Newsletter- August 2022 update from Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter
August 29, 2022
Join us on the trail!
Welcome to our August newsletter! Are you ready for fall yet or still enjoying the summer heat? Whether you're eagerly anticipating the crunch of leaves beneath your feet, or still basking in the sunshine, we hope you're finding time to get outdoors this month. Perhaps you'd like to join us on a hike? If so, read on for information on our upcoming Opt Outside for Black Friday Browning Mountain Hike.
Also in this newsletter: read about volunteer leader Rox Caldwell, get involved with Indiana Beyond Coal petition delivery, our director Amanda's thoughts on the Inflation Reduction Act, and much more - including our usual readers' photos, and recommendations features!
Volunteer Spotlight
Hi. I’m Roxanna Caldwell. I’m a lifelong Hoosier from northern Indiana and I’ve lived in Indianapolis for over 20 years. I currently reside in Garfield Park where I’m learning about native flowers to attract pollinators to my growing gardens, and you can usually find me taking care of a foster cat or two around the neighborhood.
Join Indiana Beyond Coal to deliver petitions to AES Indiana
Thanks to all of you, we have collected over 2,000 petitions calling for a clean energy future for Indy to deliver to AES Indiana.
We want to invite you to join us on Wednesday, September 7 at 11:30 AM on Monument Circle to show that Indy residents want a clean 20-Year Energy Plan -- RSVP today here: Petition Delivery to AES Indiana.
If you have any questions, contact Megan Anderson via email (megan.anderson@sierraclub.org).
Thoughts on the Inflation Reduction Act from Amanda Shepherd, Chapter Director
Those of us in environmental and justice spaces have been dreaming of legislation that addresses the ongoing climate crisis for decades. This year, on August 16, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes provisions for many issues - climate among them. And I celebrated because it has been a long, slow, agonizing road to get to this point. As someone who has been working in this space for many, many years I will admit that I was hungry for something - anything - that resembled a win.
Sierra Club staff and volunteer leaders are passionate about getting out there and spreading the word about issues that matter to Hoosiers!
This month saw our director, Amanda, and many Sierra Club volunteers and supporters spend many hours at the Statehouse fighting the anti-abortion bill.
As you know, the bill we feared went through and will be law beginning September 15th. If you’re not already doing so, we highly recommend following the ACLU of Indiana to keep updated - we’ll be supporting them and other partners to continue to do this work.
We are gathering our strength and efforts to prepare for the next challenges that come our way. Thank you so much to all of you who rise up to protect reproductive rights in Indiana.
The Winding Waters Group were spotted with their native plant booth at the Columbus Farmers market August 20.
In the photo to the right are pollinator protectors Natalie Perry, Eric Riddle, Rebecca Lorenz, and Joe Bronnert, with a customer.
The Winding Waters Group are passionate about pollinators! This month saw the opening of the pollinator path in Columbus (bottom right) - group members and supporters enjoyed a stroll from Columbus Community Gardens pollinator meadow Blackwell Park to pollinator meadow, where volunteer leaders highlighted new native plantings along the way.
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
Photo of the Statehouse during the fight to protect reproductive rights, by Amanda Shepherd.
Michael Bean, Buffy Dunham, Michelle Carr, Joe Bronnert, Natalie Perry, Kelly Bean Quentin Gerber and Doug Johnson at the new island of native plants at the AirPark on the Pollinator Path Stroll.
Flashback Friday
For our new Flashback Friday feature this month, we hear from Amanda on a day that changed her life:
"Ten years ago on August 21, I walked into the Climate Reality Leadership Training in San Francisco and my life changed forever. Climate justice became not only my passion but my life's work. Thanks to the connections I made that day, I entered a career in the environmental nonprofit sector within 2 years. I now work closely with two of the people pictured here and know so many others who have committed their lives in a similar way. Forever grateful for the experience, the connections, the passion, and the friendship."
Amanda (back row, second from left) with fellow climate activists including Jim Poyser (Earth Charter Indiana, far right, bottom row) and Wendy Bredhold (Sierra Club Indiana Beyond Coal Campaign, next to in the Jim bottom row)
Readers' photos - and introducing our new team member!
This month's readers' photo comes from Ashlyn Devine. We love the reflections in the water here of the lake near her childhood home in Newburgh, southern Indiana.
Ashlyn - pictured here at a climate strike - has just joined our Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter team as a Fellow:
"I recently graduated with my BA in Philanthropic Studies from IUPUI and have just started as the McKinney Philanthropic Fellow with the Hoosier Chapter. I'm so excited to get started!"
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
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 Hoosier Chapter Executive Committee elections will be coming up soon. Look out for emails in the next month with more information- including how you can apply to join our team! Questions? Contact Julie Lowe: j_lowe66@yahoo.com and Richard Hill: rhill@cinergymetro.net
