Newsletter- April 2022 update from Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter

 

Happy Earth Month!
 
Black text Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter banner with green pine tree logo image
Hi Supporter,

Happy Earth Month, friends! After a few false starts, spring finally feels like it is springing!* We are looking forward to getting out there and enjoying the sunshine- especially now we have our new Outings Committee Chair on board (Welcoming Paul Fuchs, below). Look out for Sierra Club hikes near you soon, and check the upcoming events section of this newsletter for Earth Day activities. (*Of course, today we woke up to snow, because this is the Midwest after all!)

The Sierra Club Earth Month website has ideas on how to get involved and celebrate this month, including Earth Day DIY tips, a reading list, and ways you can fundraise for the Club. 

As well as being Earth Month, did you know that April is National Poetry Month? We at the Hoosier Chapter are huge poetry fans- so much so that in 2019, we published our own chapbook, Human/Nature. We still have a few copies of this lovely small compendium of Hoosier poetry left for sale- get in touch if you’d like to purchase one! All profits from sales go directly to supporting your Sierra Club chapter here in Indiana. Not so much of a poetry fan but want to donate to our work online? You can donate here!

If you’re feeling inspired, Sierra Club is looking for Earth Month haikus, and Indiana Humanities is asking everyone to contribute to their poem, All together now, Indiana. (Contribute to both these projects by 22 April)

Also in this newsletter- we throw a spotlight on volunteer leader Richard Hill, let you know how you can take action on CenterPoint's rate rises, and the mid-states corridor, as well as updates on our work and our usual recommendations, readers’ photos, and more! We hope you enjoy.

Volunteer Spotlight- Richard Hill


Richard Hill is a longtime volunteer leader and activist. 

"I grew up on a family farm in southeastern Indiana. Spent time planting, harvesting, and weeding (ugh) in between. And then there was gathering eggs – we had lots of chickens. But, there always seemed to be time for fishing, baseball and basketball. As you can see, I spent a lot of time outdoors and thoroughly enjoyed it."

Read more.
A man with a blue shirt, gray beard, and glasses, stands on the deck of a boat. It looks to be dusk. He is smiling for the camera.
Richard aboard a riverboat sunset cruise on the Savannah River in Savannah, GA in 2016.

Take Action - Beyond Coal Rally at CenterPoint's Jurassic Park!

Graphic showing illustrations of dinosaurs and gas plants under the heading extinct species. Text describing an upcoming Earth Day event.
This Earth Day, join Ohio River Valley Beyond Coal and partners at the corner of 4th & Main in downtown Evansville, where CenterPoint Energy has the naming rights to a city park planned for the site.

We believe CenterPoint's proposal to build two new gas power stations in Posey County is a plan that should be as extinct as the dinosaurs.

Join us (come as your favorite dinosaur if you like) as we say "Spare Us the Expense" of CenterPoint's proposed $800 million+ project that will extend our dependence on fossil fuels for decades to come.

Facebook event page.

More: Coalition plans events to oppose CenterPoint (TriState Homepage)
As Evansville-area utility bills rise, assistance programs struggle to keep up (Courier Press)
   

Welcoming Paul Fuchs -
Our New Outings Committee Chair!

We are excited to welcome Hoosier Chapter Executive Committee Member, Paul Fuchs, into his new role as Outings Committee Chair! 

Paul: “I can’t wait to help get the Outings Committee moving once more; I hope that - together - we’re able to provide plentiful opportunity to get out and explore nature in the coming months.”

Keep your eye on our Upcoming Events and Outings page and follow us on Facebook for hike announcements!
A young man and woman stand smiling for the camera. There is a blue green sea and a blue sky stretching behind them in the background. The edges of a fort are visible to the left of the photo. It looks like a warm and sunny day.
Paul and his girlfriend Maria enjoying the beautiful weather of the Keys while exploring Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas National Park.

Take Action to Stop the Mid-States Corridor

The next Stop the Mid-States Corridor Town Hall will be in Mitchell on April 21st at 6:30 p.m. in the Emerson School Gym. This town hall is open to all to attend.

