Current River Float photo by Louise Bullock. Read more about the trip below.
Whether your interest is conservation, policy, trail maintenance, activism or enjoying our outings, everyone with a love for the outdoors is welcome here. We appreciate you being a part of the Eastern Missouri Group (EMG) of the Missouri Sierra Club.
Thank You Volunteers!
The EMG Lemonade Booth at the Festival of Little Hills was a huge success! The event occurs every August and is the Midwest's Premier Arts and Craft Show, celebrating the rich history of St. Charles, Missouri. We sincerely appreciate all of the customers that bought a lemonade or two but we couldn't have done it without the extraordinary help from Sierra Club volunteers like the ones pictured below. Thank you for your tireless efforts in fundraising for the Eastern Missouri Group!
Photo submitted by Jim Rhodes.
Float Trip with ONSR By Marisa Frazier, Senior Public Lands Organizer & Conservation Program Coordinator Our 4th annual float trip with Ozark National Scenic Riverways superintendent Jason Lott was a great success! This year Superintendent Angela Boyers from Buffalo National River also joined us to share updates from our Arkansas neighbors.
Partners from LAD Foundation, Great Rivers Law Center, Ozark Society, Canoe & Kayak Association, Mark Twain National Forest, and of course Missouri Sierra Club leaders strategized to protect Missouri’s waterways.
The day was filled with discussions, connections, and time on the beautiful Current River! These outings are so much more than just a great day spent in nature, they work towards the mission of strengthening our partnerships and communication with our public land management agencies and our allies.
Photo by Marisa Frazier.
Birds are Migrating! Turn-out Lights! The Missouri Sierra Club is a partner of Lights Out Heartland, an effort to save migrating birds. Please do your part to help save birds by turning off your outdoor lights in September after 10:00 pm. Most birds migrate at night and outdoor lights, especially ones shining into the sky, disorient them and they tend to circle lights until they die from exhaustion or fly into something. Millions of birds die every year in the St. Louis region.
Is Your Water Bottle Really Made From Recycled Plastic? From New York Times A green accounting method called “mass balance” certifies that something was manufactured with recycled plastic — just not necessarily much of the bottle making the claim. FULL STORY
St Louis City Residents, Do You Want Cleaner, Fresher, Air?
Save the date, September 28, 1pm-3pm, and attend an Environmental Protection Agency public workshop on air pollution in the metro-east. Focus will be on the upcoming permit renewal for Veolia industrial incineration company. At this workshop you can ask questions and you can learn how to make the process work for all of us. Contact www.breathebetterstl.com
The future of cars: What your car could be doing in the future From Digital Journal Electric vehicles, autonomous driving, smart cars, and beyond…what does the future hold for automotive technology? READ MORE
GM adds enough solar energy to power Wentzville assembly plant and two others From STL Today The deal is its largest-ever purchase of renewable energy, GM said. FULL STORY
Choose Environmentally Responsible Pet Toys From Earth 911 By shopping wisely, you can treat your pets and feel comfortable that your purchases — from the bed to the toys you give them — don’t harm the environment or your furry friends. LIST OF OPTIONS
Michael Berg Celebration and Committee Fundraiser - September 7
Join the Sierra Club, Missouri Chapter for our next Political Committee Fundraiser. Over food and drinks, we'll celebrate the tenure of our newly retired Political Director, Michael Berg, and talk about the importance of electing pro-environmental champions to the Missouri state legislature. RSVP TODAY
September EMG Executive Committee Meeting - Sept 10 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. RSVP
EMG Outings Leaders Meeting - Sept 12 Monthly Outing Committee Meeting for the Eastern Missouri Group. RSVP HERE
MDC Habitat around the house - Sept 17 Learn how you can turn your garden into a haven for wildlife. Many native plants can provide food and homes for animals. All ages. Register HERE.
Hiking the Sunset Greenway Trail - Sept 20 Come out to Florissant for a joint outing with the Central Baptist Church Green Team. We’ll hike an easy 2 mile (total) out-and-back trail within Sunset Park along the Missouri River. This is a paved, accessible trail with a great view of the river at the end that’s well worth the trek. SIGN UP
Monthly MOSS Gathering - September 25
Join the Missouri Chapter for our monthly meetings through Zoom for all Missouri Sierra Club groups & community members. The purposes are to build community with Sierra Club members across Missouri, share updates on our priorities, and discuss action steps to explore, enjoy and protect Missouri. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 25, at 7:00 PM.
23rd Annual Car Camping at Hawn State Park - Sept 27 Enjoy the splendor of Hawn State Park from the Boy Scout Area (Group Camp) while listening to the wind in the pines. Great for beginner campers and families. Bring your own food, tent and gear. Call if you need advice, suggestions, or location. State Park camping fee of two dollars per person per night. Come for one, two or three days. 2-4 mile hike on Sat. Space is limited. SIGN UP
Save the Date! EMG Holiday Party - December 7 Mark your calendar to celebrate the season at the annual EMG Holiday Party on Saturday, December 7. We will continue the tradition of the holiday party being a potluck and details can be found here. If you have questions, please contact Barb Wall at barb_wall@sbcglobal.net or (314) 691-6715.
Celebrate Wildwood Event Tabling - Sept 21 Join the Sierra Club at Celebrate Wildwood to connect with event attendees and share information about our outings, advocacy, and mission! All materials will be provided, including Sierra Club T-Shirts. Training will be done at the booth day of the event. Please reach out to the event organizer with any questions. MORE INFO
Trash Pick-up Along Centennial Greenway - Oct 5 EMG has adopted the section of the Centennial Greenway between Olive Blvd. and Shaw Park. We will be doing a trash pick-up on Oct 5 starting at 9:00. We will meet at the intersection of Delmar and McKnight, in the parking lot where Half Priced Books is located. This is the halfway point and we will split into two groups, one group heading north to Olive and the other going south to Shaw Park. Each section is one mile long, so the total distance is two miles out and back. SIGN UP HERE
Join the Energy Justice Action Team The Sierra Club Missouri Chapter is organizing an Energy Justice Action Team for grassroots response to utility and energy justice as we fight for clean, renewable energy. Join us at sc.org/ejteam
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.
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.
Want to learn about managing an SC website? As an organization managed by volunteers, so is our website! Are you interested in helping us update and manage our website? After completing a 1 hour online training, you can help build our group's digital prescence! Reach out to Chapter Coordinator Ashton Kuehnel (ashton.kuehnel@sierraclub.org) to get involved.
Yosemite Backpacking by Matt Self
My wife Haley and I recently participated in a national Sierra Club backpacking trip in Yosemite National Park. It was 7 days and 6 nights in the backcountry with a total group of 11. Several sections of the trail had been badly burned in the past few years, and the resulting wildflowers were resplendent. Over the first 6 days, we only saw 10 other people while hiking and camping. Such solitude is tremendous in a notoriously crowded Park like Yosemite. Fortunately, there is a large amount of protected wilderness left in the Park and wonderful opportunities remain for anyone willing to go a bit further.
