The Tampa Bay Sierra Club is proud to support Hillsborough County Public Schools’ (HCPS) Green Team initiative. This district-wide initiative aims to engage students and staff in taking an active role in their schools’ energy conservation and sustainability efforts by forming Green Teams. Throughout the year, members of each Green Team meet and participate in a variety of activities that increase awareness, education, and promotion of environmental stewardship.
Florida Forest Service Public Lands in the Tampa/St. Pete Area and their needed management
Michael Jenkins
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS)
Program: 7:00 pm
Socialize: 6:45 pm
Virtual (as in online) -- click on the button below to join
Th Florida Forest Service has hundreds of thousands of acres to explore near the Tampa Bay area that will be presented on as well as their management needs to conserve the life system there.
Michael Jenkins has been with the Florida Forest Service for over ten years managing federal Endangered Species Act funds and mapping, managing, monitoring, and mitigating threats to rare species in the field. He has worked in many areas of the country and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Field Ecology and is a Florida Certified Burn Boss, participating serendipitously on prescribed burns when he can.
Image: Well managed flatwoods in the Citrus Tract, Withlacoochee State Forest. Note signs of recent burning - the diverse groundcover, burn marks on pine trunks, and lack of a thick shrub layer.
We are planning a trip on a quiet stretch of the Hillsborough River. It will be an up-and-back paddle from Tampa's Rotary Park to Lettuce Lake Park with a stop for lunch (provided) at Lettuce Lake.
You will be home by early afternoon and ready to indulge in Superbowl festivities.
Human-powered craft (canoes, kayaks, and SUPs) will be welcome. No rentals are available.
Outings Rendezvous
A weekend of camping and events in the "ancient sand islands" of the Lake Wales Ridge
This is a camping-glamping weekend. It will be at Camp Flaming Arrow east of Sebring.
Anyone in the Florida Chapter and their families is invited to attend.
You will get to experience the Florida scrub and potentially see some of the unique vegetation and creatures that call it home.
You will get to go on short walks and paddle in a natural sandhill lake.
You will get lots of opportunity to learn about outings in Florida, how to participate, and what it takes to become a leader.
Most importantly, you will get the opportunity to get to know people in all of the Florida groups who are active in their group's outings programs. A wonderful opportunity to relax and interact with the people who make outings happen.
Families are welcome! The event is free to Florida Sierra Club members.
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.
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.
Artificial Turf in the Medians and Rights-of-Way in Hillsborough County
We have some cautiously good news about this proposal. We posted on our Facebook page asking people to comment on the idea. Artificial turf is PLASTIC. It can leach toxic chemicals, and at end of life presents a big disposal problem. According to what we are hearing from the county 68-70% of the comments to their survey were against plastic along our roadways. As of now there is no plan to raise the question again. Fingers crossed!
Publix Bags Campaign
Please sign our petition if you have not already done so
Our campaign to ask Publix to stop using plastic checkout bags continues. We have over 11,000 digital petitions but need more toward our goal of 25,000. This campaign is 4 years old, but is still relevant because we need to focus on single use plastics at the beginning of the process. It is a simple thing for Publix to stop giving out plastic bags or to charge for them, and for customers to bring their own bags. This avoids the use of fossil fuels for manufacturing the plastic and would save 500-750,000 bags per year, many of which end up littering our neighborhoods and natural areas. Please sign our petition if you haven't already done so.
A Win for Okefenokee!
The Sierra Club strongly supports the expansion of the boundaries of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge by about 22,000 acres, and sought the support of Sierra Club members and supporters in this effort. The expansion includes land that is threatened by a proposed mining operation that independent experts say could cause irreversible damage to this delicate ecosystem. The FWS is also proposing a “fuel reduction zone” around the refuge to manage vegetation and reduce wildfire risks.
This expansion would help preserve key wildlife habitats, mitigate the impacts of wildfires and drought, and protect the swamp from mining threats. It will also safeguard an important and effective carbon sink as we continue to fight against the worst impacts of climate change.
The official support for this expansion increased On December 20 when the Department of the Interior announced that the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (ONWF) will be nominated to join the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to be Nominated to Join UNESCO World Heritage List
ONWF, managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, consists of more than 400,000 acres encompassing 92 percent of the Okefenokee Swamp, a large hydrologically intact swamp that is the source of two rivers – one that flows into the Atlantic and the other into the Gulf of Mexico. It is one of the world's largest naturally driven freshwater ecosystems in the temperate zone with a diversity of habitat types, including 21 vegetative types. The refuge's undisturbed peat beds store valuable information on environmental conditions over the past 5,000 years and are a significant source of information related to global changes.
