As we enter the heart of summer, I want to take a moment to thank you for staying engaged, informed, and involved. This month, we have a lot of issues to get involved with! Pick one or two and watch for ways to get involved.
· Alligator Alcatraz: Construction of temporary structures in the remote heart of the Everglades is causing significant negative impacts, including wetland destruction; water, light, and noise pollution; and vehicle-wildlife collisions. Decades of Everglades restoration work is at risk, undermining the multi-billion-dollar taxpayer investment in restoration that has been a priority for the DeSantis Administration and all of Florida. Contact your representatives and express your concerns. Sign the petition to shut it down.
· Florida Black Bear Hunt 2025: In 2015, the Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) approved a disastrous black bear hunt. In two days, over 300 bears were killed. According to FWC’s own data, Florida’s black bear population has still not fully recovered. Sierra Club Florida opposed the hunt then, and we’re fighting even harder now. Contact the Governor, remind him what happened when he tried to put golf courses in State Parks: Call (850) 488-7146, Email, or via the website.
· Southland Rock Mine: This proposed mine will be situated directly adjacent to the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Areas (STA). The potential for mining operations to alter the area’s hydrology is a significant concern. Mining could disrupt water flow, increase pollutants, and undermine decades of restoration work aimed at improving water quality and rehydrating the Everglades.
· Milani Park: We are still engaging the Palm Beach County Commissioners and the public on this issue after almost 40 years! Palm Beach County needs more public beach access, especially in the south portion of the county. Join the members who have written letters and spoken with their commissioners. We can’t afford to lose this opportunity.
· Innovate Don’t Incinerate: Many of our most pressing environmental problems are caused by the waste and inefficiency inherent in how we produce, distribute, and consume products. Eliminating or reducing this waste would yield huge dividends for our future and the environment. Learn more here.
JOIN US AND MAKE YOUR OWN UNIQUE FUNCTIONAL ARTWORK! Fun Fundraiser at Potters Cove Lake Worth Saturday August 23, 3-5 pm
This is a fun workshop to help support Sierra Club’s mission. You can create your own unique functional art in the form of a plate, bowl, or coffee cup. There will be options if you want to go bigger or make a set.
Join us for light refreshments and conversation with like-minded environmentalists. Please dress comfortably.
Your one-of-a-kind art piece will be ready for pick-up from one to two weeks after the event.
Where: Potters Cove Decorative Arts Studio, 5500 S. State Rd 7, Suite 102, Lake Worth, FL 33449
Cost: $35.00. Pay when you register. Includes light refreshments and materials for the class: a plate, bowl, or coffee cup, and glazing supplies.
Venue:Potters Cove is a clay, glass fusion, and enameling working arts studio. A cultural asset offering an arts resource for any creative spirit who wishes to make real art. Their goal is to have a fun and healthy art studio with professional grade equipment and experienced art teachers. You will find that Potters Cove is a friendly place where creative dreams are fulfilled: Real Art, Real Craft, Real Fun!
Presented by: The Sierra Club Fun-Fundraising Team
Well, it’s election time (no, not the midterms; that’s next year). Your Loxahatchee Group conducts an election every fall to fill expiring terms on its nine-member Executive Committee (ExCom).
We need environmental advocates like you to serve on this committee to help us make decisions concerning environmental matters in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties and the rest of the state.
We have ExCom meetings once a month on Zoom. Now more than ever as you know, for too many the environment is not the priority it should be.
Do you need to know more so you can decide if volunteering to be an ExCom member is for you? One of our Nominating Committee Members will be happy to answer any questions. Contact one of us.
We have a lot of fun making good trouble! This is your chance to join us.
Volunteer Opportunity on August 16
Come along to a great event and donate a few hours helping us at our information table. It’s the Garden Fair Event on Saturday, August 16, from 11:00am to 3:00pm, at the Acreage Branch Library: 15801 Orange Blvd, Loxahatchee, FL.
