You're Invited! Spring Retreat May 3 - 5th at Fall Creek Falls
The Tennessee Chapter Spring Retreat is approaching! Enjoy the company of other environmentalists during the peak of spring wildflower season! Be a part of the fellowship, hikes, fireplace chats, and meetings. We'll have a Saturday afternoon program and silent auction that evening (bring something to offer), followed by an informal social gathering. This retreat will focus on fun, connecting, outdoor adventures, and an interesting program. Read the retreat details here
. The Early Bird registration by April 25th gets you a discount on dorm style lodging, 2 breakfasts, and Saturday dinner (first time attendees $40). Don’t miss it! Register here!
Tennessee News
Congratulations Tennessee Chapter! Kudos to Tennessee advocates for getting a shout-out in the nationally-distributed Sierra magazine, Spring 2024. In the "Chapter Corner" segment on page 37, Sierra reports that the "
Tennessee Chapter has found concerning levels of PFAS in 60% of water tested throughout northeastern Tennessee. The findings are the result of a 2023 project that took samples across a watershed that includes six public water systems. PFAS are synthetic chemicals that don't break down in the environment, earning them the nickname 'forever chemicals.'"
TVA Delays schedule for regional meetings and IRP Plan Content. TVA's important "Integrated Resources Plan" (IRP) which develops TVA's energy production plan for the TVA service area has been delayed. This also delays local public meetings. For updates, watch the TVA IRP website. TAKE ACTION: Tell the TVA Board: we need clean energy!
Anderson County man keeps the history of Claxton and TVA’s role in development. "Native Leo York has spent years tracing how the federal government’s energy sectors have influenced East Tennessee... York is one of few historians focusing on the community of Claxton – and the role of the Tennessee Valley Authority – in Anderson County. He’s helped put a historical marker up, cleaned up local cemeteries, run the community’s Facebook group," as well as "traced genealogy to people scattered across the country." Read more
by Anila Yoganathan - Tennessee Lookout - Mar. 15, 2024.
Resistance Radio: Interview with TN Sierra Club's Davis Mounger, Chair of the Tennessee Forest Committee. Derrick Jensen interviews Mounger, who is also the co-director of Tennessee Heartwood, a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to the protection and promotion of Tennessee's public lands. Mounger explains what's happening in our State and Federal Forests. Listen here (53 min).
A very fun fundraiser for the TN Chapter! Nashville-based collective, the “Saving Art Project” is hosting a fundraiser to benefit the Tennessee Chapter! The event is called “STRAW Fest” (Saving The Remaining American Wilderness festival) and will be held at The East Side Bowl in Nashville on May 1st, doors open at 5:00 pm. The event will feature several local music artists, a raffle, and more! Stay tuned for ticket link.
Environmental Updates
Reminder to vote for Sierra Club Board of Directors! The annual Sierra Club Board of Directors Election is an opportunity for members to have a say in what the future of the Sierra Club looks like. Voting will take only a few moments of your time, but the impact to our organization, our mission, and our planet will be far-reaching. View candidate profiles and voting details here. There are 7 candidates, and you can vote for up to 5. Ballots must be received by April 24th at noon ET.
The EPA’s new clean car standards are a big deal. "The Biden-Harris administration’s new car emissions standards
is a historic climate rule we just won that will save lives and money for families. The new vehicle standards will increase sales of electric vehicles and drastically reduce carbon pollution from gas-powered models, which account for roughly a fifth of the greenhouse gas emissions in the US. Sierra Club fought hard for these strong standards and we’re currently fighting for new standards for heavy-duty trucks to be just as strong." Read Sierra Club press release - Mar. 20, 2024.
Groundbreaking lawsuit takes aim at U.S. Forest Service's 'timber targets.' "This week, Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) filed a new, first-of-its-kind lawsuit that alleges the Forest Service’s ‘timber target’ decisions put the climate at risk, undermine the Biden administration’s important climate goals, and violate federal law. The case, which was filed on behalf of the Chattooga Conservancy,
MountainTrue, and an individual in Missouri, centers around the Forest Service’s failure to properly study the massive environmental and climate impacts of its timber targets and the logging projects it designs to fulfill them. Read more here - Feb. 29, 2024.
Saving Dean’s Woods, Act Two.
The rain gods held off as twelve Harvey Broome Group members and friends braved the chilly morning of February 24th to extract invasive, exotic weeds from Dean's Woods, a UT property in South Knoxville that is renowned for its springtime display of native wildflowers. This was the second time HBG has worked these woods; last December, 20 people participated. This time, the "Gettin' Dirty Dozen" cleared about half an acre on a steep hillside within a three-hour period, removing about a ton of English ivy, wintercreeper, Amur honeysuckle, Japanese honeysuckle, privet, and Mahonia (Oregon grape). The tricky part was carrying the pulled vegetation across Spring Creek to a site on Woodson Drive where the UT Composting Facility would pick it up. There is no bridge, so one has to
carefully rock-hop while juggling a large load of plants. Using Jerry Thornton's large tarp, new volunteer Ed Dudrick gathered huge loads of pulled plants into a large bundle and carried load after load across the creek! My thanks to Ed and all the others who worked so hard to help restore this special place to its natural grandeur. — Submitted by Jerry Thornton, HBG Chair (edited)
Twelve volunteers gathered for the second time to clear out invasive species from Dean's Woods. HBG will schedule "Act Three" next fall in order to avoid trampling the springtime wildflowers that are already beginning to grow. "We saw a few Virginia bluebells and wild geraniums starting to peek through the leaves." Photo: Todd Waterman.
