Feb. 7th Pine Hills History Caravan Tour with Kay Rippelmeyer-Tippy

February 7th (Sunday)  1:00 - 3:30 - Pine Hills Cultural History Tour with Kay Rippelmeyer-Tippy - Begins at Trail of Tears - the white barn.  Meet at Murdale Shopping Center sign by 12:15 to caravan to Trail of Tears State Park.  We will drive through Trail of Tears State Forest, Camp Hutchins CCC site, Pine Hills, Big Muddy Levee Rd., et., stopping at various places for short interpretive talks by Kay.  Both the natural and cultural history of those areas will be discussed, including the history of the Native Americans, first settlers, the CCCcamps, the Hermit of Pine Hills, etc.  kay is a local historian and author of The Civilian Conservation Corps in Southern Illinois.  RSVP to Steve Eberhart at eberpsy@icloud.com or call 618-967-8690.

December hike

Hike at Jackson Hollows on Sunday, December 6. Meet before 12:30 pm at the Ozark general store at Route 45 and Ozark Road. Or meet before 11:15 am at the Murdale shopping center sign in Carbondale to car pool to Ozark. A difficult hike of 4 miles. Bring water, a hiking staff and wear appropriate hiking shoes. Call the leader Bob Mulcahy at 618-942-6342 to hike.

November hike

Hike at Piney Woods ravine nature reserve. Saturday November 7 at 10 am. Meet at the Murphysboro forestry station on Walnut St.before 10. A moderate hike of about two miles. We will see ancient petroglyphs, canyon views and cliffs. Bring water, a hiking staff and wear appropriate hiking shoes. The leader is Steve Eberhart. Call Steve at 618-687-2998 to go on the hike.

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.