Welcome to the Dallas Group of the Sierra Club
Wilderness Navigation Two Night Class - September 27 and 28 (Wednesday and Thursday)
Some walks in the woods are pretty easy, but journeys of all lengths can turn from amazing to catastrophic if you can't find your way. Learn the fundamentals of navigating your way in the wilderness in this fun and comprehensive two-night class. Among the subjects covered are: looking for and purchasing different type maps, how to read maps, how not to get lost, map use if you do get lost, different kinds of compasses and how to use your compass. There will be some discussion about GPS, but our main focus is learning how to use a map and compass so you're not trusting your navigation (and life) to something that takes batteries. If you have a compass, bring it. If not, we'll have extras you can use and will show you what to look for when you purchase your own. The class will be held in the upstairs meeting room at Whole Foods Market, southeast quadrant of Preston Road and Forest Lane in Dallas. This two-night class (second night Thursday, September 28) will begin at 6:30 PM and finish about 9:00 PM. The class fee is $35 for members and $40 for non-members. Cost covers both nights and handout materials. We encourage online signups by Tuesday before the class (click here) or you can pay at the door. A half-day hike the following Saturday or Sunday with the class instructors Arthur Kuehne and Bill Greer will be offered to class participants who want to practice their new skills.
General Meeting Program - Tuesday, October 10, 7:00 pm - Refreshments at 6:30
Dallas Park and Recreation Conservation Initiatives
Dallas has an amazing resource within in the Dallas Park and Recreation park system. This system includes almost 380 properties, covering over 18,500 acres. These range from small neighborhood parks, to relatively undeveloped tracts along the Trinity. Throughout the park system, there are prairies, wetlands, escarpment zones, post oak savannahs, and ultimately all tied together by the Trinity River. All this creates a unique set of conservation challenges, but also opportunities. Issues such as invasive species control (feral hogs and assorted plant species), pollinator conservation, conflicting value judgments, conservation outreach, and volunteer opportunities will be discussed.
Brett Johnson is the Senior Environmental Coordinator/Urban Biologist for the Dallas Park and Recreation Department. He has served in this capacity for two years. He oversees conservation issues within the Park Department. This includes feral hog abatement, prairie management, conservation outreach, pollinator conservation, and other "random" issues that have a tendency to pop up (toxic algae, ATVs, etc.). Prior to that, Brett was an Urban Wildlife Biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for almost twelve years, covering the DFW Metroplex (mostly east side). Brett has a BS in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences from Texas A&M University, an MS from Texas Tech University, and is a Certified Wildlife Biologist. His initial interest in conservation came through his work with the Boy Scouts growing up, where he earned his Eagle Scout, eventually served as the Nature Director at Camp Constantin, and culminated as the Bear Researcher (and Field Ecologist) for Philmont Scout Ranch for 4 summers.
The Wave
Sand dunes, time, water, and wind have sculpted a surreal landscape along the border of Arizona and Utah. And one of the most famous examples of nature's artwork is The Wave, a colorful U-shaped trough etched into Jurassic era sandstone. Only 20 people per day are allowed to visit The Wave (via a lottery) and there is no formal trail or path across the 4 miles of terrain from the closest parking area. Paul Westbrook will discuss tips for the permit lottery and share some photos of his trip to The Wave in April of 2017.
Paul is a pioneer of energy efficiency and renewable energy. His solar home in Fairview (click here) has been toured by thousands of people since completion in 1996. He retired from Texas Instruments in 2016 after helping them build the first LEED Gold semiconductor factory in the world and double their global energy efficiency in nine years. He served for two years as a Senior Fellow for the US State Department's Energy and Climate Partnership for the Americas (ECPA) program. He assisted Honduras, Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru with energy efficiency and renewable energy policies and practices. Paul formed RE:source and is now doing consulting work on energy efficiency and renewable energy. Paul enjoys hiking, bicycling, running track, and playing saxophone.
Everyone is welcome. FREE! You don't have to be a Sierra Club member. Just show up. We'd love to meet you.
