April, 2010: In This Issue. . .
Notes from
the Chair
40
Years of Earth Day It all started
as a series of campus rallies to remind the Nation that this
planet is our only home and destroying it bit by bit is
probably not a very good idea. Those first years have now
turned to decades and while the same lessons are still being
taught, have we, as a much more diverse & numerous people,
really come to grips with the magnitude of the challenge. Of
course, many in Sierra Club are in the thick of this challenge
and we are being joined every day by new generations of
concerned environmentalist, conservationist, and even a few
"survivalists".
As I look back
over 40 years of Earth Day, I feel a sense of hope and
confidence that the "growth maniacs" and the world's worst
polluters will be defeated in their attempts to use up the
planet for a dollar's profit. That defeat will be achieved
not just by a new generation of activists, but also economists
and business leaders who will see the value of going green far
outweighs the wasteful habits of the past. Given the size of
the problem and equally huge size of the needed solutions, our
only hope is to work on those solutions together, not always
at odds.
While I
understand and often preach the "no compromise for Mother
Earth" motto, the dialogue must continue with all the players
at the table. To simply refuse to listen or consider a
particular view point is not a sign of intellectual strength ,
but a failure to recognize that differences of opinion do
exist, even within the Sierra Club and all other like minded
organizations.
History
teaches us that lock-step conformity has lead to its greatest
holocausts. As Sierra Club members, we will not and must
not, lose sight that our diversity of opinion is our greatest
strength, not a weakness. So on the 40th Anniversary of Earth
Day, celebrate our friendships, our common goals, and yes,
even our differences.
Your Dallas Chair,
Wendel Withrow
General Meeting Program -
April 13, 7:00 pm - Refreshments at 6:30
April Showers bring May Flowers and Rain Gardens and
Better Stormwater Management
Increased
urban development creates major challenges for cities
managing stormwater. During heavy rains, increased volumes
and flow can result in toxic chemicals bypassing treatment
centers and ending up in our lakes and streams. At our April
meeting, Fouad Jaber, PhD, who is an Assistant Professor and
also a specialist with the Texas Agrilife Urban Solutions
Center, will share several Low Impact Development (LID)
solutions that can alleviate this, including
bioretention/rain gardens, green roofs, rainwater
harvesting, and permeable pavement.
Rain gardens are especially useful because they are easy to
install and low cost. Are you a homeowner who wants to
alleviate run off or fill a difficult-to-landscape
depression in your yard? Does your property have a low area
that tends to collect water and nothing seems to grow there?
Are you an activist who would like to encourage your city to
adopt these practices? Or are you a builder who would like
to apply these features toward stormwater mitigation at your
next building site? Please join us at our General Meeting on
April 13th to learn how these solutions can improve the
quality of our water.
Visit our website for complete information
about our General Meeting, including a
map.
Dallas Sierra Club Member and
Volunteer Appreciation Picnic
Please join the Dallas Sierra Club for an afternoon of
fellowship and fun at our Member and Volunteer Appreciation
Picnic at Churchill Park in Dallas on May 2nd, 2010, from 3-7
pm. The park has basketball & tennis courts, plenty of field
space, a covered pavilion and picnic tables. We hope to see
you there!
WHAT TO BRING: Your families and guests,
own food (charcoal grills allowed/NO GAS GRILLS) and
beverages, lawn chairs & blankets, outdoor games, musical
instruments, etc. Additional activities will include volunteer
appreciation, face painting, horseshoes and more!
Unfortunately, NO PETS are allowed. Come and go as you wish.
We will be there rain or shine!
COST: This is a FREE event! Please RSVP so
we have a rough estimate for supplies.
RSVP HERE
VOLUNTEERS: We need a few volunteers to
help us organize activities, set up/clean up, etc. Please
email Peter (peterwilson@dallassierraclub.org) if you're
interested in helping out.
DIRECTIONS: 6906 Churchill Way, Dallas,
75230. Churchill Way is about 1/2 mile south of I635/LBJ on
Hillcrest. Turn east on Churchill. The PARK is just past the
Recreation Center on the Left.
Dallas International Film Festival Shows Some Green
The Dallas Sierra Club has become an
Agency Partner at this year's
Dallas
International Film Festival (DIFF) to help spread
awareness of the Sierra Club's efforts just in time for
40th Anniversary of Earth Day. As in
previous years, the DIFF will offer the
Environmental Visions Competition category, which will
include the films, "Climate
Refugees," "Colony,"
"Greenlit,"
and "The
River Why." In addition to co-presenting "Climate
Refugees," the Dallas Sierra Club will be assisting with a
waste reduction effort at the festival's staging venue, the
Palomar Hotel. Other noteworthy ecoFilms include,
Monkeywrench (short) and
Waste Land.
