Hard to believe, but the End of the Year Holidays and Giving Season are here.
For over 130 years, supporters like you have helped Sierra Club fight to protect the wild places of the earth, educate the public, and promote responsible use of the earth’s ecosystems. Today, we are witnessing unprecedented threats to our hard-won gains — but we have learned to never underestimate the power of people.
For Giving Tuesday:
Considerdonating to your local Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group.
AND/OR…
Considerdonating to the Palm Beach Inspiring Connections Outdoors Program (ICO). Check out the wonderful ICO Video on Facebook Reels or YouTube.
AND/OR...
Consider being a sponsor. For example, an anonymous donor is paying for the free drink ticket at our Holiday Party. What a great way to support our group and get the party started! Larger donations can also be used as Matching Funds to attract other donations.
Whatever option you choose, we thank you for helping to fund our education, communication, and conservation efforts and our outings for urban youth who otherwise would not have opportunities to connect with the outdoors.
Thank you, everyone, for your continued advocacy.
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Join us December 11 for Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group’s Annual Holiday Celebration and Awards Party
Where: Duffy’s Restaurant, Back Room. 11935 Southern Blvd, Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
When: Thursday, December 11, 5:30-8:00 PM.
Food: Order from Duffy’s great menu.
Socialize with like-minded local advocates, celebrate our achievements over the past year, andlearn about Sierra Club’s plans for 2026. Register and get 1 free drink ticket for attendees over 21. (Duffy’s Happy Hour makes it 2 for 1!)
Prickly Pear cactus at Sand Pine Preserve. It's a gopher tortoise delicacy.
The weather is cooling and it is time to resume our Service Outings at Galaxy Sand Pine Preserve in Boynton Beach.
We invite you and other wonderful volunteers to join us on December 6, 2025, from 9:00 - 11:30 to work on our habitat restoration project for Gopher Tortoises at the Preserve.
Activities include trash pickup, invasive plant removal, and managing weeds around the native plants in the northeast restoration area. We're delighted to show you the progress there after volunteers with the Institute for Regional Conservation installed 200 native plants in August.
Long sleeved shirts, hats, gloves and long pants are recommended. Closed-toe shoes are a must – thorns in the scrub!
Please bring water, sunscreen, and hand tools like clippers and hand trowels if you have them. A few shovels and trash grabbers will be provided.
Let’s help the new plantings flourish! Register now!
The Sierra Club at Okeeheelee Park in West Palm Beach last month (Photo by Ron Haines)
Saturday, December 6, 10 a.m. Upper Loxahatchee River. Leisurely 3-4 hour paddle in the backwaters of Riverbend Park in Jupiter. Rentals available. Two portages required. Leader: Ron Haines ronaldhaines@bellsouth.net For information and registration go here.
Sunday, December 7, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Nature’s Encore: A December Wander Through Wellington Environmental Preserve. Join us for a relaxed 2-mile walk through the beautiful Wellington Environmental Preserve on paved trail and boardwalk - an easy, beginner-friendly route. Last month’s walk (11/9) gifted us a surprising cast of characters - a ruby-throated hummingbird sipping from a Geiger tree, a metallic orchid bee, a shimmering cuckoo wasp, a Palm Warbler that practically posed for the camera, and even a rabbit making its mysterious “alert burst” (affectionately dubbed the Chupacabra rabbit ). We also heard limpkins, watched a little blue heron glide by, and spotted a pair of Sandhill cranes greeting the morning. December brings its own seasonal rhythm, and we’ll slow down to enjoy it: • The butterfly garden buzzing with life • Firebush blooms that call in hummingbirds • Spanish needles feeding every pollinator in sight • The upland “orchestra” - gnatcatchers, yellowthroats, phoebes, catbirds, and whoever else joins the chorus
Expect warmth, wonder, and a walk that’s as much about noticing as it is about moving. Bring: Bring hydration, sun protection, binoculars if you have them, and your curiosity. We will meet behind the public restrooms at the north entrance.
If November taught us anything, it’s that Wellington always has one surprise up its sleeve — come see what December offers.