The meeting will be covering the importance of attending the public hearings on the 26th of April in Odon and the 28th of April in Jasper, discussing the public comment periods and written comments that can be submitted.

More information on the Stop the Mid-States Corridor Facebook page.
A pond or river. The water has a green tint. There are trees lining it with green leaves and a blue sky in the background. Text gives information about an upcoming town hall.

Volunteer Leaders Visit Tea Mountain State Forest

Mountain Tea State Forest is one of two newer state forests. Both Mountain Tea State Forest and Ravina State Forest were established in August 2020 (Indy Star).

Members of our Winding Waters Group noticed the sign for Mountain Tea which was just installed on highway 46 in Brown County, and it inspired them to go and check out the forest.

Winding Waters Group volunteer leaders Joe Bronnert, Rebecca Lorenz, and Julie Lowe hiked it together in March. Their purpose was to see the new state forest for the first time, and to practice orienteering for a trip to Utah. They took trip prep seriously and trained on hills in southern Indiana forests.

We'd love to know- what are your favorite state forests in Indiana? Where would you love to see Sierra Club hikes? Reply to this email to let us know!
A man and a woman lean on a fallen trunk of a tree examining a map. They also have compasses. They look like they're in discussion and are dressed for cooler weather.
Volunteer leader Joe Bronnert demonstrates using a compass and map to stay on course.

Sierra Club Spotted!

Sierra Club staff and volunteer leaders are passionate about getting out there and spreading the word about issues that matter to Hoosiers! 
During the 2022 legislative session, Sierra Club told you that Indiana legislators are putting Hoosiers on a dangerous path, refusing to listen to our urgent concerns about climate change and the need for greater access to renewable energy.  Instead, they are pursuing false, risky and expensive schemes on behalf of special interests in exchange for our health, environment, financial security and collective futures. Read more and see your legislators' grades here.

More: Indiana one of most polluted states. New report says legislature gets a D+ on green bills. (Indy Star) 
Several faith, environmental, social justice and consumer advocacy groups - including the Sierra Club Southwest Indiana Network and the Ohio River Valley Beyond Coal Campaign- have formed a coalition, Energy for All, in response to the widespread distress and hardship in our community caused by exorbitant CenterPoint bills and the utility’s intent to raise rates even more. Read the declaration here.
 
"Now is the time to make critical decisions to improve the future of our youth"- our Chair Julie Lowe in a letter to the editor: Let environmental bills be heard in the Indiana General Assembly (The Republic)

Winding Waters Group volunteer leader Eric Riddle was recently interviewed on a local show called "Small Town, Big Stories", where he talks about the Columbus Pollinator Committee and Bee City work.
If you have events coming up that you would like to invite Sierra Club to attend, or to reach out to us for a quote, please contact  hoosier.chapter@sierraclub.org

Readers' Photos

The foreground has bare tree branches speckled with ice or snow. The background has snow-covered trees so they look almost entirely white. The sky is  a hazy color. The photo has an air of stillness to it.

Thank you to Roger Reece for sending in this stunning photo from an ice storm in early February:

"It wasn't as bad as some we've had in the past, I didn't hear limbs crashing down, although we were without power for a few hours. My ten year old grandson and I went for a walk in the hills of Clark County State Forest afterwards. The snow was mostly sleet so we were walking on top of the snow, it made for a nice hike."

Do you have a photograph of Indiana nature that you would like to share?

We'd love to see it and perhaps feature it in a future newsletter!

Use the button below or email 
rebecca.dien-johns@sierraclub.org

I have a photograph to share
   

Upcoming Events

Indiana Forest Alliance:

April 23- Earth Day hike. Owen-Putnam Friends of the Forest will host an Earth Day Hike along with the Indiana Forest Alliance. For more info click here.

Wild & Scenic Film Festival
April 28-  Doors open 5:30pm, screenings begin at 6:30pm at Kan Kan Cinema and Brasserie. Tickets can be purchased here. This is a benefit to support Indiana Forest Alliance, and the proceeds will go toward furthering the mission of protecting Indiana's forests.

Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter and Owen-Putnam Friends of the Forest partner events:

April 30- Save the Frogs Earth Day Event. Join us Owen County Public Library in Spencer for this fun day! For more info and to register click here.

May 7- "Special Places Worth Saving" Wildflower Hike in the Owen-Putnam State Forest. For more info and to register click here.

Southwest Indiana:

Saturday, April 23, 11:00  Energy for All Town Hall, sponsored by DAACE (Direct Action Against CenterPoint Energy), Evansville Central Library, Browning Room  

Tuesday, May 10, SW Indiana Sierra Club Network, Presentation on the Lower Pigeon Creek Watershed Study, Speaker Sara Peel, consultant to the Vanderburgh County Soil and Water Conservation District. 

Tuesday, May 24, Indivisible Evansville meeting with a program on environmental issues. 

For more information on events in Southwest Indiana, contact nilesrosenquist@gmail.com

Winding Waters Group:

The Winding Waters Group will be hosting its annual Farmer's Market Native Plant Sale at the Columbus Farmers Market on 2 Saturday mornings, May 21 & 28. The Market is located in the south parking lot of Columbus City Hall at 123 Washington St. Most plants cost $4 and are locally sourced from Spence Nursery in Muncie, IN.
   

Recommendations

From Indiana:

New report finds Indiana has the most dirty waterways in U.S. Agriculture is main culprit (Indy Star)
Op-Ed: Indiana needs to spend more on water infrastructure or risk dirty drinking water (Indy Star)
EPA Proposes “Good Neighbor” Rule That Would Cut Indiana Smog Chemical Pollution by 20% (Indiana Environmental Reporter)
Study: Historic federal housing discrimination led to millions of Black, Latino Americans breathing dirtier air today (Indiana Environmental Reporter)
Beyond the line: How an all-electric bus rapid transit system is transforming Indianapolis (Grist)
Eye on the Pie: Economic development depends on environment qualities (NUVO)
Films across Indy: the emerging reel-thing about connecting with our planet (NUVO)
When it rains... it sure can flood (Goshen News)
Historic Black school in Kokomo to go solar with help of the Indiana NAACP (Indiana Public Media)
MJCC: Protecting the Trees w/ Indiana Forest Alliance (Kheprw Institute- Facebook link)
Young Hoosiers want climate change acknowledgement from state lawmakers. They were turned down. (WPTA)
“A greener city”: Student seeks climate change resolution (The Republic)
Students will release climate action plan for Purdue (Purdue Exponent)
Both sides win, lose in lawsuit over Hoosier National Forest Houston South project (The Herald-Times)

From the rest of the country and beyond:

About half of US water ‘too polluted’ for swimming, fishing or drinking, report finds (The Hill)
Indigenous Land Rights Are Critical to Realizing Goals of the Paris Climate Accord, a New Study Finds (Inside Climate News)
‘Just Look Up’: The Need for Nature in Public Schools (US News)
The Return of the Youth Climate Strike (Inside Climate News)
The far-right and environmentalism overlap is bigger than you think — and growing (NPR)
Climate scientists are desperate: we’re crying, begging and getting arrested (The Guardian)
One Last Climate Warning in New IPCC Report: ‘Now or Never’ (Inside Climate News)
Scientists arrested for peaceful climate protests around the world say "climate revolution now" (Salon)

From Sierra Club:

Attacks on Queer/Trans Folks Are Also Attacks on the Environment
How Nature Can Take on the Youth Mental Health Crisis
What’s the Best Way to Take Action During Earth Month?
Un Legado de Racismo Tóxico/A Legacy of Toxic Racism

What have you been reading, listening to, or watching lately? We'd love to hear from you!
Use the button below or email rebecca.dien-johns@sierraclub.org
I have a recommendation!
   
That's all for this month! We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter. As ever, please don't hesitate to get in touch - we love hearing from our readers! 

Until next time,

All the team at Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter.

PS If you're a Sierra Club member, don't forget to vote in Sierra Club's national board elections!
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