The Festival begins April 8th, and runs through the 18th.
For information on ticket purchasing, venues (some accessible
via DART rail!) and more, please see the DIFF
website.
Outings
Highlights
Bandelier National Monument Bus Trip, May 28-June 1
Celebrate Memorial Day weekend by joining us as our sleeper
bus takes us to this scenic area west of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
There will be a variety of hikes tailored to allow backpackers
of all skill levels to explore and enjoy this great area. New
for this year we're also trying to plan an easy option for
those who want a base camp in the developed camping areas,
with day hikes instead of backpacking. Special adventures will
include learning about Native American history and exploring
their ruins in this unique area. Complete trip details and
reservation information is posted at
www.dallassierraclub.org/outings
For a complete list of our
outings,
visit our outings page.
Recycling Round-Up
by Rita Raccoon
Recent Recycling News -
April 2010
DID YOU KNOW? The Post Office is placing recycling
containers in its P.O. box locations to gather junk mail!
Recycling at Texas Instruments - Moving Towards
Zero Waste Texas Instruments (TI) is in the
forefront of companies seeking to reduce waste both in office
and manufacturing (fabrication or "fab") settings. Their
initiative is to produce 95% waste efficiency where 95% of
"waste" is reused or recycled. In addition they seek to reduce
the amount of materials they send to a landfill by 5% each
year.
Since TI includes their fab plants, the waste includes such
diverse items as booties, hairnets, silicon wafers, wafer fab
shoes, wafer carriers, containers and nitrate gloves. In their
non-manufacturing areas they recycle plastic bottles, aluminum
cans, batteries, moving boxes and cardboard, and lunch. When
moving offices, they use the same boxes over and over. In
their cafeteria, they suggest using your own coffee cup and
they segregate organic waste (which goes to the City of Plano
to compost).
Thousands of light bulbs were replaced with better energy
efficiency bulbs - replaced bulbs were donated to schools.
Some recent annual figures from the program: -
15,700 tons of organic waste turned into compost -
78,000 tons paper recycled - 89,900 tons plastics
recycled - Waste solvent from fab processes
collected - Surplus furniture, computers, office
equipment etc are sold to employees
They attribute the success of their programs to strong
support from management and guerilla marketing techniques,
including "in your face" signs, containers and memos.
Recycled Materials Markets The recession
knocked the bottom out of recycled materials markets in 2008,
but some markets appear to rebound in 2009 including aluminum.
EcoGreenHotel's Director of Sustainability, Jeff Kiec,
Spreads the Word About Hospitality Sustainability Initiatives
One of the most attention-grabbing topics in the hospitality
industry is the use of Eco-Labels and the growing importance
of third party certification programs to determine the true
extent of a green hotel's sustainability initiatives. There is
an immense need for the industry to determine a clearer
definition of a truly "green" hotel. This would help to reward
those hotels that implement and maintain robust sustainability
programs and marginalize those that overstate or completely
green-wash their efforts for short-term gain.
Look to local communities to support hotels in their
efforts to operate in a sustainable manner. Christopher Day,
Commercial Recycling Supervisor for the City of Plano,
provides guidance and training for businesses to develop
robust recycling programs of all sizes. Helping create
recycling programs is viewed as a win-win situation for both
the municipalities and the hotels. By reducing the amount of
garbage sent to land fills, the City wins by reducing
long-term re-occurring costs. The hotels win by reducing the
number of weekly hauls, reducing total cost of hauling,
creating a revenue stream with its recyclable products and
creating a culture of environmental responsibility among its
employees.
Visit the following sites for more information: Bentonville
Convention and Visitors Bureau, Plano Convention and Visitors
Bureau, and Small Business Development Center of Enterprise
Excellence.
http://www.sbdcexcellence.org
http://www.bentonvilleusa.org
http://www.planocvb.com/main/index.php
http://www.EcoGreenHotel.com
Calendar
Here is our calendar through
April. For complete listings, visit us at
www.dallassierraclub.org.