This half-day event will be packed with exciting activities, informative gardening talks, yummy fruit tastings, and a variety of donated seeds, cuttings, and plants for everyone to take home.
We would love to have you join us and be a part of such an exciting event! No experience needed. You’ll work with other volunteers at our information table, handing out Sierra Club literature and answering easy questions. All you need is your smiling face!
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is moving to bring back the wildly unpopular black bear hunt—without any scientific justification and despite overwhelming public opposition and outrage. The proposed hunt is not about wildlife management. It has more to do with providing hunters a thrill. Sierra Club Florida Chapter is committed to Stop Florida’s Bear Hunt!
The chapter opposes the proposed hunt because it is an ill-conceived, sloppy plan with heinous consequences. The plan allows hunters to use some of the most unethical means to hunt the bears, including Hounding and Bows Over Bait.
Hounding includes the use of packs of dogs to chase down the bears until they are cornered. Often this method results in injury or death to BOTH bears and dogs. Cruelly, nursing mothers can be separated from their cubs and young bears too small to escape can be mauled. This kind of violent and chaotic hunting violates any reasonable standard of ethical treatment.
The Bows Over Bait method is when the hunter puts out piles of sweets to lure the bears to a specific spot. Then the hunter ambushes the bear at close range and shoots it with a bow. Sadly, arrows rarely kill instantly, leading to prolonged suffering and death from hemorrhage or infection.
To show how poorly thought out this plan is, FWC will rely on the hunters to self-report their kills, an “honor system”. In other words, there will be no way to verify the numbers of bears killed, how many mother bears with cubs are killed, or if the hunter violated any rules. A hunt that relies on an “honor system” to report kills, invites abuse, undermines scientific monitoring and erodes public trust. Real wildlife management demands accountability, structure, and transparency.
Another opportunity to show your support and join the outcry against the Bear Hunt is at the FWC Commission meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 12 and Wednesday, Aug. 13 in Havana, FL (just outside Tallahassee). Unfortunately, that is a distant location for members of the Loxahatchee Group, but if you can possibly join in on this protest, do so. Perhaps you can carpool with friends or take a Red Coach bus to Tallahassee. We need to pack the room to send a loud, clear message: STOP THE BEAR HUNT.
Together, we can stop this cruel, unjustified hunt and protect Florida’s iconic black bears!
Sierra Club Florida Denounces "Alligator Alcatraz" Detention Center
By Javier Estevez, Political and Legislative Director, Sierra Club Florida
Sierra Club Florida unequivocally opposes the DeSantis Administration’s proposed immigrant detention facility — dubbed ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ — in the heart of Florida’s Everglades.
This proposal is not only deeply inhumane, it is profoundly irresponsible from an environmental, ethical, and fiscal standpoint. The Everglades is a unique and fragile ecosystem — a UNESCO World Heritage Site, home to countless endangered species, and a vital source of drinking water for more than nine million Floridians. To pave over a portion of this irreplaceable landscape for a high-security prison is nothing short of ecological vandalism.
For decades, bipartisan efforts and billions of taxpayer dollars have been invested to restore the Everglades. Sacrificing that progress for a politically motivated detention center threatens wildlife, water quality, habitat, and Florida’s economic future.
The concept of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ weaponizes Florida’s natural heritage to dehumanize immigrants. Choosing a name that evokes cruelty and confinement in a swamp is a chilling symbol of the administration’s priorities, and a stark departure from the values of compassion, inclusion, and justice that most Floridians hold dear.
Immigration policy should not be dictated by spectacle or fear mongering. Detaining human beings — many of whom are fleeing violence, poverty, and oppression — in the Everglades is both logistically impractical and morally indefensible.
Sierra Club Florida, together with its members, supporters, and environmental justice allies across the state, stands united against this dangerous and dystopian proposal at every level. We call on Governor DeSantis to abandon it immediately.
Florida’s future depends on safeguarding our environment and upholding our shared humanity. We are watching — and we are not alone. Please help us derail this by emailing Gov. DeSantis. If you have a little more time, call your U.S. Senator and Representatives.
