The Sierra Club Catoctin Group (SCCG) encompasses Carroll and Frederick Counties. The Catoctin Group offers many opportunities for citizens to engage in outings, environmental issues and projects. There is literally a niche for anyone who loves the outdoors and wants to protect its myriad resources. The geography and 1,100 square miles of these two counties offers innumerable choices to explore, enjoy and protect nature.
A monthly Executive Committee meeting of the SCCG, open to the public, is usually held virtually on the third Tuesday of the month, at 7pm. We encourage anyone interested in our group to attend and we welcome your input on our activities. See the Calendar (Events, Meetings, Outings) to sign up to receive a link for the meeting.
We’d like to hear about your interests so we can best connect you with related issues or programs. If you have any questions or would like to get involved, we encourage you to send us an email at catoctingroup@mdsierra.org.
Membership inquiries may be sent to the Membership Chair at catoctingroup@mdsierra.org.
Wanted: Outings Chair!
The Sierra Club Catoctin Group, which includes Frederick and Carroll Counties, wants to
reactivate our outings activities and is seeking a volunteer to serve as our Outings chair. Our
two counties offer countless opportunities to explore the mountains, forest, streams, rivers, and the historic C&O towpath. Citing the Sierra Club motto to “Explore, Enjoy & Protect the Planet," the Outings chair will help people connect with the outdoors that we so passionately care about.
If you are interested in becoming the Outings chair for the Catoctin Group, please
contact, the Chair, Kerri Hesley, at kerri.hesley@mdsierra.org. Training for an outings chair is available 2-4 times per year by the Maryland Chapter. Contact Pat Soffen at Patricia.soffen@gmail.com to learn more about the outings program and how to become an outings leader!
Catoctin Group Upcoming Events
See our Calendar page for more details and to register for Events, Meetings, and Outings with our group.
Questions? Send us an email at catoctingroup@mdsierra.org.
Upcoming Meetings
We are planning a social gathering in December, so check back for more details coming soon!
Catoctin Group Tabling Events
Catoctin Group participates in many area events and festivals, manning a table with information about the Sierra Club and the various issues we are involved in and how people can help.
We will be at the Carroll County Environmental Symposium on Saturday, October 26, 2024 from 9am-12 noon at the Carroll County Agricultural Center in Westminster, MD. Contact us if you are interested in helping us at this event. Or just stop by and say hello!
See our Calendar page for more information on all our events.
2023 Group Accomplishments
Much of our focus for 2023 was on Zero Waste goals. SCCG was instrumental in getting the single use plastic bag ban passed in Frederick City.
We surveyed grocery stores in Frederick City and County to provide data for our local efforts, as well as to add to the statewide data. We also surveyed grocery stores in Westminster, MD, both before and after their plastic bag ban, to gather data on its effect on plastic bag, paper bag and reusable bag use.
We also performed trash surveys along the highway to demonstrate the amount of plastic bag trash, and how easily they break down in our environment.
Our goal now is to implement a similar ordinance to encourage everyone in Frederick (and eventually Carroll) County to bring reusable bags and eliminate all Single Use Plastic Bags.
We also participate in Lobby Night every year, which gives us a chance to present the Sierra Club priority bills to our state legislators.
In the summer, several of us participated in tours of the Reichs Ford Frederick County Solid Waste facility and the Prince Georges County Materials Recycling Facility. Both were fascinating and very informative!
We ended the year with a social outing at Frederick Social in downtown Frederick, with a presentation by the owner about their sustainability actions. Impressively, by composting or recycling everything possible, they are extremely efficient at reducing their trash waste.
For 2024 we have scheduled several outreach events, and will be adding more outside activities and social outings. See our Calendar of planned activities, and check back for updates. We’d love to have you join us!