Continuation of Green Team Initiative Article
Last year, the Tampa Bay Sierra Club assisted Riverview High School with the establishment of their Green Team. We helped them successfully apply for and obtain recognition from the Florida Green Apple Designation Program for making a voluntary commitment to conserve and protect Florida’s natural resources. Riverview High School was the first school in Hillsborough County to be recognized as a Green Apple School for implementing 17 or more environmental initiatives. Our goal is to help all schools do the same.
This year, we are extending our assistance to the Green Teams at Tampa Bay Technical High School, Leto High School, and South Plantation High School by:
initiating recycling practices
tracking waste production and water consumption
planting gardens
promoting green transportation practices
communicating with parents and administration
planning school-wide events that increase student awareness of and participation in environmentally friendly practices
We plan on helping more schools throughout Hillsborough County establish Green Teams and pursue statewide environmental recognition. Our focus on youth participation in sustainable practices and conservation efforts is the next step in our journey to a sustainable future and will be key to the future enjoyment, exploration, and protection of our planet.
About the Students
Keeping in spirit with student involvement, this article was written by two Green Team student leaders: Makana Salim-Uesi and Hari Patel.
Makana Salim-Uesi
Makana is a senior at Tampa Bay Technical (TBT) High School in the Academy of Architecture and Environmental Design. She is the founder and president of the Tampa Bay Tech Green Team. Makana created a Green Team so that she and others at her school could learn how to implement sustainable practices and serve as stewards of the environment. She aspires to plan sustainable, resilient, and universal design solutions for the built environment. Makana enjoys working with the Tampa Bay Sierra Club on Green Team initiatives. She appreciates the Sierra Club’s guidance, support, and dedication to environmental stewardship.
Hari Patel
A close friend of Makana, Hari is also in his final year at TBT, though in the Academy of Health and Veterinary Science. Aspiring to be a biochemist, Hari initially disregarded nature. His interest in this group and the environment was first piqued by Makana herself when she encouraged him to join the Green Team. She helped him realize just how important the preservation of our Earth is. It was through this student organization that he met Mr. Harris, who then introduced him to the rest of Tampa Bay’s Sierra Club. Now enthralled with the environment and its protection, Hari has taken a more active role in the Tampa Bay Sierra Club group and is learning to manage its social media as he feels that not enough is said about this club and its impacts.
More on the Green Schools Initiative
If you would like to help us further our Green Schools initiative, which will include scholarship funds for high school seniors who work with us to achieve Green School designation, please contact Andy Harris – andyharris@tampabaysierraclub.org. We are growing the Green Schools initiative this year to include 3 additional high schools and one elementary school. If your children attend a school you would like to be in this program, please be in touch with Andy.
On December 17 the Tampa Bay Sierra Club hosted an end of year party for the Ecology Club at Riverview High School. The club has about 40 members and is run by the school’s Green Team Lead and AP Environmental Sciences teacher, Ms. Anderson.
Rocky Milburn, Chair of our local group, and Andy Harris, our Treasurer attended.
Last year Riverview High achieved something no other school in Hillsborough County has done, they were awarded a Green Apple Designation by the State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection with help from the Tampa Bay Sierra Club and the School District. This program was created to help public and private schools in the state improve their level of environmental awareness and show them how to conserve energy, water and other natural resources. The program also includes communicating with the school’s stakeholders about what they are doing and why. Around the state, about 60 schools have gotten this designation. While going through this process last year, they discovered areas where the school was not as efficient as it should be and improved those areas. They also developed a recycling program where the students collect recyclable materials from the classroom and deposit them in the proper receptacles for collection. p>
Ms. Anderson asked the Sierra Club executive committee for help as she pursues her master’s degree at U of F. To help her in that process, she was awarded a full tuition scholarship for her spring semester.
Rocky signing the scholarship check
Ecology Club at the Party
2024 Boat Parade
December 22
The paddle was from Lowry Park to Sulfur Spring and back.
Do you have photos to share? If so, you can. Just join our Members and Supporters Facebook group and you can upload your photos and share you comments about the event.
Holiday Party
December 9 at New World Tampa
Thanks to all who attended the holiday party at New World Tampa. It was a great time to socialize, celebrate the good in 2024 despite the challenges and to CELEBRATE US.
Pamela Jo Hatley Band provided the music.
