Dallas Sierra Club
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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
Rain GardenIncreased 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

PicnicPlease 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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