Thursday, January 9 at 7:00 Radnor Lake Visitor Center 1160 Otter Creek Road Nashville 37220 Enter from Granny White only RSVP | Directions
We are delighted that Stewart Clifton of Tennessee Conservation Voters will be presenting our January program. Details were not yet available at the time this "went to press", but for details go to our program website at https://www.sierraclub.org/tennessee/middle-tennessee/programs
The Middle Tennessee Group business meeting is at House of Kabob, 216 Thompson Lane, Nashville, TN 37211. Meeting begins at 6:30pm. Dining is available at the restaurant at 6:00pm. All are welcome, but please RSVP to Grace Stranch so she can let you know if there are any changes.
Inspiring Connections Outdoors is an outings program where volunteer leaders collaborate with community partners to get people outdoors, especially youth, who may not have access on their own to safely discover the wonders of the natural world. Through outdoor experiences, we promote appreciation and protection of the natural environment, provide opportunities for personal growth, and foster respect of self, others, and the environment. Our goals:
Introduction to nature Education about nature Imagination and creativity Health Self-esteem Fun!
The Middle Tennessee Group of the Sierra Club Seeks Program Chair
MTG has a volunteer opening for a Program Chair. Responsibilities include attending all program presentations (or find a substitute host); scheduling speakers; handle logistics of programs; and publicizing the programs. Contact MTG Chair Grace Stranch at k.g.stranch@gmail.com
On the second Thursday of each month there is a Sierra Club Social and New Member Welcome at 6:00pm with a special program presentation following - 7:00 - 8:00pm
Location: Radnor Lake Visitor Center 1160 Otter Creek Road Nashville, TN 37220.
Stay tuned for the program listings for presentation information.
Chapter Retreat at Pickett State Park a Huge Success
by Mac Post as reported in the Chapter newsletter
The recent TN Chapter Fall Fun Retreat attracted over 70 Sierra Club members to Pickett CCC Memorial State Park. Many retreat newcomers came and made new friends and established contacts with other Chapter activists. This relationship building deepens involvement in the Sierra Club and helps advance our movement to explore, enjoy and protect the environment.
Despite the weather forecast, we were able to get all three of the planned hikes in without getting wet. The geology and scenery was only highlighted by the spectacular fall colors. In addition, we trained 12 new outings leaders from all over the state. We also certified 15 people in basic first aid and CPR. The silent auction raised over $300 to support our State legislative activities. Live acoustic music by the indoor “campfire” by Denny Hawk was a great end for Saturday. He managed to get others involved in singing and story telling.
Special thanks go to Randy Hedgepath, our TN State Naturalist, for leading an informative hike on Saturday morning, and for his presentation on Tennessee wildflowers. Ron Shrieves, Chapter Outings Chair, conducted the Outdoor Leader Training 101, and Rocky Milburn from the Tampa Bay ICO (Inspiring Connections Outdoors), led the Sierra Club specific first aid/CPR trainings. A huge thanks goes to the CareNet Conservation Committee team for their work in the kitchen and providing us with great food. The Clarksville Conservation Committee led the planning for this retreat and provided on-site logistics to make everything run smoothly.
LOST AND FOUND: If you attended and are missing a Pickett State Park jacket or an IDEAS journal, contact Mac Post at mpost3116@gmail.com.
Middle Tennessee Group Offers $1 for $1 Match for Westmeade Elementary’s Composting Efforts
By Madeline Stevens
Westmeade Elementary emphasizes the value of nature and caring about being good stewards of earth’s natural resources. They integrate these concepts into their science, math, language arts, and art curricula. Outdoor education helps children think critically, be curious, ask questions, and solve problems. Students learn best when they are engaged in real world problems and solutions. A sustainability curriculum allows children to experience real world environmental issues and participate in making solutions.
Westmeade Elementary emphasizes healthyliving and a concern for the natural world in education. They have a school garden as a way to introduce students to skills that will grow into life-long healthy living. Food from the garden is often prepared in classrooms to show children the benefits of growing and eating healthy food. Each year, each grade level takes three seasonal journeys to Warner Park. These field trips are designed to foster a love for the natural world and curiosity in the students. Westmeade encourages students to develop an ability to observe, record, and understand their observations. They have also partnered with MNPS Waste Warriors to reduce the amount of waste produced from school lunches.
