Welcome to the Dallas Group of the Sierra Club
Bandelier National Monument Outing - May 26 - 30
Camp and hike in northern New Mexico Memorial Day weekend
Drive or carpool to Bandelier National Monument. A group site is reserved for us on the nights of May 26-29. From trailheads within an hour's drive of base camp, day hike on three days at Bandelier and in Valles Caldera National Preserve and Santa Fe National Forest. The latitude, elevation, and scenery of Bandelier and environs make this area ideal for camping and hiking on an extended Memorial Day weekend. We'll be hiking in a canyon, to a peak, by a stream, to an archeological site, and to a warm spring on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, returning nightly to our base camp. Depart for home either Sunday afternoon or Monday (Memorial Day) morning. Click here to read details of this unique outing and how to register. After April 25, please contact Mark Stein (mark@steinplanning.com) before sending a registration.
Dallas Sierra Club General Meeting - Tuesday, June 14
Dallas trees and invasive species
Do you ever look up into the tree canopy and wonder which tree you're looking at and what its characteristics are? Ever debate for hours, poring over the internet, trying to decide which species of tree is best to plant? Want trees but don't have any? Then, you've come to the right place! Please help Dallas Sierra Club in welcoming Karen Woodward, Forester for City of Dallas, as she discusses invasive tree species and the status of Dallas trees in general.
Karen Woodard came to the City of Dallas in 2008 and has degrees in Horticulture, Environmental Science, and Master of Science Forestry. She came to the City of Dallas from the Texas Forest Service where she worked as a Regional Urban Forester, with her last assignment being the Hurricane Rita Urban Tree Recovery Project. Karen is the City Forester, assisting all departments with tree issues and teaches/trains both the City of Dallas personnel and the public on all things trees.
FREE. 7:00 pm, Tuesday, June 14, Dallas Sierra Club at Brookhaven College
Map of meeting's location http://www.dallassierraclub.org/page.htm?generalmeeting
Everybody is welcome. You don't have to be a Sierra Club member. Just show up. We would love to meet you.
The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. in building H, the Geotechnology Institute building. From 6:30 to 7:00 you can wander among various issue booths to pick up information and talk with Sierra Club members. Contact Victoria Howard, 214 855 1580 Victoria@DallasSierraClub.org
The Dallas Sierra Club is a non-profit conservation organization whose motto is Explore, Enjoy, and Protect the Planet. We are part of America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, which was founded over 100 years ago by John Muir.
Adopting a More Eco-Friendly Lifestyle
By Tina Martin (www.ideaspired.com/)
If everyone reduced their carbon footprint, it would have a positive effect on the natural environment. Living a more sustainable and green lifestyle is not only healthy, but it's also good for the planet. The Dallas Sierra Club explains that a few simple modifications to your lifestyle and your home mean you can save on costs and help to conserve the planet.
Making Modifications for an Eco-Friendly Home
When purchasing or building an eco-friendly home you might want to enlist the help of an architect who is an expert in sustainable design principles or an engineer who is a certified green professional. Revamping your current home to make it more energy-efficient can increase its resale value, so it's important to keep a record of changes made.
Green Matters notes that an eco-friendly, energy-efficient home should have:
- Low-emittance windows
- An abundance of natural light, which reduces the need for electrical light
- Water-saving appliances
- Solar panels
- Cellulose wall insulation
- Sustainably sourced wood from renewable forests
Implementing an Eco-Friendly Lifestyle in the Home (and at Work)
There are a few small things you can implement to live a more planet-friendly lifestyle.
- Recycle. Minimize your use of plastic by taking your own bags to the shops for groceries and your own eco-coffee cup when getting take-out coffee. Plastic shopping bags and single-use coffee cups are the two most common trash items found in nature. When you do use plastic in the home, be sure to put it in a separate plastic recycling bin.
- Green up the workplace. For business owners, many of these ideas can also be implemented for sustainability at the workplace. Reducing paper usage – or omitting it entirely – by digitizing documents is one possibility, as is emailing invoices to customers instead of sending paper copies. An invoice generator allows you to choose from pre-made templates to create customized invoices that include text, photos, your logo, and more. Look for an invoice generator that also allows you to download your invoice in your preferred format.
- Compost. Self.com points out that you can create your own nutrient-rich humus for your garden by composting at home. Purchase a small countertop recycler where you can dump your fruit, vegetables, and other organic matter. Keep a composter in the yard where you layer leaves and twigs with organic waste from the kitchen, and then add fertilizer.
- Switch off lights. If you're not in a room, turn off the lights.
- Solar power. Going solar is effective, and homeowners can receive a tax credit for making the change. There are numerous solar installers that can help you harness natural energy.
- Save water. Water is wasted when switching on a tap and letting it run. Put a bucket in the shower to collect water and use it in the garden. Consider using borehole water for irrigating your garden or a greywater system that recycles water from your home.
- Make plastic eco-bricks. This trend started in Guatemala. Take empty PET bottles (2-liter soda bottles), clean them, and stuff them with plastic trash. The trash makes the bottles heavy. Put the lid back on when the bottles are full, and use them as eco-friendly building blocks.
Go Green and Save the Planet
Start your green journey by making a few small changes to your home life — your health and the environment will thank you.
Image via Unsplash
Inspired by nature, the Dallas Sierra Club works together to protect our communities and the planet. Connect with us today for more info! 214-369-5543
Dallas Sierra Club Outreach Speakers Program - Speakers for Your Group
The Dallas Sierra Club provides outdoor/environmental education in the form of entertaining and informative presentations by Dallas Sierra Club members with expertise in the topics offered. These presentations range in length from 30 minutes to one hour and cover a variety of topics in the general categories of outdoor adventure, environmental education, and general ecology. These talks are appropriate for a wide range of audiences including youth groups, school classes, civic and social groups, nature and gardening clubs, church groups, etc. Any group interested in an available topic is welcome to contact us. To see available topics and to schedule your speaker, click here.
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Click here to subscribe online to our monthly email newsletter and to one or more of our more specific email lists (Conservation, Outings, ICO - Inspiring Connections Outdoors, or our National email newsletters).