Health & Justice
Action Alert: Tell Congress to pass the EXPLORE Act! The House of Representatives has the opportunity to pass an outdoor recreation package called the EXPLORE Act. This is a bipartisan bill aimed at promoting equity, inclusion, and expanded access to the outdoors for all Americans. This legislation would improve the lives of young people, families, veterans, and people across so many communities. Take action now and ask your representative to support the EXPLORE Act!
The high costs of incarceration in Tennessee. The Sycamore Institute's newest report
explains how much state and local governments spend on incarceration, what drives their costs, and why there are special rules for how Tennessee budgets for incarceration laws. Pre-trial detainees (individuals awaiting trial who are presumably innocent until proven guilty), have become the largest share of the local jail population, increasing more rapidly than the number of convicted inmates. Read the full report here for key takeaways and detailed analysis.
Against the Wind: Climate-science deniers, right-wing think tanks, and fossil fuel shills are plotting against the clean energy transition. "For fossil fuel ideologues, sowing misinformation about wind and solar power is proving to be an effective stall tactic." Read more by Rebecca Burns - Sierra magazine - Mar. 12, 2024.
Food Waste Prevention Week April 1-7th - Tennessee State University sponsored an event on April 1st championing food waste prevention. Karen Mcintyre, Secretary of the Middle Tennessee Group, was one of the organizers of this educational event and the Middle Tennessee Group was a sponsor. Recordings are available to view along with materials to help you use food without waste. To obtain this valuable information, please email Karen at kjmcinty@comcast.net.
Ongoing SEEED Roof Repair Fundraiser. Socially Equal Energy Efficient Development (SEEED) is a nonprofit in East Knoxville that is currently raising funds for an urgent roof repair on their community hub building. SEEED "combines career readiness skills with hands-on experiences and community engagement for young adults who have aged out of youth programs. SEEED is providing multiple pathways out of poverty, including career readiness, home ownership, resource provision, and food sovereignty." Help them reach their goal of $12,000!
Learn more and donate here.
SEEED dedicates its first affordable solar home on May 6, 2022. Photo credit: Kent Minault.
A Successful Conservation Education Day on the Hill
By Todd Waterman, updated by Scott Banbury
On Conservation Education Day (CED) on February 28th, at least 72 lobbyists from a consortium of environmental organizations – the Tennessee Environmental Council, Sierra Club, Tennessee Conservation Voters, Harpeth Conservancy, and Tennessee Interfaith Power and Light – met with 51 or more of our state legislators in Nashville.
Conservation Education Day's goal is to effectively inform our lawmakers on the profound environmental, economic, and other impacts of carefully chosen impending bills, knowing some legislators will then agree with our concerns and vote accordingly. Most lawmakers we visited appreciated their constituents' traveling to Nashville, and warmly welcomed us and listened carefully to our concerns, making lobbying them a rewarding experience.
As in recent years, the effort was masterfully orchestrated by Bill Moll, Conservation Chair of the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club.
We were well-prepared after an in-person/virtual lobby training the night before. Bill, professional lobbyist Stewart Clifton, Sierra Club lobbyist Scott Banbury, and environmental attorney/lobbyist Grace Stranch had taught us the do's and don'ts of respectful, relationship-building lobbying. They, along with sustainable packaging specialist Gary Cohen, briefed us on the environmental and other impacts of the below threebills which we explained to our Senators and Representatives:
1. SB0573/HR0550: The Tennessee Waste Reduction and Recycling Act (TWRRA), which we asked them to support. While it did not pass alone, it will be rolled into comprehensive solid waste legislation to be worked out by a newly-created task force this summer. Learn more about it here.
2. SB0726/HB1255: Monitoring for PFAS by industry sources and wastewater treatment plants, which we also asked them to support. While it was sent to the Senate Energy General Subcommittee for this year, we are well positioned to move forward with it in the new session next year. Read more about our work on the issue here.
3. SB0631/HB1054: Wetlands Classification, which would have removed about half of Tennessee's wetlands from protection, and which we asked them to oppose. We prevailed on this: Read "Developer-backed bill to end wetlands protections shelved by Tennessee Senate"
by Anita Wadwani, Tennessee Lookout, March 7, 2024.
48 of the 72 lobbyists pose near the end of our lobby schedule at 2024 Conservation Education Day. Photo: Todd Waterman.