Protect the Everglades from the Southland Rock Mine
By Kiele Mader, Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group Student Leader
The controversial Southland Rock Mine Project that was approved by the Palm Beach County Commissioners in May is now being evaluated by the South Florida Water Management District.
This mining project poses a real threat to the Everglades and the Loxahatchee Group is focused on stopping this catastrophe before it begins.
The mine’s proximity to the EAA Reservoir and Stormwater Treatment Areas remains a serious concern. These two core restoration projects are essential to reducing harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee and restoring the natural flow of water to the Everglades. Mining activity so close to these sites threatens to undermine decades of environmental work and taxpayer investment.
With your voice, we can still protect the Everglades from a decision that risks derailing decades of restoration progress. What you can do:
Spread the word to neighbors, friends, and local officials
Get Outdoors with the Sierra Club
Saturday, August 2, 8:00 AM – Reviving Urban Nature- Galaxy Preserve Volunteer Day. We will be removing exotic plants from this urban park. Leader Linda Smithe, destinationloop@gmail.com, 561- 676-0277. Reservations.
Saturday, August 2, 9:30 AM – Paddling the Middle River-Wilton Manors Loop. Paddle a 7-mile loop through an urban environment with some wildlife viewing. Kayak rentals available. Leader Max Goldstein, maxgold@yahoo.com, 954-296-3411. Reservations. Friday, August 8, 9:00 AM - James A Rutherford Park Walk and Optional Nature Journal Practice. This will be an easy and leisurely 1.5-mile walk exploring estuarine and mangrove swamp habitats in the City of Boca Raton’s James A. Rutherford Park, 600 NE 24th Street, Boca Raton, FL 33431, a newly renovated, peaceful, urban park along the Intracoastal waterway. We will walk paved trails and a boardwalk. The outing will include an optional nature journaling practice at the end. Leader Michelle Dunaway, spotspotcat@comcast.net , 561-866-5213. Reservations. Sunday, August 22, 8:00 AM - Yamato Scrub Natural Area Hike. This will be a leisurely 2-mile hike exploring scrub, flatwoods, and basin marsh habitats in the northern portion of Palm Beach County’s Yamato Scrub Natural Area, 701 Clint Moore Road, Boca Raton, FL 33487. We will walk a paved trail and an uneven sandy trail with exposed roots. Group size is limited due to parking availability. Note: there are no restrooms or drinking water available on site. Leader Michelle Dunaway, spotspotcat@comcast.net, 561-866-5213. Reservations.
These Happy Faces are Made Possible by Your Donations Please Support Our Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) Program
The smiles on the faces of these youngsters from the Guatemala-Mayan Center are evidence of how much they enjoyed their outing last month with our Palm Beach County ICO program. They explored plants and animals living inside the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center (especially turtles and snakes) and in the surrounding natural environment. They especially adored using our binoculars to spot far-away birds and get a close-up view of the many golden silk orb-weaver spiders overhead.
For every outing with these and other youth, ICO pays for all food, gear, and fees. If you'd like to support our efforts, please make a tax-deductible contribution on the ICO website. We appreciate your support!
Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group Members and Supporters were at it again last month.
Please contact Linda Smithe if you, or a Sierra Club member you know, does something to further our Mission: To explore and enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth. To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources. To educate and enlist humanity to protect and to restore the quality of the natural and human environment. And to use all lawful means to carry out those objectives.
We want to highlight your efforts!
Letters Written
1. Letter to the Editor, Palm Beach Post, by Kiele Mader:
Highland Beach needs an oceanfront park
I write to express strong support for building Milani Park for public use. After years of delays and controversy, Palm Beach County has a rare opportunity to transform this beachfront property into a beautiful park that the whole community can enjoy. Milani Park’s primary value lies in its public beach access. Highland Beach has no existing public access to the ocean. This park would fill that void for residents and visitors.
