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Tampa Bay Sierra Club, May 2024 Newsletter
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Congratulations to Our ICO Team!
The latest Sierra Magazine has an article on ICO. It is our Tampa Bay Area team that is starred in the article which was written by Ben Jealous, Sierra Club Executive Director.
It highlights the successes of ICO in and article titled "Love for the Outdoors Is Infectious" and subtitled "Helping others get outside is a gift that pays itself forward."
It also emphasizes our Tampa Bay Group chair, Rocky Milburn and his experience with ICO, and his love for the kids.
If you have not already seen it, you can find this article in the Sierra Club magazine or you can read it online. |
Congratulations Rocky and ICO Team
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May Meeting - May 8
Sea Level Rise in the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Refuge
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Program: 7:00 pm
Socialize: 6:45 pm
Location: Online
Speaker: Benjamin Dimmit
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Benjamin Dimmit is a native Floridian and nature photographer whose work has been exhibited nationally and internationally. He will be talking about the effects of sea level rise on the Chassahowitzka Wildlife Refuge 70 miles northwest of Tampa. He hopes that his research will help prevent future habitat loss in other coastal areas.
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June Meeting - June 8
PFASs - Forever Chemicals
Speaker: James Rogers from Consumer Reports
Program: 7:00 pm
Socialize: 6:45 pm
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Congratulations to New Outings Leaders
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Charlie is an up-and-coming community leader in the Sulphur Springs neighborhood of Tampa.
He is a Tampa native who attended Chamberlain High School. As a young adult, became involved in civic activities, assuming leadership roles in organizations such as the Sulphur Springs Museum and the Sulphur Springs Neighborhood Association. Additionally, he founded the nonprofit organization Kids on the River, which focuses on connecting children and adults with nature and the ecosystem around them.
Through his tenacity and commitment, Charlie aims to inspire and empower the youth in his community, encouraging them to be active and engaged citizens.
He is also an inspiration to our Outings Program. His certification event was a cleanup on the Hillsborough River where over 80 people turned out to pick up trash! And they picked up mounds of it! |
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Beverly White is a retired estate planning lawyer. She is a champion for the environment and ia member of The Tampa Bay Sierra Club.
Beverly completed her provisional lead in March at Lettuce Lake Park completing her certification as a Sierra Club outings leader.. She had great attendance, and people enjoyed the walk. Look to see her lead other outings in the near future. |
Bike the Old Fort Kings Trail
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May 5, 9:00am
John B Sargeant Park
Leader: Ed Shindle
This bicycle trip will cover 13.4-mile round trip. John B. Sargeant Park at the southern end is where we will start.
The Old Fort King Trail is a 6.7-mile mixed-surface trail. The trail consists of two parts: starting from John B. Sargeant Park, an easy 2.2-mile paved portion heading north, along the east side of US 301. The second part crosses US 301 at the end of the paved path and heads into the forest. We will continue northeast to Hillsborough River State Park. The unimproved part of the route is a 4.5-mile trail which has sandy patches provide challenges that may require us to unmount and walk sections.
A mountain or multi-purpose bike is recommended.
Ed will cover some history of the area.
(image by James Knight, shared on All Trails)
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National Bike Month
May is national bike month. If you would like to participate in an outing or lead a bike outing in May, please contact Ed Shindle. |
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Outings Updates
The latest outings and outings at other nearby groups can be found on our website at https://www.sierraclub.org/florida/tampa-bay/outings.
Registration is required for all outings. Unless otherwise noted, outings are free though there may be site entry fees. Liability waivers are required, and anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian. No pets. |
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Watch For Outings News as It Happens
The latest outings and outings at other nearby groups can be found on our website at https://www.sierraclub.org/florida/tampa-bay/outings.
Registration is required for all outings. Unless otherwise noted, outings are free though there may be site entry fees. Liability waivers are required, and anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian. No pets.
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Youth Campout 2024
By Dennis Joyce
It seemed like inviting trouble to talk about how well things were going during this year’s youth campout by the Inspiring Connections Outdoors program of the Tampa Bay Sierra Club. No scary lightning storms, no signs of dehydration, no leaving your medicine behind with a friend who had pockets.
There were challenges, of course, as there are bound to be whenever you assemble more than 60 kids who haven’t camped before and about half that many adults on 677 acres of isolated scrubland and pine flatwoods far from home. A canoe tipped over, one group ignored the schedule and set out on its own, adults didn’t always see eye to eye.