Our General Meeting starts at 7:00 pm, but come at 6:30 for snacks, information and fellowship. Click over to our General Meeting page for more information and a map.
Fall Outing at Beavers Bend State Park - October 13-15
Celebrate fall and join us for this relaxing event in the beautiful mountainous region of southeast Oklahoma. The weekend is perfect for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages and stages. Families, couples, singles, all are welcome. We have the group compound all to ourselves, complete with your choice of rustic cabin or tent camping, dining hall with kitchen, optional catered dinner and (drum roll please)... yes, even a bathhouse with hot showers and flush toilets! On Saturday we'll offer various levels of hikes or you can be on your own to enjoy many fun activities offered by the park. Plan an active weekend or hang out on the porch, whichever you would enjoy. Cabin requests are on a first come basis so make your plans now! Click here for more information and required registration forms. Don't wait to sign up. This camp out sells out fast.
General Meeting Program - Tuesday, November 14, 7:00 pm - Refreshments at 6:30
Wildflowers of North Texas
So many of our beautiful and once-common native wildflowers have been removed from our local landscapes that relatively few people today can recognize and name more than a handful. This colorful slideshow program will take you on a virtual tour through the seasons of some of our last undisturbed natural areas, and introduce some of the amazing plants that once dominated the region. We'll talk about unusual plant features that make them tough prairie survivors, and give you a sense of what the Tallgrass Prairie and its surrounding woodlands once looked like.
Carol Clark is an amateur botany enthusiast, a Texas Master Naturalist, and longtime member of the Native Plant Society of Texas. She and her husband own and operate Clark Haven, a wildlife preserve and custom wildflower seed business in Cooke County. Carol grew up with a nature photographer father and wildlife artist brother, and has spent much of her life looking around in the great outdoors. Her favorite things to do are leading discovery walks in local natural areas, and finding and photographing interesting plants.
Cacti and Succulents: Owners Manual Part One
When you hear "waterwise," "low maintenance," "interesting geometries," you almost have to think of cacti and succulents. As water becomes a more scarce resource, these plants should play an increasingly prominent role in landscaping our exteriors as well as our interiors. Learn about perpetual blue roses, the perfect indoor plant for the traveler, and some of the interesting adaptations in these unusual and interesting plants.
Irwin Lightstone lives in Dallas with his wife, cat, and thousands of plants, mostly cacti and succulents. He is President of the North Texas Cactus and Succulent Society, and is an award winning professional photographer who has specialized in plant photography. View his website at http://irwinlightstone.com/
Everyone is welcome. FREE! You don't have to be a Sierra Club member. Just show up. We'd love to meet you.
Our General Meeting starts at 7:00 pm, but come at 6:30 for snacks, information and fellowship. Click over to our General Meeting page for more information and a map.
General Meeting Program - Tuesday, January 9, 7:00 pm - Refreshments at 6:30
Movie - National Parks Adventure
Discover the wild places that belong to us all. National Parks Adventure takes audiences on the ultimate off-trail adventure into the nation's awe-inspiring great outdoors and untamed wilderness. Immersive cinematography takes viewers soaring over red rock canyons, hurtling up craggy mountain peaks, and into other-worldly realms found within America's most legendary outdoor playgrounds. Click here to view a movie trailer.
Everyone is welcome. FREE! You don't have to be a Sierra Club member. Just show up. We'd love to meet you.
Our General Meeting starts at 7:00 pm, but come at 6:30 for snacks, information and fellowship. Click over to our General Meeting page for more information and a map.
More Outings
For a complete list of scheduled outings and outdoor service events, click here.
Subscribe to Our Email Newsletter and Other Email Lists
Click here to subscribe online to our monthly email newsletter and to one or more of our more specific email lists (Conservation, Outings, Inner City Outings, Sierra Singles or our National email newsletters).
Share Your Ride
We are making car pooling and using public transportation a little easier for our regular events. See our new Share Your Ride page.
