SierraScape October - November 2001
Back to Table of Contents
Outstanding Sierran Awards: accepting nominations for 2001
The EMG Executive Committee (ExCom) will present Outstanding Sierran Awards for 2001. New this year, all members of the EMG will have the opportunity to nominate another EMG member.
Because our group has many people who give generously of their time, in addition to these awards, Honorable Mention Awards will be presented.
ExCom members will also each nominate one outstanding Committee Chair or Contact Leader, and each of these leaders will nominate one outstanding volunteer that they have worked with.
For more information on how to nominate someone, please contact a member of the ExCom. See page 16 for contact information.
-----------
Reunion draws an enthusiastic crowd
The 2001 Chapter Camp-out Reunion at Cuivre River State Park drew Sierrans from across the state, uniting our five local groups in body as well as spirit. About a hundred Sierrans attended.
Each person brought with him or her an enthusiasm for wild places far away and close to home. Love of nature flowed through conversations with the same depth and constance as Cuivre River which sparkled along nearby Frenchman's Bluff.
All weekend, members generously shared their experiences and dedication to conservation.
The Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) slide show released an outpouring of concerned letters opposing the Bush administration's plan to drill for oil in the delicate tundra environment (see related article, page 5).
Members of the Missouri Mycological Society led an outing to locate and learn about native wild mushrooms. On other hikes, the question 'I wonder what flower that is?' rarely went unanswered: blue bellflower, wild petunia, ironweed, wing-stem, and spiderwort were quickly identified.
Camp-out companions provided for the group's nutrient and moisture needs by preparing two full breakfasts and lunches, one dinner and various snacks. The industrial-size kitchen buzzed with cheerful helping hands that made quick work of food prep, serving, and cleanup.
Other volunteers collected wood for the Saturday evening bonfire. The bonfire inspired kids and grownups alike to share sticky s'mores and much laughter. Children's activities, folk dancing, an awards ceremony, and a silent auction also contributed to the weekend fun.
A big thanks goes out to all those who helped plan and pitch in for this event!
-----------------
Green Center hosts outdoor events
November 10, 2001 at 9:00am-3:00pm
Second Annual River Des Peres Clean-up
The Green Center sponsors the Second Annual River Clean-Up of the River Des Peres as it passes through University City. For more information please call the Green Center at 314-725-8314 or contact us via
e-mail at info@thegreencenter.org Please dress for the weather, mud and water. Wear work gloves if possible. Please dress for the weather, mud and water. Wear work gloves if possible
November 17, 2001 at 8:00am-3:00pm
Honeysuckle Clean-Up in Ruth Park Woods
The Green Center sponsors the first massive honeysuckle clean-up effort in University City's Ruth Park Woods. Volunteers are needed to help clear the invasive plant from the 26-acre oak/hickory hardwood forest.
Volunteers should meet at the McKnight trailhead, which is located on McKnight Road, just north of Olive Street Road in University City. Please dress for the weather and for cutting and dragging vegetation.
For more information, please contact the Green Center at 314-725-8314 or email info@thegreencenter.org
---------------
Home and building tour promotes wise energy use
How are you planning to spend those chilly, rainy days to come?
How about touring area buildings and homes that use efficient, sustainable technology for a cleaner environment? You'll get all sorts of home improvement ideas for the coming winter months.
The St. Louis Regional Sustainable Homes and Buildings Tour has been organized by the Heartland Renewable Energy Society. The tour date is Saturday, October 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
To participate, go to Wild Oats Community Market on Ladue Road east of I-170 on the morning of October 13. You'll need to pick up an event booklet, available for a small fee, approximately $5. The booklet will give maps and directions to the participating homes and business.
----------
Full Circle Healing Garden is new addition to Forest Park
by Alyssa Browning
It may not yet be as flashy as the Jewel Box or the Muny, but there is a brand new attraction in Forest Park.
The Full Circle Healing Garden is a project begun recently by a group of volunteers led by Gary Skolnick, a secretary at Washington University School of Medicine. Planted exclusively with prairie and savanna species native to the area, the Healing Garden is located in the southeast corner of Forest Park near Steinberg Ice Rink and across from Barnes-Jewish Hospital.
A diverse mixture of native wildflowers and grasses, the garden will be both a complex native habitat and a restorative recreational area for hospital patients, their families and the public.
Skolnick and fellow volunteers have been working at the 6,000 square foot garden site for the past several months, tilling the ground and preparing the garden site for visitors. They have also been collecting seeds from wild plants such as horsemint and bee balm.
The group is presently launching a full-scale effort to finish the garden.
New volunteers are always welcome. To get involved, contact Gary Skolnick at 314-644-6279 or
gardener@im.wustl.edu.
Key volunteer dates for this fall include: Saturday, September 29, 9a.m. Seed collecting at Heartland Prairie near Alton and Sunday, November 18th, 10a.m.