APR
10 (SAT) WHITE ROCK LAKE CLEANUP. Walk and talk while
helping to pick up trash and recyclables at the Sierra Club's
adopted section of White Rock Lake Park. Meet at 8:15 AM at
the Love of the Lake office on the Northeast corner of Garland
Rd. and Buckner Blvd. Look for a crowd of people drinking free
juice and coffee. Gloves, trash bags, etc. provided. Our area
includes one of the wonderful prairie restoration areas, so
there are always birds and wildflowers to enjoy. The lake and
your karma will thank you. Brunch afterwards. Leader:
Carol Nash 214-824-0244(H)
APR
10-11 (SAT-SUN) WEEKEND BACKPACK AT BUCKEYE MOUNTAIN TRAIL,
ARKANSAS Hike one of the most scenic Wilderness trails in
Arkansas in the Caney Creek Wilderness of west central
Arkansas. Saturday we'll enjoy the views from the ridgetop
Buckeye Mountain Trail. Sunday we'll hike out along the creek
bottoms of the Caney Creek Trail. With any luck the
wildflowers will be starting to emerge. This trip is rated
moderate and would be suitable for beginners in good shape.
Both days cover about 4 1/2 miles. Saturday includes an 800
foot uphill section. We'll camp Friday night near our cars,
Saturday night near a nice little waterfall. Leader:
Mark Adams 972-658-1281(H)
APR
13 (TUE) SIERRA CLUB GENERAL MEETING Everyone is
invited to the General Meeting of the Dallas Sierra Club.
See above for details.
APR
17 (SAT) EARTH DAY HIKE & CELEBRATION Hike 1-2 miles
through a beautiful Post Oak Preserve and then enjoy the DISD
Environmental Center Open House. Guided Nature Walks, Native
Plant Gardens, Theater shows, Museum Tours, Petting Farm,
Musical Presentations, Wildlife Educ. Programs, Informative
Booths, Native Texas Plant Sale and More. Fun for entire
family. Bring picnic lunch. (Open 9-4) Meet at Env. Ed. Ctr.
at 9:30 AM. Take 175 East towards Kaufman from 635 or 45, In
Seagoville, take Seagoville Rd & Kaufman St exit, Go to 2nd
stop sign and turn right on Environmental Way. Go 1 mile and
turn right into the white stone gateway entrance to EEC (1600
Bowers Rd, Seagoville 972-749-6900). Call if interested in
carpooling. Leader: Dale Edelbaum 214-343-6741(H) or
214-282-6744(C)
APR
17 (SAT) UPGRADING TRAILS AT CEDAR RIDGE PRESERVE Howdy
everyone. Its fun and its helpful to get out to the Cedar
Ridge Preserve in Dallas to help "build" and upgrade some of
the beautiful walking trails at Cedar Ridge Preserve, just
south of Dallas. The address is 7171 Mountain Creek Pkwy,
Dallas, TX 75249. Its a great morning workout, and the scenery
is exceptional. No tools are required, (maybe gloves) just
show up and be ready to lend a hand or two. We'll work from 9
AM to 12, and then walk around the preserve and admire the
wildflowers and fauna! Bring some water for sure. Its on
Saturday the 17th of April, please see their website for
directions and info,
This link gets you there. Their number is 972-709-7784.
Use this number please, as they have a wrong number on one of
the website addresses. Dont use that number. Trust me. See you
then! If you wish to carpool, then let me know, and we'll
arrange a meeting spot. My number (Ginger) is listed below.
Get out and stay green, people! Its good for the soul.
Organizer:
Ginger Bradley 469-223-7902(C)
APR
21 (WED) OUTINGS COMMITTEE MEETING. Meet in the upstairs
program room at REI (on north side of LBJ between Midway and
Welch), at 6:30 PM. Bring your ideas for the Dallas Sierra
Club Outings program. We will be planning local outings and
bus trips. All outings leaders, future outings leaders, and
interested Sierrans welcome. Ask Bill to be placed on the
email list for an agenda. Contact:
Bill Greer 972-247-0446(H)
APR
22 (THU) YOUNG SIERRANS HH/DINNER - TBD - DALLAS HAPPY
40th EARTH DAY! Please join us for a Happy Hour/Dinner at ??
on Thursday, April 22nd! We're cooking up something special
for this one. Please RSVP by noon on 4/22 to the Pingg
invitation or the youngsierrans@dallassierraclub.org email
address so we have a rough estimate for seating. All 20s/30s
welcome; you don't have to be a Young Sierran or Sierra Club
member to attend. ** ** Contact:
Candace Weinberg
APR
23-26 (FRI-MON) SITTING BULL FALLS AND GUADALUPE MOUNTAINS,
NEW MEXICO. Explore these gems of Lincoln National Forest,
west of Carlsbad and north of Guadalupe Mountains National
Park. Arrive late Friday afternoon at our camp on a mesa above
Sitting Bull Canyon. Saturday, hike a loop of 6.6 miles and
two optional spurs, a total of 10 miles, with day packs. Most
of the time, we'll hike in canyons watered by year-round
streams. One short spur leads to 130-foot Sitting Bull Falls,
the other to the "Staircase" in Last Chance Canyon. The loop
route involves descent of 1,000 feet and a corresponding
ascent. The Staircase option ascends another 400 feet. Sunday,
head home or motor into the Guadalupes and another trailhead.
