Dallas Sierra Club News - June 2017
In This Issue. . .
Gardening on a Shoe String; Confessions of a Frugal
Gardener
 Conservation, particularly of hard earned dollars, is a hobby
of Fran Powell's. Combining that with a life-long focus
on not throwing things away that can be reused has resulted in
her finding ways to appropriate everyday objects into the
garden. She completely
aspires to the belief that Reduce, Re-use, and Recycle must be
an aspiration for all humans on earth if we are to maintain a
livable planet.
This frugality, combined with her love of gardening, has
caused her to read the gardening catalogs only for ideas as to
how she can reproduce the same thing using items otherwise
thrown in the recycling bin. From empty food cans, plastic
bottles, to barbeque chicken containers and tennis balls, she
will introduce us to her discoveries of ways to hold up, tie
down, display, or start seeds . . . all free just by using our
imagination.
A resident in Addison since 1991 and a Dallas County Master
Gardener since 2011, Fran comes from a family of English
gardeners. While she claims not to have the green-thumb and
talent, nor size of garden, of her sisters, she will introduce
us to many ways to save money on the planting
accessories so there is more to spend on actual plants.
Veterans Community Project
 The Veterans Community Project (VCP) is a non-profit
corporation determined to fulfill the unmet needs of homeless
Veterans, a task accomplished only by the community for the
community. We are creating Veterans
Village, a community of tiny-homes and onsite
services to provide housing stability and address the
underlying cause of the Veteran's homelessness, which will
lead to more successful permanent housing outcomes. Once
ready, the Veteran will transition to other existing programs.
Kevin Jamison, one of the founders of VCP, will give an
overview of the organization. For a summary of VCP, click
here. For the VCP website, click
here.
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.
WOW! Yep - WOW!
There has been so much happening with your Dallas Sierra Club.
Twenty-Seven Sierrans had a spectacular bus trip to the hill
country over the Memorial Day weekend. Hiked some really cool
trails; camped out at Inks Lake; toured LBJ ranch; toured the
Pacific War Museum in Fredericksburg (plus the Japanese Peace
Garden); saw the Columbian Mammoth remains at the Waco
National Mammoth Monument and lotsa other things.
One of the great things a bunch of us discovered was the fact
there are 46 wineries in the immediate area (of the hill
country). One evening over a few pitchers of wine a group of
us decided, a Memorial Day weekend next year needs to be a bus
trip, exclusively for visiting wineries... A “Wine-apalooza”.
The official 2018 Explorapalooza will be heading east for
camping and backpacking. So, closer to home there could be a
“Wine-apalooza”. However, leadership is stretched thin, so a
new someone (like you, perhaps) needs to step forward and make
“Wine-apalooza 2018” a reality.
If It Weren’t for Bad Luck, I’d Have No Luck at All
A canoe trip on the Brazos River just below Possum Kingdom
dam. How neat... if it could ever get going. First scheduled
departure earlier this year was canceled and rescheduled for
this last weekend. Oh, then. Yes. A heck of a lot of rain. No
canoe trip. Third times a charm perhaps? Check calendar for
when it’s re-rescheduled.
In July, Heading down to Austin?
Lone Star Chapter will have its awards banquet Saturday, July
22nd. Dallas Sierra Club’s own Conservation Co-Chairs, Chris
and Dick Guldi, will be recipients of the “Chapter
Conservation Award”. The banquet is to be held at Chez Zee
Restaurant in mid-town Austin. Make your plans to be in Austin
that weekend to see the awards presentation.
Serious Plans Are in The Works
Announcing the “Dallas Sierra Club Future Leadership” program
for 2017. The money for stipends has been allocated. The next
step is submission of applications by those who wish to learn
about becoming a leader with the Dallas Sierra Club. What is
your interest?
- Camping and the outdoors?
- The environment and conservation?
- What about working with disadvantaged youth to introduce them
to the outdoors?
- Or learning political know-how and lobbying the state
legislature.
Up to five individuals will be selected for this intense
program.
What About You?
It takes many volunteers (people just like you) to make the
Dallas Sierra Club the best group of volunteers in Texas. You
can be a part of a continuing lineage of “heroes” who make the
Dallas Sierra Club the greatest. If leadership is not you,
then as a volunteer you are welcomed. So, step up.
Did you know three of the Dallas Sierra Club members have been
recognized nationally for their work as volunteers? It would
certainly be nice to have new faces nominated for a National
Sierra Club award. Let me know what you’d like to be learning
and how to do it.
John Lingenfelder, Chair of the Dallas Sierra Club
John@DallasSierraClub.org
 Details
of the sleeper bus trip to backpack in the Pecos Wilderness
are now online in this
PDF file, as
are registration forms. The bus leaves Dallas at 9:00 pm
Thursday night, August 31 and returns by 6:00 am on Tuesday,
September 5, allowing four days to hike and three nights to
camp. We offer a choice of five hike itineraries ranging in
difficulty from moderate to strenuous. The Pecos Wilderness
Area protects a significant part of the Sangre de Cristo
Mountains in northern New Mexico. Late summer temperatures
will be significantly cooler than Dallas. The trip price is
discounted to $260 per person for registration received by
August 15. We recommend earlier registration because this
holiday weekend has historically been a popular date for
outings.
July 11 - Citizen Science and iNaturalist
What if you find something outside but don’t know what it is?
How do you find out? What if you could share that discovery
with others to excite them about nature as well? Citizen
science is one way to address each of those questions.
