Dear Supporter,

News from the Chair

Greetings, and Happy Spring. The Napa Sierra Club Executive Committee has been discussing ways to better reach its members and supporters. We want to sponsor more events that allow us to better get to know and understand our members and their concerns. In addition, we will be looking for ways to connect with the larger Napa community. We intend to start meeting with a more diverse cross section of our population, including those in age and ethnic groups not well represented. In these meetings we will strive to listen to our community members to better understand their environmental concerns. (Photo credit: Chris Sauer)

Speaking of events, come celebrate Earth Day with us at the Oxbow Commons on April 24th. We will have a booth there and will be talking about local environmental issues. Bring the kids and grandkids to plant an oak tree.

We are also planning a Team Sierra Club cycling/walking get-together in May to celebrate the Vine Trail's Locomotion event. Look for an email blast with more details coming soon. Meanwhile, if you haven’t already joined our Team Sierra Club, check out the very bottom of this newsletter for instructions on how to do it. (Photo credit: Nick Cheranich)

Also on Earth Day, the American Canyon Community & Parks Foundation is hosting a guided sunset "walk & talk" at Wetlands Edge so people can learn more about what we as a community can do to help mitigate climate change. See below for more information.

Other news:

• The committee is going to continue to focus on the entire watershed on which we all depend. We are also working with other groups within the Redwood Chapter on a multitude of other important water issues.

The Land Use/Growth committee is continuing to focus on issues such as the Walt Ranch Project, as well as protecting wildlife from lethal rodenticides found in traps within the industrial complexes situated next to the Napa River wetlands area. (Photo credit: Roland Dumas)

Please be sure to read our informative articles, below, written by our local volunteers including a personal story from a local young activist of Philippine descent about the ecological devastation occurring on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, and what the indigenous Eco-warriors there are doing about it.  

Want to get involved? Our next Conservation Committee meeting will be May 17, 2022 at 6:30PM. Just click on the RSVP button below and I'll send you a Zoom invite in the near future. Thank you.

- Nick Cheranich, ExCom Chair

Let's Celebrate Earth Day Together!
Digital Artwork by Samantha Smith

Hi, my name is Eva Angelina Pelayo. I am Mexican American and am currently a sophomore at American Canyon High School. Some of the things I enjoy doing when I get the chance is reading (I mean, come on, reading is awesome), potting plants, and dance (ballet and contemporary).

I first found my love for saving the environment when I was in 7th grade. We had a project where we were assigned a certain animal that we had to do research on, such as where it lives, what it eats, and how humans are affecting their existence. From there my passion for saving the earth and the nature inside it skyrocketed.

I want to be an environmental scientist later on in my life so I think this internship is a really great opportunity to start out my career, and I cannot wait for all the wonderful, skillful things that I will get to learn through this internship.

Hello! I'm Alejandra Valladares, a current sophomore at American Canyon High School and one of Napa Sierra Club's interns. At ACHS, I am Environmental Club's Community Liaison, a Leadership Student, Sophomore Class President, and a swimmer. Additionally, I enjoy going on hikes and learning about science. With this internship, I hope to teach others about the profound impacts of climate change and how we can reduce those impacts. I would also love to learn about public policy and legislation regarding the environment.

When my husband and I decided to remodel our 1960’s era tract house five years ago, we started with an Energy Audit to see what we could do to reduce the cost of heating and cooling our home and to make it more comfortable. I had attended an energy rebate workshop in Napa put on by Deborah Elliot, Napa County’s Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) representative. The audit, performed by an approved BayREN contractor revealed that we could get rebates from the state to help pay for new insulation in our “attic” and walls and for new ductwork. Through the BayREN program , we saved over $3000, improved the comfort and air quality inside our home, and helped the climate by reducing our home’s energy needs.

Click here to read more.

It’s been almost two years since the devastating Glass Fire, and Napa County’s Howell Mountain is barely returning to life. The views are scarred with blackened trees, piles of abandoned the brush and landscapes reminiscent of war-torn lands. The fire, active for 23 days, destroyed 67,482 acres and 1,555 buildings in Napa and Sonoma Counties. About 300 or so of those were houses on Howell Mountain, mostly in Deer Park.

The fire is believed to have started near a machine shed in Deer Park, which is midway up the mountain, on the road to the top, where the small town of Angwin, surrounded, by fiery blasts, mostly survived.

Click here to read more.

Across the Pacific Ocean, just South of the eastern coast of China, lies the archipelagic country of the Philippines. Just under a thousand miles north of the equator, the tropical nation is mostly known in the US as its source for coconuts, or for nurses; or as a destination where tourists can enjoy its sunny beaches and exotic fruits. However, what few know about the Philippines is that this archipelago, with a total landmass a little under the size of Arizona, is home to an untold wealth of natural resources, landscapes, and invaluable biodiversity; and that its lush forests and verdant mountains may hold a key to our global efforts to preserve the environment and combat climate change. Specifically–the island of Mindanao.

Click here to learn how the Indigenous people of Mindanao have resisted the destruction of their land throughout successive waves of colonization.