Hike 4 generally level miles on Wilderness Ridge to the Texas
state line and back. Retrieve backpacks and hike 1.5 level
miles to a grassy camp in a sunken valley on Big Canyon Ridge,
overlooking canyons 1,800 feet below. This trip is MODERATE or
MODERATE/STRENUOUS, depending on options. Car pooling is
encouraged and will be facilitated, but Club regulations
preclude assignment of pool arrangements. Leader:
Mark Stein 214-526-3733(W)
APR
24 (SAT) DAYHIKE AT FORT WORTH NATURE CENTER Meet at 8:00
AM at the Hardwicke Interpretative Visitors Center Parking lot
at Fort Worth Nature Center. After you enter the refuge pay
your entrance fee and follow signs to Hardwicke. The park
opens at 8 AM so be there promptly. We will hike a 4-6 mile
section of trails. Bring water, snacks, and raingear. Nature
Center is located in NW Tarrant County on Lake Worth. Take
Highway 199 exit west toward Azle off 820 West on western edge
of Fort Worth. Leader: Claudia Blalock, 817-924-6242. For more
information on Nature Center, visit
http://www.fwnaturecenter.org/. In the event of rain, hike
is canceled. No dogs please. Leader: Claudia Blalock
817-924-6242(H)
APR
27 (TUE) INNER CITY OUTINGS MEETING Snacks and social
starts at 6:45 pm, meeting starts at 7:00 pm. Inner City
Outings ("ICO") is an outreach program of the Sierra Club
comprised of volunteers who provide wilderness experiences
such as day hikes and camping for disadvantaged youth. ICO
meets on the fourth Tuesdays at REI, 4515 LBJ Freeway, Farmers
Branch, TX 75244 (north side of LBJ between Midway and Welch).
All volunteers and those considering becoming an ICO volunteer
are welcome. Contact the
ICO Chair for more information. To receive future
announcements and meeting information you may sign up for our
email list.
MAY
2 (SUN) MEMBER/VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION PICNIC AT CHURCHILL PARK
IN DALLAS Please join fellow Dallas Sierra Club members
and volunteers for an afternoon of FUN at Churchill Park in
Dallas from 3p-7p. The park has a variety of outdoor
facilities including, basketball & tennis courts, a swimming
pool and plenty of field space. WHAT TO BRING: your families
and guests, own beverages, own picnic goodies (charcoal grills
allowed/NO GAS GRILLS), lawn chairs, outdoor games, etc.
Additional activities will include volunteer appreciation
awards, face painting, kickball cricket, bocce and kite
flying. Unfortunately, NO PETS are allowed. Come and go as you
wish. A few VOLUNTEERS may be needed to help with activities,
set up and clean up - please email Peter if interested.
DIRECTIONS: 6906 Churchill Way, Dallas, 75230. The PARK is
just past the Rec Center on the Left. We hope to see you
there! Leader:
Peter Wilson
MAY
2 (SUN) HOUSE CONCERT & POTLUCK, 6:00 PM. RSVP Needed.
Rebecca Loebe from Atlanta and Raina Rose from Portland and
now Austin will perform. Since these house concerts fill up in
advance, reserve your seat by sending a check, $12 per person,
payable to Rebecca Loebe, and mail to Paul Heller, 13806
Wooded Creek Dr., Farmers Branch TX 75244. Enclose a note with
the name(s), phone numbers, and email addresses of those for
whom you are reserving seats. I'll confirm by email. All money
goes to the performer. Come to share food and fellowship with
other singles with a great performance -- up close and
personal. If you are new to this kind of event, a house
concert is an opportunity to hear world class performers in an
intimate home setting. A potluck dinner is - well, you know.
Please bring a dish to share that you would be proud to have
your name on. Soft drinks, coffee/tea, ice, and paper goods
will be provided. Please bring your own beer/wine if that is
your beverage choice. Attendance is limited to 45, so please
send a check to reserve a seat. Both performers have solo
careers but also perform as a duo. Becca mixes southern charm
and gypsy wanderlust in songs that are sometimes humorous and
always touching. I like her song "You tan't knit socks for a
married man." Raina Rose is a bootclad sinner/songwriter whose
life on the road spreads trouble and puts her in a
relationship with people, places, and substances uncounted.