But by the time the weekend of April 5 was winding to a close at Camp Flaming Arrow near Lake Wales, and the fifth graders were all recounting their favorite parts — night hikes! — smiles of relief and reward were spreading among the Sierra Club volunteers who have been hosting at-risk children at this event for more than 20 years.
It didn’t hurt that this year, during the most intense outdoor experience of their lives so far, the young campers enjoyed chamber of commerce weather — mild temperatures, low humidity and mosquito-free nights -- the newsletter header image was taken at the campout.
The campout is the culmination of monthly day trips that ICO volunteers lead during the school year, visiting nature preserves, beach parks and wildlife centers with students from the group’s adopted agency — Academy Prep Center. The nonprofit organization, operator of three Tampa Bay area middle schools, says on its website, “With rigorous academics, diverse extra-curricular activities, and intensive graduate support, Academy Prep gives Florida’s most disadvantaged students a chance to succeed.” Enrollment is largely Black and Hispanic. Every single 2022 graduate of Academy Prep of Tampa, the first of the schools, is attending college or serving in the military.
The schools require fifth graders to do the monthly outings. The year-end campout is optional, but most choose to make the trip. ICO makes a difference in the lives of these 10 and 11 year olds, said Rocky Milburn, who has led Tampa Bay ICO since the beginning. “They’re apprehensive about the outdoors, and that totally changes,” said Milburn, who wears another hat as chair of the Sierra Club Tampa Bay Group. “You see that evolution. We all see that.”
In groups of five led by adults, the campers cycle through half a dozen activities during the campout weekend: canoeing, swimming, dip netting, hiking, rappelling, making art prints. Just as important, campers develop new relationships. Each small group is a blend of students from Tampa, St. Petersburg and Lakeland who arrive in vans from three different schools but leave as one community. Emilie Joyce, volunteer leader with the Lakeland ICO, sends each camper home with a framed, blue, cyanotype image that appear as if by magic from leaves and flowers the children gather around camp. “Somebody took you outdoors, somebody took me outdoors,” Joyce said. “We’re that somebody.”
Curiosity is reaching a peak in fifth grade, and much was new for the children attending camp this year. The volunteers asked in small groups whether the children had slept in a tent or heard an owl before. Only a hand or two went up. For some budding naturalists, ICO nurtures a flame already sparked while reading a book, watching a video, listening in science class. There are joyful reminders, in surroundings so unfamiliar to them, about how vulnerable, uninhibited and resilient children can be. One small and excited boy, whose eccentricities endeared him to his camp mates, held up a long-eared, blue plush toy he carries and asked whether it counts as one of the three people in his canoe.
As smoothly as this year’s campout went (see for yourself at this 3:30 Youtube video), it’s in how ICO volunteers deal with setbacks that you see the enduring success of the Tampa Bay program. The night hikes that were so memorable for campers this year were precluded by a nightlong thunderstorm during the 2023 camp, so out came dozens of board games. Words spotted on one Scrabble game: “pinecone,” “marine,” “sierraclub” and “turtlegg.” This year, a canoe overturned when the three girls aboard lunged to one side after dropping something in the lake. Soaking wet, but without hesitation, they turned back to the upside-down boat and grabbed tight to the edges. “See?” shouted one of them, speaking of their pre-paddle safety lesson as their rescuers made their way over. “We did just what you told us.”
For many ICO volunteers, sharing a love for the outdoors with children is the most rewarding part of their Sierra Club membership. At the local, state and national level, Milburn has been deeply involved in actions and activities that reflect the Sierra Club’s top-line mission: “To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth.” The future of this noble pursuit, he said, rests heavily on the reach of the ICO program.
“It’s the ground root of the Sierra Club, period. You get folks outdoors and they enjoy the environment. Then they’re going to be advocates for the environment.”
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| Campers inspect the tiny marine life they pulled from a lake at Camp Flaming Arrow. |
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| A fist bump marks a successful canoe debut for fifth graders at the Tampa Bay ICO camp. |
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| The sun burns images of objects from nature onto photo-sensitive paper during the camp art project. |
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| Veteran ICO volunteer Chris Altenbernd speaks to some 90 people gathered at the camp’s closing circle. |
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Enjoy a video of the event by Bob Rice.
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Conservation Committee Meetings
For more information or to volunteer, please contact Nancy Stevens.
Meetings are held on the second Monday of the month at 6:30 pm via Google Meet. Contact Nancy to get the link.
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Citizen input for its 2050 long range transportation plan. This is a survey that asks for your preferences. This is your opportunity to participate. Find out more.
