Supreme Court Sides with Polluters in Cross-State Smog Pollution Case The United States Supreme Court ruled to pause the implementation of EPA’s strategy to address harmful air pollution that crosses state lines, called the Good Neighbor Plan. EPA’s Good Neighbor Plan addresses dangerous cross-state smog pollution using a combination of approaches proven to limit a key ingredient in smog: ozone season emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx).
Join the SC Missouri Chapter Board! Nominations are open for our MO Chapter Executive Committee! We're calling on you to nominate others (or yourself) to serve in this leadership role. Learn more about joining our ExCom by clicking HERE. Please apply by July 31.
Sierra Club Statement on National Old Growth Plan Read more by clicking HERE. There is an opportunity to help protect old growth in our National Forests. The US Forest Service has asked for comment on their recent plan. If you'd like more details, contact Caroline Pufalt at cpufalt@sbcglobal.net.
NASA Releases Updated Climate Change Adaptation, Resilience Plan From NASA The updated plans advance the administration’s National Climate Resilience Framework, which helps align climate resilience investments across the public and private sectors through common principles and opportunities. FULL STORY
How many times can that be recycled? From Earth 911 Some materials can be recycled infinitely, but plastic is not one of them. What about paper? So if a recyclable isn’t reborn as the original item, where does it go? Find out HERE.
The Search for the Perfect Natural Period Product From Reasons to be Cheerful Most menstrual products contain plastic, and more ecological options are pricey. But the “sustainable menstruation” movement is finally gaining traction. READ MORE
Valley View Glades. Photo by Matt Self.
EMG Executive Committee Monthly Meeting - July 9
The Executive Committee of the Eastern Missouri Group meets monthly to review group activities and business. These meetings are open to the public, in person or via Zoom. Zoom links will be sent out to registered participants a few days before the meeting. MORE INFO
GRG Sunset and Snowcones - July 10 Check out this free event from Great Rivers Greenway! Enjoy free snow cones and watch the sunset over the Mississippi River at Mississippi Greenway: Chain of Rocks Park. MORE INFO
EMG Outings Leaders Meeting - July 11 Monthly Outing Committee Meeting for the Eastern Missouri Group. RSVP HERE
Benton Park West Neighborhood Tree Care Blitz - July 13 Join STL Neighbohood Foresters for their tree care blitz. They are a volunteer tree stewardship/urban forestry group in St. Louis. Come make friends and learn to care for neighborhood street trees! RSVP TODAY
Learn to Fish with MDC: Capturing Catfish! - July 24 Have you ever wanted to learn how to properly chase catfish in your local body of water? We have the class for you! MORE INFO
Open Space STL Paddle After Dark - July 26 Don’t miss this great annual event at Simpson County Park to support the conservation efforts of Open Space STL. Participants can enjoy live music during the float and while relaxing on the shore. Enjoy a rare opportunity to paddle on Simpson Lake after dark! TICKETS
Join Missouri Sierra Space (MOSS) - July 31. You're invited to join Sierra Club members, volunteers and allies in our monthly, statewide call, MOSS, in which we 1) build community amongst ourselves as teammates in Sierra Club’s mission, vision, values, and norms; 2) share updates on campaigns, victories, or other goings on in the state; 3) provide actionable steps to support grassroots organizing efforts for MO communities and environment. Check out our meeting notes from our June call!RSVP for our next Moss Call on July 31 at 7PM!
EMG Outings are Welcome to All! Sierra Club Outings are open to the public. A dollar per person donation is requested. Firearms are not allowed on outings. Participants must sign a liability release. Outings Leaders are volunteers. Carpooling is encouraged but not the responsibility of the Leader. For more information, Click Here.
Valley Park Levee/Meramec Greenway Hiking Event - July 2 The Valley Park Levee/Meramec Greenway is an out and back walk along the Meramec River, approximately 4 miles. This paved trail is extremely flat and considered easy in difficulty. RSVP TODAY
Paddling through Meramec State Park - July 7 This float is an easy and wild 5-mile section of the Meramec River from Sappington Bridge to Meramec State Park and suitable for all experience levels. Families are welcome! This section of the Meramec passes through the wilder scenery of Meramec State Park. SIGN UP
Adopt-a-Trail Outing Service Project - July 13 EMG has adopted a section of the Great Rivers Greenway to pick-up trash. This section, the Centennial Greenway, connects Olive Blvd with Shaw Park, including several trail entrances. We will be picking up trash approximately four times per year and the first date is Saturday, July 13. If you are interested, please RSVP HERE.
Join the EMG Conservation Committee If you are ready to engage in outreach, education, research and action on the variety of conservation topics in our region contact Caroline Puffalt, Conservation Committee Chair, at cpufalt@sbcglobal.net.
Calling all photographers Contribute to the SC Newsletters with a photo! Email your best nature photos to emg.missouri.sierraclub@gmail.com and we might feature you in our next newsletter. We're always looking for photos from our members! By submitting a photo, you agree to allow EMG Sierra Club to use your photo for promotional purposes only.
Outings Committee looking for leaders This is a very active and exciting group within the Sierra Club and a great way to meet new people! When you become an Outings Leader, you will receive free leader training, first aid and CPR courses. We can use YOUR help! Contact Dave Campbell, Outings Committee Co-Chair, at davecampbell9009@gmail.com or 217-553-9009.
Volunteer hours available at Sierra Club office! Are you looking for an easy way to support our group and the Missouri Chapter? We are always accepting volunteers to come into our office to have some coffee, water, or tea and support us with writing thank you notes, data entry, and welcoming new members. Reach out to Chapter Coordinator Ashton Kuehnel (ashton.kuehnel@sierraclub.org) to get involved.
Marilyn Harlan Obituary Submitted by George Behrens
Marilyn Delashmit was born on her parents’ farm outside Pacific Junction, Iowa on March 21, 1934. She graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in elementary education. Marilyn married John Harlan and had a son, Jim, before moving to St. Louis in 1965.
Marilyn was active in the then Ozark Chapter of the Sierra Club and its Eastern Missouri Group. She was the treasurer of the campaign to stop the Meramec Dam in the late nineteen seventies. She was chair of the Chapter Mining Committee. At the time, lead mining companies were interested in mining possibilities in the area that became the Irish Wilderness. She spent over thirty years as an integral member of the EMG Outings Committee.
Marilyn helped with food preparation for many years at the Clean Stream Picnic and helped judge at the slalom races held by the Missouri Whitewater Association. Marilyn was a friend to many and a stalwart supporter of the Missouri Chapter. Quoting Dick Kutta, Marilyn always said “I will be there and I’ll help.”
Marilyn was an avid reader and had a library of some of the best books. Her cooking was legendary. If you were invited to her house for dinner, you were a lucky person. Managing her family’s century old farm in Iowa was an important part of Marilyn’s later life.
Marilyn had a stroke in 2017 and moved to South Carolina to be closer to her son Jim and family. She died April 19, 2024. Per her wishes, she was buried next to John at Jefferson Barracks Cemetery in a private ceremony.