August 8 - Wildlife Sanctuary Night
The Creative Teacher will
have live animals (including a kangaroo) that are engaging entertainment for children
and adults alike. And we'll have a representitive from Black
Beauty Ranch. The ranch is home to retired research
chimpanzees, rescued elephants, kangaroos, monkeys, camels,
giraffes, and tigers.
September 12 - Fall/Winter Vegetable Gardening in
North Texas
The best time for gardening in North Texas is from September
until June. Come and find out why and how.
October 10 - The Wave
Photos of surreal sandstone landscape along the Utah - Arizona
Border.
November 14 - Wildflowers of North Texas
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.
Here is our calendar for the next two months. For complete listings, visit us at
www.dallassierraclub.org.
 Jun
10 (Sat) White Rock Lake Clean-up
Walk and talk while picking up trash and recyclables at the
Sierra Club's adopted section of White Rock Lake Park. Meet at
8:15 AM this second Saturday of the month at the Love of the
Lake office, northeast corner of Garland Road and Buckner
Boulevard. Look for the crowd drinking free juice and coffee.
Gloves, trash bags, etc. will be provided. Our area includes
one of the wonderful prairie restoration areas, so there are
always birds and wildflowers to enjoy. Brunch afterwards.
Leader: Carol Nash Send
Email 214-455-2115
 Jun
13 (Tue) Dallas Sierra Club General Meeting
Frugal
Gardening -
Fran Powell will share imaginative tips on how to re-use and
re-purpose items in your garden for free. - Everyone is
invited. Full details are on our home
page now.
 Jun
14 (Wed) Mid Week Day Hike at the Caddo-LBJ National
Grasslands
That's right! A mid week day hike. We will meet at the
trailhead Wednesday at 9:00 AM. Bring a lunch and at
least two liters of water. I plan to be off the trail by
2:00 PM. The park is northwest of Dallas near Decauter,
about 75 miles from Dallas. We are leaving at 7:15 and
have room for one more person. We encourage carpooling.
If you need connections, let me know. Come join our
exploration of this neat park. This will be my first
trip; so, I look forward to learning the park with you.
Please let me know if you are going. Leader: Bill Beach Send
Email 214-662-3224
Jun
17 (Sat) Trail Maintenance at Cedar Ridge Preserve
Come to the hilly terrain of Cedar Ridge Preserve to help
maintain one of the better trail networks in Dallas. The
Sierra Club is responsible for the Possum Haw Trail. We work
here on third Saturdays of almost every month, starting at
9 AM, working until approximately noon. The Preserve's
address is 7171 Mountain Creek Parkway, Dallas. For
directions and general information about Cedar Ridge Preserve,
click this
link. If you need more information or want to
carpool, call or email me. Contact: Ginger Bradley Send
Email 469-223-7902
Jun
20 (Tue) Nighthike at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve
Celebrate the Eve of Summer. Meet at 7:00PM at the
pavallion. Arbor Hills is located west of Midway Rd. on
Parker Rd. in Plano. We will walk about 4 - 5 miles.
Optional frozen yogurt afterwards. Leader: Judy Cato Send
Email 972-658-6834
 Jun
21 (Wed) No Outings Committee meeting tonight
There's no Outings Committee meeting tonight. Our next meeting
is on the usual third Wednesday of a month. That's July 19.
Contact: Mark Stein Send
Email 214-526-3733
 Jun
24 (Sat) Library Nature Expo
Start Time: 10:30 AM End Time: 1:00 PM Where: Dallas
Central Library Description:
Join us for a gathering of community organizations interested
in facets of the natural world. More
info.
Jul
5 (Wed) Dallas Sierra Club Executive Committee Meeting
The Executive Committee (or Excom) is the elected governing
body of the Dallas Sierra Club and meets upstairs at Whole
Foods Market, southeast corner of Preston Road and Forest
Lane, in Dallas at 6:30 pm. Contact the Dallas
Group Chair for
more information.
Jul
8 (Sat) White Rock Lake Clean-up
Walk and talk while picking up trash and recyclables at the
Sierra Club's adopted section of White Rock Lake Park. Meet at
8:15 AM this second Saturday of the month at the Love of the
Lake office, northeast corner of Garland Road and Buckner
Boulevard. Look for the crowd drinking free juice and coffee.
Gloves, trash bags, etc. will be provided. Our area includes
one of the wonderful prairie restoration areas, so there are
always birds and wildflowers to enjoy. Brunch afterwards.
Leader: Carol Nash Send
Email 214-455-2115
 Jul
10-14 (Mon-Fri) Lost Park Loop Colorado
Backpack
a loop route of 28 miles in five days in the
Tarryall Mountains, Lost Creek Wilderness Area, Pike National
Forest. The Lost Park Trailhead is 20 miles east of US Highway
285, near Fairplay and 3.5 hours from the Denver Airport.
Drive or carpool to and from the trailhead on the weekends
before and after the hike or make this a fly/drive. Camps will
be at elevations of 9,000' to 11,000'. This remote,
forested loop of trails is characterized by granite knobs, a
creek that disappears and resurfaces nine times and some great
creekside campsites. Due to duration and altitude, backpacking
experience is recommended. Express interest by phone or email
to receive details and registration forms. The outing
is limited to two parties of twelve, hiking in opposite
directions. There's no fee for this outing--just personal
expenses for getting to and from the trailhead. Registration
and approval are required. Organizer: Mark Stein Send
Email 214-526-3733
Jul
11 (Tue) Dallas Sierra Club General Meeting
Citizen
science and iNaturalist - Record
observations by taking a photo with a smart phone, share it
with other naturalists, and discuss the findings. You could
become a field biologist in your own backyard. Everyone is
invited. Full details are on our home
page now.
|
