-changing opportunities.
To learn more about Wave Makers, click here to visit their website.
Please join us for the Hall of Fame Induction honoring the environmental legacy and life's work of
Maggy Hurchalla
May 8, 2024
5:30p.m.
Environmental Studies Center 2900 NE Indian River Drive, Jensen Beach
Maggy Hurchalla (December 11, 1940 – February 19, 2022), native Floridian, Florida environmentalist, and five-term Martin County Commissioner, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Council for Environmental Studies Center at 5:30 p.m. on May 8 in Jenson Beach, Florida.
Born Margaret Sloan Reno on Dec. 11, 1940, in Miami, to father Henry Olaf Reno and mother Jane Wood Reno, trailblazing Florida journalist and adventurer. She was the third of four children that included sister Janet Reno, first female Attorney General of the United States who served under President Bill Clinton, brothers Robert Reno syndicated columnist for Newsday, and renowned Florida outdoorsman Mark Reno.
She received the Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group’s Environmental Champion Award in 2019. To read more about this, click here.
To RSVP to the induction ceremony please email info@escmc.org.
Enjoy an early morning nature walk in Palm Beach County Environmental Resource Management’s newest natural area, Lantana Scrub.
Saturday May 11, 2024 Meet 7:00 a.m. Walk starts at 7:30 Host: Bishop Melvin Pinkney Natural Area Tour leader: Tori Strange, Lantana Scrub Land Manager Meet at Howard Park Pavilion at 1701 Wingfield Street The purpose of this walk is to inform and inspire folks to experience the 33-acre Natural Area in Lake Worth’s backyard. RSVP via e-mail: MelvinPinkneyforLWB@gmail.com
Get a Free Simple Will And Leave a Legacy to Our Loxahatchee Group By Gary M. Landau, Esq.
When they draft their will, many people decide to leave some of their assets to charity. And what better charity than our Loxahatchee Group, where your money can continue defending our natural environment and environmental justice even after you're gone.
My Law Office of Gary M. Landau will draft your simple will for free if you leave a bequest to the Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group of $5,000 or more.
As a member of the Loxahatchee group’s Executive Committee and the co-chair of the political committee, I understand the importance of continually funding all the great work the group does in our community.
Our law office, located in Coral Springs, has served the residents of South Florida for more than 25 years. We specialize in wills and living trusts as well as real estate transactions and closings.
To make an appointment to discuss how your legacy can include protecting our natural world via a free simple will, contact my office at 954-979-6566. Learn more about estate planning on the website GaryLandau.com.
Drew Martin Spoke on March 17th on the Essential Everglades
The Valencia Shores Men’s Club made a generous donation to the Sierra Club “Lox” Group at their bagel breakfast meeting. Pun intended.
Drew Martin, Executive Committee Vice Chair and Conservation Chair
LEE GOTTLIEB – ADOPT A DUNE THURSDAY MAY 2, 2024, 7PM-8:30PM, VIRTUALLY
As a resident of South Florida for over 50 years, Lee began his professional career with the Florida Department of Environmental Regulation. Over the past 16 years, he has developed and implemented over 150 eco-action programs, engaging thousands of students, and adult volunteers. With this volunteer-based model, he has worked to restore crucial coastal habitats in the tri-county area.
During this time, he has forged relationships with many Fortune 500 companies, developing new “Green Team Building” opportunities that provide a venue for corporations to fulfill their community “give back mission statements”.
In 2020, during the Covid outbreak, along with a team of marketing experts, he created Adopt a Dune. The Adopt a Dune volunteer-based service model believes in engaging the community through outreach and education. The opportunity to be part of the solution will create an environment where a sense of ownership enhances the goal of successfully protecting our shoreline. The goal is to create a 100% continuous dune with native vegetation on the beaches in Florida. Lee’s presentation will cover the following topics:
Why is South Broward sand deprived? So how do we deal with the erosion issue? Where does most of the sand come from? Native Sand Beach Renourishment (Beach Fill) is it effective? Effects on the Coral Reef Another Option Climate Change Action Plan # 100 The Adopt a Dune affiliates in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.
Gopher Games: The Fight to Save the Heart of Florida
As developers squeeze every ounce of profit, they can out of the Florida landscape, animals like the gopher tortoise, and more than 365 creatures that rely on them, are being driven to extinction. There’s still time to save this species and ultimately ourselves.
This documentary is an entirely volunteer-made film with dozens of people donating their time, equipment, and expertise to make it happen. It's a project reflecting the collective heart of millions of people who love these animals and believe their story must be told.
You can also view the Group Directory and reach out to our group leaders. We would love you to join our committees, such as Conservation; Political; Equity, Inclusion, and Justice; or Communications.
We also invite you to to Like our Facebook page and to share updates and events with your friends. Thanks!