Wednesday, December 17, 10 a.m. Paddle Winding Waters Natural Area. Leisurely two-hour paddle at Winding Waters Natural Area in West Palm Beach. Suitable for beginners and for paddle boarders. Leader: Ron Haines ronaldhaines@bellsouth.net For information and registration go here.
Saturday, December 20, 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. Fran Reich Preserve: Hidden Wildness Hike, western Broward County. Join us for a slow, exploratory ~3-mile hike through one of the most surprising pockets of wild Florida - Fran Reich Preserve, a sliver of green tucked between development and the vast expanse of Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in western Broward County.
This outing is less about mileage and more about discovery. We’ll move at a relaxed pace while looking for signs of the animals that call this preserve home: tracks, scat, burrows, feathers, and the subtle clues left behind by deer, otters, coyotes, birds, and more. Every visit reveals something new.
Trail Conditions (please read carefully): Fran Reich is beautiful and rugged. Expect a mix of: • Lightly graveled trail sections • &nbnbsp; Old, uneven, broken hardpan (blacktop with shell fragments) • A dirt trail with exposed roots • A deep ditch crossing with running water • Muddy stretches • Occasional standing water (up to ~5 inches depending on recent rain) • Short sections of thick weeds/brush
Waterproof hiking shoes or boots and long pants are recommended. A walking stick is helpful for the uneven terrain. We’ll explore the preserve’s mosaic of habitats and slow down to observe tracks, animal signs, and the quiet movements of wildlife. This is a place where meadowlarks sing, snipes flush from the ditch edges, owls call from snags, and hidden trails tell stories most people walk right past. (And yes… there may be a peaceful surprise or two along the way.) Leader: Michelle Dunaway spotspotcat@comcast.net. More details and reservations are here.
Sunday, January 4, 10 a.m. Paddle at Okeeheelee Park South in West Palm Beach. This is a leisurely, two-hour paddle on the water trail at Okeeheelee Park South. The park is at 7715 Forest Hill Blvd, West Palm Beach. Go south from Forest Hill, NOT NORTH. Allow yourself time to launch at 10 please. Leader: Ron Haines ronaldhaines@bellsouth.net For information and registration go here.
Thursday, January 8, 10 a.m. Paddle South Fork of St. Lucie River. Leisurely three-hour paddle on the South Fork of the St. Lucie River in Stuart. No rentals available, suitable for paddle boards. Rest stop halfway through. Leader: Ron Haines ronaldhaines@bellsouth.net For information and registration go here.
Sunday, January 25, 10 a.m. Paddle at West Lake Park, Hollywood. A four-hour paddle through the mangroves with a stop at Anne Kolb Nature Center and Observation Tower. Entrance to the West Lake Park is $1.50/person. Rentals are available.Leader: Ron Haines ronaldhaines@bellsouth.net For information and registration go here.
Saturday, January 31, 10 a.m. Paddle Fisheating Creek, Palmdale, FL. Several hours of leisurely paddling on a pristine, cypress-lined creek west of Lake Okeechobee. Rentals are available. Leader: Ron Haines ronaldhaines@bellsouth.net For information and registration go here.
JOIN US THIS MONTH IN SOUTH BAY
PUT YOURSELF IN THIS PICTURE!
There will be something for everyone from December 12-14 at the Sierra Club Florida Chapter’s Winter Meeting in South Bay, just a short drive west from Loxahatchee Group territory.
Hop onto a local bus tour, learn what Sierra Club Florida is all about, and meet Sierrans from all over the state. There will be plenty of time to relax and socialize too.
There will even be an Outing Leaders’ Training Program on December 12 for those who want to organize and lead Sierra Club outings.
For more information and registration for the weekend, go here.
To learn more about the Outing Training on Dec. 12 and to register for it go here.
