Welcome !
Savannah River Group members serve residents in Augusta, GA and surrounding areas. We have focused most of our conservation activities on Savannah River issues. We are part of the Sierra Club, America's oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization. Join in and help us protect the Central Savannah River Area!
Activities and Events
Our monthly programs are free and open to the public. We offer hybrid monthly meetings where you have the option to join in person or on Zoom. To join us in person we meet at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 3501 Walton Way Extension, Augusta 30909. To join us on Zoom you must RSVP in advance at the link listed for each meeting. After you RSVP, you will receive a Zoom link via email.
Upcoming Meetings, Outings, and Events:
OUTING: Paddle the Canal & Meet the Candidate - Sep 5
OUTING: Boyd Pond Park Hike - Sep 26
EVENT: Invitation to a Birthday Bash - Sep 26
OUTING: Phinizy Swamp Hike - Oct 3
EVENT: Annual Potluck Picnic - Oct 3
EVENT: Adopt–A–Stream (AAS) - Oct 3, 5, 6
OUTING: Lake Olmstead Hike - Oct 11
MTG: "The Power of Community Gardens" - Oct 20
OUTING: Tour Two USDA People's Gardens - Oct 24
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| Group Calendar | Group Newsletter | |
Click here to see what's happening near you. We encourage everyone to participate. Let us know what you want and we will plan things according to demand. | |
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| Training: | Monitoring: | |
 Sierra Club Outings Leader TrainingIf you are thinking about being an outing leader, sign up for our training class! | |  Adopt-A-Stream (AAS) MonitoringAdopt A Stream monitoring is continuing. Contact an AAS chair for more information. |
Check out our 
The Sep - Oct 2026 issue of our group newsletter, the SR Sierran, is now available! [Outing] "Paddle the Canal & Meet the Candidate" - Sep 5
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Level: 5.5 miles downstream Descr: Come splash and paddle with us and meet a Columbia County Chairman Candidate as we paddle down the Augusta Canal. We will meet at the Savannah Rapids Pavilion Kayak Rental place at 8:30. Boats will go in the water around 9 a.m. and we will paddle to Lake Olmstead where light refreshments and more time to meet and greet will be provided between 11 a.m. and noon. Notes: Savannah Rapids Kayak will provide transportation back to the Savannah Rapids Pavilion parking lot. Cost is $10 for transit. We hope you will be able to join us!
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[Outing] "Boyd Pond Park Hike" - Sep 26
| Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026 Time: 9:45 am Place: 340 Boyd Pond Park, Aiken, SC |
Descr: Take a 3-mile hike on the wild side of Boyd Pond beginning along the natural trail that follows the 30 acre pond then venture to recently established trails for bikers and hikers. This is a Loop trail with some twisted elevated trail areas.
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[Event] Invitation to a Birthday Bash - Sep 26
| Date: Saturday, September 26, 2009 Time: 09:30 am - 12:00 noon Place: Howard Gilman Park, St. Mary’s, Georgia |
Descr: Please join us this September 26, 2026, for a special community gathering in St. Mary’s, Georgia — a birthday celebration honoring Carol Ruckdeschel, her invaluable contributions to Cumberland Island National seashore and Wilderness, and a milestone birthday. The event will take place from 9:30 am to 12:00 noon at Howard Gilman Park. For more information: Contact Charlotte Fries at frieschar2@gmail.com
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[Outing] "Phinizy Swamp Hike" - Oct 3
| Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
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Level:: Easy Descr: Join us at Phinizy Swamp Nature Park for this easy loop walk through the woods, the wetland cells and back around on 2 boardwalks. We will follow the Beaver Dam Trail, Wetland Trail, and Cattail Trail as we make a loop starting and ending at the silos. Following the hike we will have our annual picnic next to the silos. To register, go to: Hope you can join us !