Fundraising Corner with Mac Post
The 2024 March Appeal letters have been hitting Chapter members’ mailboxes the last 2 or 3 weeks. We look forward to your response to build our fight for Tennessee's environment. No action or donation is too small. Your support is appreciated and will be part of a decades-long chain reaction of regular people standing for what’s right.When you give to the Tennessee Chapter, 100 percent of your donation stays in Tennessee,
so more and more Tennesseans can take their place in the movement.
Defenders Fund
The Defenders Fund, is a special group of donors that are dedicated to supporting the Chapter's lobbying work. Thanks to the hard work of Susan Johnston, we surpassed $15,000 for the 2023 campaign year and already have another $1,000 in the bank for next year’s campaign that starts in September.
If you are not a member of this important team of supporters you are invited to join. The Defenders webpage and donation form has been redesigned to indicate that it is for the Defenders Fund. Check it out here to donate securely online!
April Events
Statewide environmental events listed chronologically.
Do you have an event you'd like publicized?
Send it to Enews.sierratn@gmail.com.
April 6th, 12:00 - 7:00 pm ET - Chattanooga Outdoor Fest. Held at the Choo Choo Gardens (1400 Market Street), the Chattanooga Outdoor Fest is a free event celebrating Chattanooga's vibrant outdoor scene and diverse recreation opportunities through vendors, activities, live music, food and more! There will be educational workshops, food, beverages, live music, a Kid's Zone, and giveaways (including a weekend campervan rental!). More details here.
April 9th at 7:00-8:30 ET, Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church - HBG Program: Collaborations for Conservation. "The Tennessee Citizens for Wilderness Planning (TCWP) and the Harvey Broome Group of the Sierra Club share a rich history dating back to the founding of both organizations." Nancy Manning, TWCP's Executive Director, will discuss the "historical and ongoing successes of TCWP, the enduring inspiration that propels us forward in the face of persistent threats, and a proposal for immediate collaboration in conservation efforts."
April 11th at 7:00 pm CST - Middle TN Group Program Meeting: Rewilding Your Yard. A representative from The Wild Ones will present strategies for rewilding our yards usingnative plants and pollinators. The Wild Ones Middle Tennessee Chapter is a new local chapter of the national non-profit organization The Wild Ones. They are dedicated to promoting the use of native plants in the landscape. Come early and join us at 6:30 for light snacks and beverages, or meet at 5:20 in the parking lot for an easy hike before the program at Radnor State Park Visitor Center. Register here for the event.
April 13th and April 16th - Southeast Bumble Bee Atlas trainings. "Many of you have probably already seen queen bumbles emerging from overwintering and prepping for their new nests! It's an exciting time of year for pollinator and flower enthusiasts, and the Southeast Bumble Bee Atlas is excited to roll out a new suite of workshops and events so we can finally get outside!" Register here
for virtual event "Ecology and Conservation of Bumble Bees for Atlas Volunteers" on April 13th at 12:00 pm ET. Register here for virtual training for volunteers on April 16th at 6:00 - 8:00 pm ET.
April 20th - Flash Mob for Clean Energy in Nashville. This Earth Day action event is a way to bring attention to TVA. The more people that participate in this fun action, the better! No rehearsal needed. Meet at 1:00 pm CT at Centennial Park picnic pavilion at 28th and Poston Ave. Please arrive quietly - it's a surprise!
April 20th - Earth Day celebration at Shelby Farms Park. Come by the Chickasaw Group's booth at the Memphis Earth Day event. They are planning a FUN family-friendly booth activity and even a few give-a-ways! There will no doubt be many groups and vendors represented. Come by and see who’s who!
Earth Day is Monday, April 22! Earth Day began in 1970 as a demand for clean air, water, and planet. Take some extra time to advocate, pick up trash, get politically involved, or attend an Earth Day event in your area!
May 8th, 4:30 PM Central - Rally for the Valley. Join us on Wed. May 8th in Nashville as we rally to demand that TVA stop its gas and pipeline buildout and lead the way to a fossil free future! Right now, TVA is moving in the wrong direction. It must stop burdening our communities with coal and gas pollution, high utility bills, and an uncertain future. The rally will start directly after TVA's listening session (at 4:30pm central). The rally will include a concert from local musicians! Fill out this form to join.
Species Spotlight
This month's featured species is: Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)
Bellwort is photographed at Crockford-Pigeon Mountain Wildlife Management Area in Georgia. Photo by Alan Cressler, via Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
Bellwort is a spring wildflower native to the eastern U.S. It has long, yellow, bell-shaped flowers which bloom for about two weeks in April-May. The flowers are lightly fragrant.
The plant is part of the lily family and has rhizomatous roots; it thrives in moist soils in woodland settings, shady borders, or hillsides. It's about one foot tall.
The plant is sometimes called Great Merrybell, due to the pendulous shape of its flowers. Its foliage tends to be paler green than other contemporaneous wildflowers.
Contact Us
Do you have a program or speaker idea for your Group? An issue you're particularly passionate about? Do you have a story idea for the Tennes-Sierran or the e-newsletter? Let us know! Look through our past programs for inspiration. Submit your suggestion here!
The views expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sierra Club.
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