Here's the schedule:
Friday, December 12 1:00 – 5:00 PM Outing Leader Training South Bay Crossroads Center 50 Levee Road, South Bay, FL 5:00 – 8:45 PM Welcome Reception Roland Martin Marina 920 E Del Monte Ave Site #70, Clewiston, FL
Saturday, December 13 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Sierra Club Florida Winter Meeting South Bay Crossroads Center 50 Levee Road, South Bay, FL 5:00 – 9:00 PM Evening Social Roland Martin Marina 920 E Del Monte Ave Site #70, Clewiston, FL
Sunday, December 14 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM Executive Committee Meeting Stop the Burn–Go Green Campaign Office 136A S Main St, Belle Glade, FL
Inspiring Connections Outdoors Youth Program Launches New Fundraising/Volunteers Video
By Meryl Davids
With all the stresses of life today, kids need to get into nature more than ever. But with families working extra hours and money tight, not everyone is able to do that. That’s where Sierra Club’s Palm Beach County Inspiring Connections Outdoors (ICO) comes in.
We work with organizations serving under-resourced communities to take their youth on nature outings, including hiking, biking, snorkeling, kayaking, swamp tromping, and even overnight tent camping. In addition to soaking in our beautiful world, the program aims to inspire kids to become the next generation of conservationists.
ICO is run entirely by volunteers who do this in their spare time. And because the kids are never charged anything for outings, the group always needs funds to cover food, fees, gear, and other expenses.
Last month ICO premiered a new short video on YouTube and Facebook to generate interest from potential volunteers and donors. The fun and lively video, created by ICO volunteer and Loxahatchee Group webmaster Valerie Sebring, showcases youth at prior ICO outings. Check out the 40-second video here
To learn about volunteering for outings, which are primarily conducted on Saturdays, email me.
No more B!llsh!t - The Dirty Truth
They promised you clean energy, but there's a dirty truth behind your utility bills.
Utility companies promise you clean energy, but deliver higher bills and more dirty power.
The Dirty Truth Report exposes their hypocrisy. Get the facts and learn how you can keep them accountable.
Sierra Club studied 50 parent companies (comprised of 75 operating companies) that own the most fossil fuel generation in the nation. Collectively, they own half of all remaining coal and gas generation in the country. Sierra Club analyzed their plans to retire coal by 2030, to not build new gas plants through 2035, and to build clean energy alternatives to replace fossil generation and serve new load by 2035.
A Very Successful Event for Sierra Club and the Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management
By Glenn Laufer, Events Chair
Glenn Laufer and Group Chair Linda Smithe at a Sierra Club table
LagoonFest 2025 took place on Saturday, November 1, in downtown West Palm Beach along Flagler Drive. The event celebrates the 20-mile-long Lake Worth Lagoon. Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group had not just one, but two tables!
This free, family-friendly festival features exhibits showcasing the wonders of this urban estuary, allowing attendees ample opportunity to find their connection to the lagoon.
Sierra Club was able to engage with hundreds of people. One of our tables featured our fight against the proposed incinerator and the other offered a wide array of general Sierra Club information, including flyers about our fund raisers and general meetings.
A big thank you to all of the volunteer table-sitters who made LagoonFest such an awesome event for us.
But wait there is more! Please let me, Glenn Laufer- glaufer7@gmail.com, know if you would like to join Sierra Club at these future events. All we ask is a couple hours of your time. No experience necessary, just your smiling face.
Here’s what’s coming up:
· February 14, 2026: Everglades Day at the Loxahatchee Refuge, 10216 Lee Rd, Boynton Beach, FL
· February 21, 2026: Riverwalk's Environment Day, February 21, 10-1 pm.
· March 7, 2026: Naturefest, JD MacArthur State Park, 10900 Jack Nicklaus Dr. North Palm, FL
· April 18, 2026: Earth Day at Okeeheelee Nature Center, 7715 Forest Hill Blvd. WPB, FL
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!
Cypress Creek South Cleanup
Sabrina Carle, far right
Cypress Creek South Natural Area in Jupiter was the site of a cleanup event on November 15, 2025. The first area the volunteers cleaned up was along Indiantown Road.