Gary Gibbons provided the overview of the last year and recognized and thanked volunteers.
Best of all, the food was great! We highly recommend NWT as a gathering place for parties or just for a relaxing evening of music, good food and relaxation.
Thanks to all the volunteers who helped setup and clean up for the event.
Do you have photos to share? If so, you can. Just join our Members and Supporters Facebook group and you can upload your photos and share you comments about the event.
Volunteer
This year we are working with the 5th grade students at Academy Prep of Tampa, St. Pete, and Lakeland.
If you are interested in becoming a leader or volunteering, please contact one of the leaders.
Academy Prep of Lakeland: Agency Lead, Emilie Joyce
Academy Prep of St. Pete: Agency Lead, Rocky Milburn
The Tampa Bay Sierra Club ICO (Inspiring Connections Outdoors) group for St. Pete will be having a Beginning Birding youth outing on January 11. If you’d like to share the outdoors with 10-11 year olds, join us. No experience required. RSVP Emilie at emiliejoyce17@gmail.com for details and link to register. Get Outdoors! Have Fun! Make Friends!”
Meet Our On-Line Tools
Website
This is where you can find many things of interest:
Group Contacts (our leaders)
Major upcoming events including the next general meeting with speaker and program information.
Think of Campfire as the Sierra Club's event registration system. It is also the tool that we use to create our on-line calendar.
The registration system is set up to ask for waivers when appropriate (all outings and selected other events), and and events where we may need to contact participants.
It also lets us send notifications to participants -- such as weather updates, event cancellations, etc.
When you register for an event, it will provide you with basic information about the event, cost (if any), location and a map to get your there, what you need to bring (if anything), and what you can expect from the event.
We are proud to be one of only a handful of groups that have the ability to handle registrations on-side directly from your cell phone into the registration.
You will see a Campfire form every time you register for an event. The calendar on our website is created from Campfire. You do not need to log into Campfire to register or see the calendar.
Facebook Supporters Group
This is a page for the members and supporters of the Sierra Club Tampa Bay Group. This is where you can express your opinion, share photographs of events, etc. You must join to post. It is curated to make sure that posts are consistent with the mission of the Sierra Club.
We advertise events, event registration is via a link to Campfire.
Yes, there is a difference. This is a page maintained by the Group leaders. It has official announcements and event announcements. It is not intended for member or public chatting.
We use this for things that we want search engines to find.
We use it to advertise our Events. Events made here also show up in the Group. Registration is via a link to Campfire.
It is unclear at this time if we will continue to post to this page. Time will tell.
We use this to reach outdoor oriented people in the Tampa Bay Area. It is an outreach tool.
We do not use its registration system. We include links to the Sierra Club's registration system which is tailored to our specific needs including providing the Sierra Club participation waiver.
We share a MeetUp site with the Suncoast, Adventure Coast, and Ancient Islands groups. The link below goes straight to the events of the participating groups but is not specific to the Tampa Bay Sierra Club.
Unless otherwise specified, you are welcome at all events.
We produce a monthly newsletter which we create and distribute through the Sierra Club's official email system.
Unless there is something incorrect in your contact information or settings, all members and many of our supporters will find the newsletter in their email.
If you are not getting it, check your spam and tell your email app that our emails are safe. If it is not in your spam and you have not unsubscribed or otherwise told the Sierra Club that you do not want our emails, call member support. We know that many people who do want our emails, don't get them because they are not in the Sierra Club member database correctly.
Member Support: 415-977-5653. Tell them that you want to get communications from the Tampa Bay Group and Florida Chapter.
We also post the emails on our website under the Newsletters tab (that link won't change).
To get our newsletter, you need to get emails from the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club and the Tampa Bay Group. For multiple reasons, many people do not get our official emails.
Sierra Club members can fix this online, but legally, we cannot do it for you.
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.
Needless to say, don't use "Unsubscribe" - either use your account, myaccount.sierraclub.org, or call Member Support.
Member Support: 415-977-5653
Volunteers Needed!
Graphic designer - will help create handouts for tabling events and posters. Contact Shirley Denton.
Outings leaders - will be trained to lead outings. This includes a 2-year certification (free) in basic first aid. Contact Rocky Milburn.
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.
Social media - we are happy to announce that Hari Patel will be assisting with communications and will be posting to Facebook, Instagram, MeetUp, and Facebook. Hari is a member of the HCPS Green Team Initiative. He may be assisted by other members of the HCPS Green Team. Welcome!