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[Event] "Sierra Club Annual Potluck Picnic" - Oct 3
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Level: Easy To register, go to:
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[Outing] “Lake Olmstead Hike” - Oct 11
| Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026 Time: 9:45 pm Place: 1 Milledge Road, Augusta GA |
Descr: Hike 3.5 miles out and back along the tow paths of the aqueduct and River Levee Trail enjoying the scenery and wildlife. Notes: Please bring water. Dogs are welcome but No retractable leases please. Meet at: The parking lot at 1 Milledge Road, Augusta GA. To register, go to:
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[Mtg] "The Power of Community Gardens" - Oct 20
| Topic: “The Power of Community Gardens” Date: Tuesday, October 20, 2026 Time: 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Place: In Person / Via Zoom |
Descr: Joy Brown, Community Garden Curator of the Belle Terrace Community Garden and Founder of Grow with Joy, will explore why community gardens are important, how they often begin, the needs they help meet in local communities, and what is happening in the CSRA. From food access and education to wellness, service, youth engagement, and neighborhood connection, community gardens grow much more than fruits and vegetables but provide tools for building healthier, more connected communities.
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[Outing] “Tour Two USDA People's Gardens” - Oct 24
| Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026 Time: 12:00 noon - 2:00 pm Place: Belle Terrace Community Garden and The Concrete Farm |
Descr: We will visit two unique agriculture sites in Augusta that are recognized as USDA People's Gardens and serve as examples of how community-based agriculture can educate, inspire, and strengthen neighborhoods; they are: Belle Terrace Community Garden and The Concrete Farm. This outing is a follow-up to our monthly meeting talk on Tue, Oct 20. Notes: We will carpool to consolidate vehicles. Please be prepared to contribute for gasoline. Meet at: The parking lot at 1 Milledge Road, Augusta GA. To register, go to:
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Adopt-A-Stream (AAS) monitoring
Conservation Chair Frank Carl leads stream monitoring outings for our local creeks and rivers.
Generally, the outings include testing streams' pH,
dissolved oxygen, temperature, phosphate levels, and the presence of E. Coli, as well as habitat
availability, stream flow, and macroinvertebrates.
Upcoming meetings:
Oct 3, 5, and 6 at 8:30am-12:00pm:
Savannah River Group has adopted 10 streams in Richmond and Columbia counties which are monitored every month for pollution levels as indicated by dissolved O2, pH, phosphate, temperature and macro-invertebrates. Come join us and be a part of the monitoring of your fresh water streams.
For more information: Contact Stephen Heyl to volunteer at stephen@woodhurstarchitects.com
>> More events at Calendar | Newsletter
Documentary: "Hyde Park"
Filmmaker and director Michelle Hansen is developing a documentary about Hyde Park, an African American community in Augusta, GA, where residents fall ill from industrial contaminants. Surrounded by seven industrial facilities and without funds to relocate, the citizens become ativists pursuing justice with a grit that will inspire thousands of U.S. communities facing environmental racism. Information about the film is at www.hydeparkfilm.com
Ms. Hansen has committed to completing this film and will not be taking on any other work. If you would like to donate to this cause go to https://www.sffilm.org/artist-development/find-a-project/hyde-park
>> More events at Calendar | Newsletter
SR Sierran newsletter - Receive via email
To save trees, reduce paper usage, and to align with Sierra Club's values, we will be sending our newsletter electronically to those we have an email on file.
We will continue to mail it to those we do not have an email address for.
If you would like to receive our newsletter via email, please do one of the following: ·
- Send an email to Bill Jackson at billjakson01@gmail.com and enter in the subject line "Send Paperless SRG Newsletter" OR
- Update your information at: https://myaccount.sierraclub.org
>> More events at Calendar | Newsletter
Connect With Us
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Find out how you can explore, enjoy, and protect the planet! Our 
Be a part of our community: Join our new 
The Sep - Oct 2026 issue of the Savannah River Sierran, our Group newsletter, is now available! It is published 6 times a year and contains timely and informative articles written by Savannah River Group members.