In Highland Beach, miles of beachfront are mostly privatized or only accessible to wealthy homeowners. Building Milani Park would allow everyone to enjoy the beach. This is about fairness, equal access and ensuring public funds serve the whole community, not just private interests and wealthy residents. Rejecting the park now could result in townhouses or private condos being built on the land, as the Milani family has faced pressure to change their mind about the property. This would undermine the original intent of the property’s purchase. Milani Park can and should become built for public access, as it was always meant to be. I urge the Palm Beach County Commission to move forward, honor the decades-old agreement, and finally open Milani Park to the public.
2. Letter to Palm Beach County Commissioners by Carol Stender:
I understand that the Palm Beach County Commissioners are considering halting the much-needed Milani Park project in Highland Beach, a project in which it has already invested $6.5 million.
This is extremely disappointing. I attended Commissioner Woodward’s meeting when the landscape architects presented their plans for the park. It is an excellent plan. It provides an interesting, ecologically-sound green space for south county residents to enjoy with a walk, a sit, or time on the beach affordably.
As a resident of Boynton Beach, I am dismayed by the dearth of neighboring green spaces that I can get out and enjoy. Green spaces are key to mental and physical health.
For the few wealthy residents of Highland Beach to rob the rest of the county residents of this small pleasure just because they don’t want anyone or anything near their private beach is simply disgusting.
Please do not allow the pushy, big mouths of Highland Beach to steal our simple pleasure.
3. &nbnbsp; Sondra Levin was notified that her letter to the editor was to be published in the Sun Sentinel. To date we have not seen it. If you did, please forward to Sondra. sonnylev@yahoo.com.
Alligator Alcatraz
We appreciate the effort members of the Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group have made to attend protests at the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport. Sabrina Carle, shown above, took the initiative to go there. We hope the elected officials hear her voice. If you have made similar efforts let us know.
Incinerator
Linda Smithe, above on right, spoke and passed out stickers and buttons on July 16. The Miami-Dade County Commissioners listened to over an hour and a half of citizen comments against the construction of their incinerator. No one spoke in favor! They still voted to consider two sites. The fight is not over.
Volunteer Clean Up Event
Volunteers removed an estimated 300 pounds of trash during the July 12 cleanup event at Winding Waters Natural Area. Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group member Zara Brenner is third from left, above.
Thursday, August 7, 2025, from 6:30pm-8:15pm. At Veterans Park, 7600 NW 50th St, Lauderhill, FL. TheBroward Group and the Rotary Club of Hollywood, FL presentService Above Self through Rotary, a discussion about the Rotary Club: its history, projects, and collaborative efforts to address global issues, including environmental stewardship.Must register.
Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, 2:30 – 5:30 PM. At the North Regional Broward College Library, 1100 Coconut Creek Blvd., Coconut Creek, FL 33066. The Broward Group, in collaboration with the League of Women Voters, Climate Reality Project, and Broward Public Libraries present the screening of “Phosfate” with a panel discussion. Documentary Filmmaker Erik E. Crown joins local water activists to investigate accelerated cancer rates and other illnesses in central Florida communities, tracing the source to phosphate mining. View trailer.Must register.
Thursday, September 4, 2025 at 6:30PM. Virtual via Zoom or in person at Veterans Park, 7600 NW 50th St, Lauderhill, FL. Featuring Oceana’s Priority Campaigns to Protect Our Oceans. Oceana is an international non-profit, non-partisan organization working to restore abundance and improve biodiversity in our oceans through policy change. This presentation covers Oceana’s priority campaigns to protect our oceans, including plastic pollution, offshore drilling, and North Atlantic Right Whales. Learn about how you can help in these efforts. Must register.
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About Turtle Tracks
Turtle Tracks is the monthly newsletter of the Sierra Club Florida Loxahatchee Group. It contains environmental news and activities of interest to Sierra Club members and supporters in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties. Contributions from readers are welcomed. Please review our submission guidelines.
