November update from Uplands Network, connecting Monroe and surrounding counties
November 8, 2024
Come and join us on the trail!
As I began to write this on Election Day, 2024, millions of Americans stood in lines to cast their votes. Now we know Trump has been reelected, and the scale of the challenge to address climate change, defend our public lands, and safeguard the health of our communities is clear. To rise and meet these challenges, the Hoosier Chapter of Sierra Club is planning important meetings and trainings to prepare for the upcoming legislative session.
Since June, 2022, Uplands Network has held monthly informational meetings (mostly virtual) and regular hikes in the area. We partner with local groups to uplift social and environmental justice while working to conserve our public lands and protect the watershed. Our mission includes facilitating “Outdoors for All” while supporting other local groups working on conservation and equity.
A prime opportunity to expand and preserve our National Forests in Indiana
We have a prime opportunity to expand and preserve our public lands in Indiana!
Hoosiers have an important role to play by supporting legislation that would more than double the size of the Charles Deam Wilderness Area and establish the Benjamin Harrison National Recreation Area.
Come learn with partner Urban Greenspace to grow tree canopy at Crestmont Park! This event is part of the Winslow-Crestmont Wildlife Corridor project! Have fun supporting our community and learning how to reforest urban areas. Please register so we can expect you.
An Artistic Approach to contribute to Uplands Network Hoosier Chapter – We are partnering with Art for Earth Bloomington!
You can help support our work by donating a new piece of art or one you no longer need, and Uplands Network Sierra Club will receive 100% of the proceeds! The next Art for Earth sale will be at the Craft and Cookie Christmas fair at St. Mark’s Church Dec 7th, 2024.
Please spread the word among friends and family who might like to declutter a bit and help the environment at the same time!
Thank you to Christine Missik for this opportunity! Contact Christine at ArtforEarthBloom@gmail.com for drop-off.
About the Uplands Network
Our leadership team includes dedicated people who plan meetings and outings, table at events, and connect with other groups. We welcome anyone who wishes to volunteer with our network. Open volunteer positions are: co-chair, treasurer, social media coordinator, conservation committee members and outings leaders. Shorter volunteer commitments include tabling at events and at local farmers’ markets. To volunteer write Marilyn at marilynbauchat@gmail.com.
To view upcoming outings and events, check this page - Events and Outings
Ray Major, retired forester, teaches volunteers how to rewild a city park to provide a path in the Wildlife Corridor Project.
Urban Greenspace partners with Uplands Network at Crestmont Park, Bloomington.
Please check our Upcoming Events and Outings for some wonderful activities coming up, including Browning Mountain . We’re looking forward to seeing you at our monthly meetings and in the woods.
Explore. Enjoy. Protect.
Marilyn Bauchat and the Uplands Leadership Team
Right- Marilyn Bauchat and Greg Grant at the Yellowwood Lake hike, 2023.
P.S. Our Chapter Coordinator, Rebecca Dien-Johns, shared the following with local Sierra Club volunteer leaders which we're sharing here: a handful of smallish things we can do now to help us feel less powerless in this moment.
Send a message of love and support to someone you haven’t reached out to yet
Donate to a local organization supporting LGBTQ+ youth, like Indiana Youth Group. This demographic is going to be one of those hurt most by the new administration.
Donate to - or volunteer with - an organization like Exodus Refugee Immigration. As we go into winter, they are often looking for donations of warm clothes and coats. Reach out to check their current needs.
Make a donation to a mental health mutual aid fund.Irvington Counseling Collective manages three: The Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), Trans & Non-Binary (TNB) Mental Wellness Fund, the Indiana Mental Health Clinicians Mental Wellness Fund, and the Mental Health Relief Fund. Many folks are struggling with their mental health right now and are unable to access therapy, so this is a great way to make a direct impact.
Make a plan to take care of yourself, each other, and your loved ones over the coming weeks - write it down. Include time in nature and rest time if you can. Writing it down helps us remember and be more intentional with self care, as these days and weeks are likely to go by in a whirlwind and it will be easy to burn out.
"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends." -
Martin Luther King, Jr.