By reducing the amount of waste from school lunches, Westmeade Elementary is helping meet Nashville's ambitious waste reduction goals. They participate in food re-direction by donating their uneaten cafeteria food. They compost, recycle, redirect, and reuse their waste in order to reduce their waste costs with the goal of making compost part of the Metro Nashville Public Schools annual budget.
The Middle Tennessee Group of the Sierra Club has contributed to Westmeade’s food wastereduction program, by pledging a $1 for $1 match, up to $1000, for their composting efforts. This money will aid their composting and food re-direction program until June 2020, the end of the school year. By contributing to Westmeade’s sustainability program, the Middle Tennessee Group of the Sierra Club is fostering sustainable thinking in our future generation. The Middle Tennessee Group’s donation is also contributing to Westmeade Elementary’s goal of being Tennessee’s first sustainability academy.
AddUp
Interested in adding your support on Sierra Club Campaigns around the USA? You can find information about our campaigns on our AddUp website. Read about each of them. Add your signature to support those that are important to you. Your signature will be added to messages to your representatives and you will have the opportunity to share the campaign on your social media account.
Looking for a Sierra Club event where you can join with other members in interesting activities? AddUp shows you events locally such as meetings, programs, hikes and social gatherings. But it also lets you find events across Tennessee and surrounding states that may be close enough to attend. And if you are really adventurous you can find hikes and adventures from Maine to Montana to California - and for real adventure, Hawaii! Plan your adventure on the AddUp map.
First Volunteer Day of 2020 at Radnor Lake
By Madeline Stevens
Radnor Lake State Park is a 1, 368 acre park located in the Oak Hill area of Nashville. The park offers trails for hiking and birding, as well as a paved road for running, biking, and pets. Radnor has been especially helpful to the Middle Tennessee Group by providing a place for our monthly programs to take place.
For over a decade, leftover Christmas trees have helped maintain the trails at Radnor Lake as part of their Trees to Trails program. In 2019, over 500 Christmas trees were recycled into mulch and installed by park volunteers. This year, Radnor Lake is installing the recycled Christmas trees on Friday, January 24th, 2020, from 1pm - 4pm.
This will be the first volunteer day of 2020 at Radnor Lake. Volunteers are needed to work with the park staff on mulching trails via wheelbarrow with recycled Christmas trees. Bottled water, gloves and tools are provided for volunteers thanks to funding Radnor Lake receives from Friends of Radnor Lake. Registration is required for ages 10 and up, and all children must be accompanied by an adult. Registration is free and you can register online at Radnor Lake’s website. This is a chance to give back!
The Sierra Club values protecting our natural world. By participating in this volunteer day, you would be contributing to preserving the natural places in the Nashville Area.The health of our environment shapes the health of our communities. Sierra Club members work to protect the earth’s vital resources, naturalyou beauty, wild creatures, and scenic landscapes. From city parks to national forests, from the air to the water, everyone depends on a vibrant and healthy world to thrive in.
Report on MTG Holiday Party
By Antoinette Olesen
The Sierra Holiday Party was a huge success! It was a festive event with holiday decor, delicious food, friends and fun. Members and friends were treated to a lovely evening of lively conversation and music with a surprise performance by Toni Wine singing and playing iconic songs she wrote including "Groovy Kind Of Love" and "Black Pearl". Brian Wright was the evening's accompanist on guitar joined by world renowned singer Ula Hedwig. Tom Huebner kicked off the night followed by Bruce Jon Brigham, Antoinette Olesen and Buddy Farler with Teri Abrams and Seemi Sandler joining in on a group version of his popular song "Paradise". Hit songwriter Ric Sandler finished the night with a nod to the environment with his beautiful song "Waltz By The Riverside".
We are the Middle Tennessee Group of the Tennessee Chapter of the Sierra Club, the world’s oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization. With over 3.5 million members and supporters, the Sierra Club has the resources to empower people and to influence public policy through community activism, public education, lobbying, and litigation.
Our mission is to Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet.