Someone said "Raina's grab-you-by-the-heart lyrics and "dirt &
honey" vocals keep an audience mesmerized, and damn the girl
can play!" Between the two, they have put out about 10 CDs.
Hear some tunes at www.myspace.com/rebeccaloebe and
www.myspace.com/rainarose. Contact:
Paul Heller 972-620-1703(H)
MAY
8 (SAT) WHITE ROCK CREEK TRAIL DAYHIKE Come join us as we
day hike 7 miles on the northern reaches of White Rock Creek.
This is a very urban, paved trail but it is actually very nice
as it follows the creek under all the main thoroughfares of
north Dallas. No pets, please. Bring water and a snack as we
will be walking all morning. We will leave the trail head
promptly at 9 AM. To reach the trailhead from the intersection
of I-635 and Hillcrest Rd., go north on Hillcrest a short
distance turn right on Valley View and turn right into the
second parking lot. Remember it's the second parking lot on
the right. I'll be near the restrooms and playground. Optional
lunch afterwards. Leader:
Mark Adams 972-658-1281(C)
MAY
8 (SAT) WHITE ROCK LAKE CLEANUP. Walk and talk while
helping to pick up trash and recyclables at the Sierra Club's
adopted section of White Rock Lake Park. Meet at 8:15 AM at
the Love of the Lake office on the Northeast corner of Garland
Rd. and Buckner Blvd. Look for a crowd of people drinking free
juice and coffee. Gloves, trash bags, etc. provided. Our area
includes one of the wonderful prairie restoration areas, so
there are always birds and wildflowers to enjoy. The lake and
your karma will thank you. Brunch afterwards. Leader:
Carol Nash 214-824-0244(H)
MAY
18 (TUE) and MAY 20 (THU) WILDERNESS NAVIGATION CLASS
Learn the fundamentals of finding your way in the wilderness
in this two evening class. Among the subjects covered are:
purchasing maps, how to read maps, how not to get lost, what
to do if you do get lost, GPS, different kinds of compasses,
and how to use your compass. If you have a compass, bring it
to the class. If you don't have one, we will show you what to
look for when you purchase one. The class will be held at REI
(second floor program room). REI is at 4515 LBJ Freeway, north
side, between Midway and Welch. This two-night class will
start promptly at 6:30 PM and will finish at about 8:45 PM.
The fee for the class is $15 for Sierra Club members and $20
for non-members (cash or check). No reservations are
necessary; just show up. Leaders:
Arthur Kuehne 214-353-2927(H) and
Bill Greer 972-247-0446(H)
MAY
19 (WED) OUTINGS COMMITTEE MEETING. Meet in the upstairs
program room at REI (on north side of LBJ between Midway and
Welch), at 6:30 PM. Bring your ideas for the Dallas Sierra
Club Outings program. We will be planning local outings and
bus trips. All outings leaders, future outings leaders, and
interested Sierrans welcome. Ask Bill to be placed on the
email list for an agenda. Contact:
Bill Greer 972-247-0446(H)
MAY
26 (WED) GPS NAVIGATION FOR THE OUTDOORS This class will
introduce you to the basics of what a GPS is, what it can do,
and how to use it to assist you finding your way in the
Wilderness. We will not teach you how to use a specific brand
or model of GPS, but rather help you understand the
capabilities and limitations of the Global Positioning System.
We will give you some idea of what to consider selecting a
GPS. We will also discuss the maps that you must have to
actually use your GPS. Finally we'll show you how to use your
GPS in the woods. Graduates of our Wilderness Navigation Class
will have a better understanding of some points we will
discuss but while it is recommended it is not a prerequisite.
The class will be held at REI (second floor program room). REI
is at 4515 LBJ Freeway, north side, between Midway and Welch.
This class will start promptly at 6:30 PM and will finish at
about 8:45 PM. The fee for the class is $10 for Sierra Club
members and $15 for non-members (cash or check). No
reservations are necessary; just show up. Leaders:
Bill Greer 972-964-1781(H) and
Arthur Kuehne 214-353-2927(H)
MAY
28-JUN 1 (FRI-TUE) BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT BUS TRIP
Celebrate Memorial Day weekend by joining us as our sleeper
bus takes us to this scenic area west of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
There will be a variety of hikes tailored to allow backpackers
of all skill levels to explore and enjoy this great area. New
for this year we have an easy option for those who want a base
camp in the developed camping areas, with day hikes instead of
backpacking. Special adventures will include learning about
Native American history and exploring their ruins in this
unique area. Complete trip details and reservation information
are posted on our
Outings Page. Contact:
Mike Rawlins 972-783-0962(H) and
Diana Rawlins 972-783-0962(H)
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