Volunteers found lots of trash in the wetlands and woods along the roadway. Once Indiantown Road was clean, the volunteers headed to Jupiter Farms Road to continue the cleanup. Volunteers also walked a portion of the trails inside the natural area to pick up discarded bottles and cans. Most of the trash removed during the cleanup consisted of bottles, cans, plastic bags (lots of), styrofoam, food packaging, cardboard and fast food wrappers.
They even found leftover debris from last year's tornadoes!
When the event was finished, the group's hard work resulted in nine large bags filled with trash. Thank you, volunteers, for working so hard to protect this Palm Beach County natural treasure.
High Ridge Scrub Natural Area Cleanup
Linda Smithe and Brian Ducharme are in the center and Sabrina Carle is third from left
On November 14, 2025, a group of volunteers and PBC Department of Environmental Resources (ERM) staff spent several hours completing two habitat restoration projects at High Ridge Scrub Natural Area.
They rehomed 150 air-plants and removed 1,260 pounds of vines. Photos have been posted to the Department’s Facebook Page. Thanks to everyone for helping ERM preserve and protect this Palm Beach County natural treasure.
If interested in joining next time, email Ann Mathews, Senior Environmental Analyst, ERM, AMathews@pbc.gov
Lantana Scrub Natural Area Cleanup
Sabrina Carle is fourth from left
On November 8, 2025, volunteers and ERM Department staff spent several hours removing love vine and trash from the Lantana Scrub Natural Area.
This natural area is located adjacent to the Lantana-Lake Worth Health Center at 1259 Southwinds Drive in the Town of Lantana.
The group first cleaned along the perimeter fence line of this 33-acre Palm Beach County natural area. The photo shows them at the fence along Andrew Redding Road.
The second part of the volunteer project was removing love vine. Love vine is a native plant that can get out of control – forming thick mats that smother scrub vegetation.
Between the love vine and the trash, the volunteers removed almost 500 pounds of debris from this natural area. Thank you, volunteers and ERM Department staff, for working so hard to keep the Lantana Scrub Natural Area clean and green!
Snook Islands Cleanup
Zara Brenner, third from left
On October 29, 2025, a group of 14 volunteers, plus Environmental Resource Management (ERM) Department staff, spent several hours removing trash from the Snook Islands Natural Area in Lake Worth Beach. The natural area is located in Lake Worth Lagoon, adjacent to Lake Worth Beach Golf Club. It is a wetland wonderland featuring lush mangrove forests, oyster beds and open sandy areas perfect for nesting shorebirds.
The volunteers concentrated their cleanup efforts along the mangrove-lined shoreline. The large aerial roots of red mangrove trees trap trash brought in by high tides. What types of trash did the volunteers remove from the natural area? Plastic bottles (lots of those), golf balls (lots of those), beer bottles, aluminum cans, plastic bags (lots of those), clothing, fishing-related debris, boating-related debris, food wrappers and wood boards from docks. At the end of the cleanup, ERM Department staff had a truck filled with 1,000 pounds of trash! Thank you for working so hard to preserve and protect this Palm Beach County natural treasure.
Letter to the Editor
Letter to the Editor, Palm Beach Post, Oct, 29, 2025 By Drew Martin, Loxahatchee Group Conservation Chair
County doesn’t need new incinerator. At the Palm Beach County Commission meeting this month where commissioners met with the Solid Waste Authority, the county significantly raised the cost of waste disposal and approved a $1.5-billion waste incinerator, even though the Sierra Club pointed out that this will increase pollution in both the air and the water. We could use the funds to extend the life of existing landfills. This is a much more efficient use of resources and will cause far less air and water pollution. We could also require the recycling of all cardboard from retailers. Yard waste and food waste is being burned when it could easily be composted. Right now many residences and businesses fail to recycle cardboard and paper products. The taxpayers deserve better. Please ask your commissioners to rescind this vote.
News from the North -- Martin and St. Lucie Counties
Rivers Coalition -- What is it?
By Stephen Mahoney
The Rivers Coalition’s mission is to stop discharges into the St. Lucie River from Lake Okeechobee, to fight for a safe, healthy and ecologically balanced St. Lucie River Estuary and Indian River Lagoon, and to protect the natural resources that are vital to the economy and quality of life of Martin County and the Treasure Coast.
