Shawnee Group Programs - Educational and Free!

Free and Open to all!

Upcoming Programs, Shawnee Group

NOTE: Start time at 7 PM!
Location (unless otherwise noted): 217 East Main, Carbondale, IL. Entrance is in the alley behind Consume, Buckwater Brew Works and Holt Tire, through the blue door. The front door is locked! Ample parking is accessible from the alley and from Monroe Street (between Washington and Marion).

WINTER 2024/2025: SHAWNEE GROUP SIERRA CLUB MEMBER PROGRAMS

Note the in-person Shawnee Group member programs. Do also consider other Illinois Sierra groups’ virtual presentations, as well as our own, listed on www.sctrips.org.

Thursday, December 12, 2024, 7 pm

Presentation: "Restoration Projects at the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge"
Presenter: Neil Vincent, Visitor Services Manager at Crab Orchard NWR

In this presentation, Neil Vincent will provide a general overview of the Crab Orchard National Wildlife Refuge and then discuss restoration projects at the Refuge, completed, current, and planned. Neil has worked for 40 years within the Federal government, 6 years with the National Park Service, and 34 with the US Fish & Wildlife Service. It was in 2005 that he was appointed Visitor Services Manager at the Crab Orchard Refuge, a position that entails overseeing all activities that deal with visitors (hunting, camping, fishing, fees, volunteers, and etc.).

Sierra Club Shawnee Group Annual
New Year’s Day Stone Soup Picnic

Wednesday, January 1, 2025, 11am – 3pm at Giant City State Park, Shelter 2

Join us by the warm fire at Shelter 2 at 11 am on January 1st to add your pre-cooked vegetarian ingredients to the big soup pot. Please bring a side dish to share, beverage, and reusable soup bowl/eat ware to reduce disposables. We’ll eat at noon and hike if you like following lunch. Open to all. Questions? Contact Patty at pweyhrich711@hotmail.com or Carla Womack at crusso1957@yahoo.com, 815 263 8173. Map of Giant City State Park, shelters are highlighted in red:
https://www2.illinois.gov/dnr/Parks/Documents/GiantCitySiteMap.pdf

January 9, 2025: No Shawnee Group January program is scheduled for the second Thursday of January. The Stone Soup Picnic, on New Years Day, will serve as the Shawnee Group’s January program.

Thursday, February 13, 2025, 7 pm

Presenters: Tyler Carpenter, Environmental Planning Director
Kelsey Bowe, Environmental Planning Coordinator
Presentation: Southern Illinois – Environmental Planning Management

Kelsey Bowe and Tyler Carpenter of Greater Egypt Regional Planning and Development Commission (Greater Egypt) will present the planning process for three environmental planning programs in Carbondale and around the region, listed below:

Urban Heat Island (UHI) Pilot Study – The presenters will review the Heat Island pilot program conducted for the City of Carbondale. Urban environments generate more heat given their relative lack of canopy cover and natural areas and their impervious surfaces, such as concrete and pavement that reflect less sunlight. This study also directs people to strategies to improve effects of increased heat and the urban heat island.

https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/fc1d574f0f4a47b48f25c4e998a0789a

Carbondale Stormwater Management Plan – With an increase in large rainfall events, the plan to be developed will aim to address mitigating flooding through various management strategies including public outreach. The presenters will review the planning process, which includes organizing resources, assessment, modeling, and public engagement. Members of the Carbondale community are urged to take the survey, which is part of the public outreach strategy.

https://greateregypt.org/carbondale-stormwater-master-plan/

Nutrient Assessment Reduction Plans (NARP) – The presenters will also update us on Nutrient Assessment Reduction Plans, which the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) requires municipal wastewater treatment NPDES permittees to develop. Greater Egypt is assisting advisory groups for two watersheds in southern Illinois to complete a NARP. This NARP requirement is in response to the Agency determining that the operator’s treatment plant is upstream of a waterbody or stream segment that is at risk of eutrophication due to phosphorus levels in the waterbody.

https://greateregypt.org/narp/

Meet Fellow Shawnee Group Members for Dinner! CANCELED ~COVID-19

The Shawnee Group meets at a local restaurant before each monthly meeting for an hour of socializing and relaxation. New faces are most welcome and we would love to have you join us at any time! Call (618) 549-4673 for more information about group dinners.