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Make a Difference for Affordable Energy
Send a letter to your County Commissioner asking them to support clean, affordable energy. The skeleton of the letter is built, but you should modify it so that it reflects your opinions.
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Let's Go Solar Together!
Ready to lower your power bills, invest in your home, or small business and reduce pollution in your neighborhood?
Rooftop solar is a way to do all three, and more. The non-profit experts at Solar United Neighbors Hillsborough 2024 Solar Co-op explain how to go solar and access a group rate. It’s free to join! Education, events, and membership at: SolarUnitedNeighbors.org/Hillsborough.
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The 2024 Hillsborough Solar Coop goes through the end of May. There will be a Solar 101 Zoom event. It is a no-obligation info session.
Or meet us at the Clean Air Fair by Hillsborough County’s Environmental Protection Commission on May 2nd @ 11:30am. |
News from Our Tabling Team
Emilie Joyce. is the new lead on this team. If you know of an event where the Sierra Club should have a presence, please let her know.
Other proud members of this team include Jane Gibbons and .........
The Sierra Club was represented at EcoFest and the Tampa Solar Fair.
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We had a great turnout. New tabler, Jane Gibbons, says that she enjoyed speaking to people about the Sierra Club. She was surprised at how many people did not know about the oldest grass-roots conservation organization in the United States.
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Special Wildlife Corridor Seminar Series
Sponsored by 1000 Friends of Florida, the University of Florida Center for Landscape Conservation Planning, Florida Climate Smart Ag, Florida Conservation Group, Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, Live Wildly Foundation, and Solutions from the Land
One seminar remains: Building a Big Tent
May 1: Noon to 2 pm
This final seminar will focus on reaching out to new constituents. The discussion will include the effect of land use choices on the bottom line for local governments and taxpayers alike. The discussion will include economic considerations for land conservation. and how to engage landowners, elected officials, the development community and others in the movement to conserve the Florida Wildlife Corridor. |
Congratulations to Erica Hall!
Voting in the Sierra Club’s 2024 Board of Directors is complete. One of our own Tampa Bay members, Erica Hall was elected to serve a three year term on the volunteer board. The other are Clayton Daughenbaugh, David Karpf, Karl Palmquist, and Meghan Sahli-Wells. A total of 45,044 Sierra Club members voted in the election.
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We Hope You Stay with Us
Florida will soon have another local group, and its membership is coming largely from our Tampa Bay Group. The new group will cover Pasco County.
We want you to know that you have the choice of which Group you want to be in. Unless you let Membership Services know that you want to remain in the Tampa Bay Group, those of you in Pasco County will be reassigned to the Pasco County group based on your zip code.
To express your desire to remain in the Tampa Bay Group, please contact Member Support at 415-977-5653. |
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Manage Your Sierra Club Account
You can manage your Sierra Club account online. This includes renewals and communications preferences.
Go to myaccount.sierraclub.org. If you already have an account, just fill out the form.
If you do not have one, use the instructions below
To set up your My Account access, go to myaccount.sierraclub.org and click on “Create your account.” Fill in the form on the next page with your information. It is important that you use the email address that the Sierra Club has on file for you, because this is how the system will confirm that you are a valid member. When you submit the form, you’ll receive an email at that address with instructions for setting up a password to log into your account. If you have multiple email addresses and don’t remember which one you used for Sierra Club, call Member Care at (415) 977 5653 to verify which address the Club has on file for you.
Member Support: 415-977-5653
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Needed Now
Graphic designer - will help create handouts for tabling events and posters. Contact Shirley Denton.
Social media - will assist our Social Media coordinator and may do things such as posting to Instagram, LinkedIn, MeetUp, Facebook. Contact Shirley Denton.
Outings leaders - will be trained to lead outings. This includes a 2-year certification (free) in basic first aid. Contact Ed Shindle. We would love to have someone lead a National Bike Month outing in May.
ICO leaders will be trained to lead ICO trips. This includes a 2-year certification (free) in basic first aid. Contact Rocky Milburn.
Tabling volunteers. No experience required. Contact Emilie Joyce. |
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Join the Sierra Club! JOIN |
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Contributors: Shirley Denton, Jane Gibbons, Nancy Stevens, Janet Stanko, Ed Shindle, Jim Shirk, Gary Gibbons, Dennis Joyce, Bob Rice, Rocky Milburn and others.
Copyright 2000-2024 Tampa Bay Sierra Club
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