Special program - Oil Trains, Communities at Risk!

Please note SPECIAL TIME, 10 AM, September 15 (Tuesday)
SPECIAL PLACE, Carbondale Civic Center

Crude oil trains: Communities at risk!

Fiery oil train accidents across the country drive home the dangers of transporting hazardous materials via rail within yards of homes, schools and playgrounds. Gerri Songer, a member of the Sierra Club Woods and Wetlands Group and contact for Energy Transport and Infrastructure, will outline the need for better regulations and more safety measures.

Ms. Songer is an educator and serves as Education Chair for the Township District 214 Education Association. Her experiences in civic participation and environmental concern have inspired her to teach high school students how to become participants in their democracy and advocates for public health and safety through an extracurricular “Students4Democracy” at Elk Grove High School, where she teaches.

Free and open to the public! Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 10 am. Carbondale Civic Center, 200 South Illinois Avenue, Carbondale

Contact Ruth Kelley at (618) 684-2196.

September 10 program: Its Not the Heat, Its the Humidity!

September 10 program: The changing nature of extreme heat events in the United States

There will be a free public educational program about new research into changes in the humidity associated with heat waves. So much attention has been paid to temperature, which is important, but we also know that the combination of high temperatures and elevated humidity is what kills people during heat waves.

Presenter Justin Schoof is a Professor and Chair in the Department of Geography and Environmental Resources at SIU Carbondale. His work focuses on climate variability and change with a focus on regional climatology, applied climatology, and statistical applications in climate science.

Free and open to the public! Thursday, September 10 at 7 pm

216 East Monroe in Carbondale, Illinois (Green door off the alley), across from Rockhill Baptist Church. Ample free parking off Monroe Street between Washington and Marion. Contact Ruth Kelley at (618) 684-2196.

Outing October 11

Sunday, October 11, 9 am

Hike along the upper and lower trails of Larue Pine Hills (Snake Road).

Easy hike of 4-5 miles.  Flat paved road.

Meet at the Murphysboro Forestry station at 9 am.

We will see migrating snakes, other wildlife and wildflowers.

Bring water and wear hiking shoes.

The leader is Ed Max, who is a naturalist.

Contact Ed at 630-209-3005 or Hortusmax@gmail.com to sign up.

September 6 hike planned

Piney Woods Ravine Nature Reserve hike

Date: Sunday, September 6, 2015

Time: 11:00 AM

Presented by: Shawnee Group

Leader: Mr Steve Eberhart - 618-687-2998 eberpsy@frontier.com

Level: Moderate

Location: Piney Woods Ravine

A moderate hike of about 2 miles. Meet at the Murphysboro Forestry station on Walnut St. before 11 am. We will see ancient petroglyphs, canyon views, cliffs and a waterfall. Bring water and wear appropriate hiking shoes. Call the leader, Steve Eberhart at 618-687-2998 to go on the hike.

August 13 program: The Amazing World of Plants in Illinois!

August 13 program: The Amazing World of Plants in Illinois!

There will be a free public educational program about the incredible diversity of plants in Illinois. Included in the presentation will be a discussion of the variety of plant types, why Illinois is so rich in plant species, the differences between native, non-native and invasive plants, and how homeowners and citizens can held protect these amazing resources. The presentation is Thursday, August 13 at 7 pm. Presenter Christopher Evans is the the Vice President of the southern chapter of the Illinois Native Plant Society and the Invasive Species Campaign Coordinator for the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan.

Free and open to the public! Thursday, August 13 at 7 pm

216 East Monroe in Carbondale, Illinois (Green door off the alley), across from Rockhill Baptist Church. Ample free parking off Monroe Street between Washington and Marion.

Contact Ruth Kelley at (618) 684-2196.

For many years, the Shawnee Group of the Sierra Club has been welcoming the New Year with a Stone Soup picnic at shelter 2 in Giant City State Park on January 1. Now this annual tradition is at risk! We need a new team of picnic planners who will step up to carry on this unique event. We have a checklist to assist in planning and setting up. We just need a few motivated volunteers to ensure that we can celebrate January 1, 2016 in style!

Thanks to a group of awesome volunteers for our second very successful native plant sale.  A thousand indigenous wildflowers, trees, shrubs and ferns found new homes, and the sale ran very smoothly thanks to the hard work and co-operation of all the volunteers.  To the set-up crew, the cashiers, the customer assistants, and the clean-up brigade, our deepest appreciation.