The Rivers Coalition has a bi-monthly newsletter and monthly meetings that are recorded.
If you are a Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group Member living in the Treasure Coast, you might find information on the Rivers Coalition interesting. Check out their website or their Facebook page.
Executive Committee Chair Linda Smithe Receives National Recognition
Gary Landau presents the Sierra Club Atlas Award to Linda Smithe, Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group Executive Committee Chair
Linda Smithe, chair of Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group, received well-deserved recognition recently when Sierra Club announced its 2025 national award winners. Linda was among an elite group of twenty-six environmental leaders from across the country who were singled out for their long-term commitment to the environment.
Linda was one of two Sierra Club leaders who received the Atlas Award. This award recognizes individuals for their administrative contributions that are critical to the success of a chapter or group. Linda received the award for her dedicated focus to revitalize the Loxahatchee Group with effective outreach, campaign leadership, and member engagement.
Gary Landau, Loxahatchee Group political committee co-chair, presented Linda with the award at the November general meeting at Green Cay Nature Center.
We thank Linda for her unwavering leadership as she organizes the Group’s business and supports a wide array of Group activities. Additionally, her leadership and fervent advocacy of conscientious environmental practices with county commissioners individually and at commission meetings are an inspiration.
Thank you, Linda.
November General Meeting Report
By Carol Stender
A snail kite with an apple snail
All the elements seemed to come together for a great November general meeting.
Saturday, November 22, was one of those perfectly beautiful Florida days. The venue, Green Cay Nature Center & Wetlands, is a stunning example of a native Florida landscape.
A large number of members had pre-registered, eager to hear local scientist, Benji Studt, speak about restoration efforts in the Loxahatchee Slough, the northern section of the Florida Everglades. The slough reaches from Gainesville at its northern point, to the Palm Beaches at its southern tip. Benji, a team leader with Palm Beach County’s Department of Environmental Resources Management (ERM), has spent years researching and exploring the Everglades, where he has helped monitor the progress of restoration efforts over the years.
Benji’s presentation focused on the comeback story of the rare and imperiled Florida Everglades snail kite to illustrate the success of restoration efforts in the slough. The snail kite is an indicator species. In other words, their success indicates the health of its habitat. If the snail kite is doing well, we know we have a successful restoration.
Snail kites are not migratory birds, rather they are nomads of the swamp. They are NOT generalists. Generalists eat a variety of food, whatever they can get ahold of. But the snail kite has only one food source: the apple snail. Their talons and beaks have evolved to predate successfully, and solely, on the apple snail. If the apple snail population starts to disappear due to drainage projects or fluctuating water levels, the snail kite population suffers accordingly.
Over the past many years, concerned organizations have worked together to restore the Loxahatchee Slough. Water control structures were put in place. Exotics were removed and the area then back-filled. Through careful stewardship and better management of public and ranch lands, we now have a successful population of snail kites in the Loxahatchee Slough. In fact, the slough currently has the highest nesting site statewide.
The point of Benji Studt’s presentation was clear and hopeful. Scientists have learned that we can change the course of decimating and eliminating species. The result of their efforts has been the rebirth of a pristine example of what Florida once was, complete with apple snails, snail kites, short-tailed hawks and so much more!
Did you know Trump wants to drill for oil off the Florida Coast?
Offshore Oil Platform near Los Angeles, California, (Photo by iStock.com/)
The Trump administration has announced plans for new oil drilling leases off the Florida Gulf coast, disregarding years of strong opposition from environmental groups like the Sierra Club and politicians of both parties.
The federal government has not allowed drilling in federal waters offshore Florida and parts of Alabama since 1995 because of concerns about oil spills.
Trump calls climate change “the greatest con job ever” and has reversed President Joe Biden’s focus on protecting the environment and slowing climate change.
The Associated Press reports that both Florida and California are likely to oppose the plan.
Write your Federal elected officials and tell them to stop this now!
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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.
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