Energy prices continue to rise out of control. Time for us to transition beyond fossil fuels that destroy our planet.
Join us for a presentation and community conversation about Affordability, Energy Justice and Energy Burdens. What’s next for Clean, Affordable Energy?
Take Back Our Power
Sat, May 23, 2026 - 1 - 4 PM United Church of Gainesville 1624 NW 5th Ave, Gainesville
Sierra Club’s Outings Program offers fun guided trips that get people outdoors to explore springs, rivers, forests, and coasts while building community. around a shared appreciation for nature. These outings blend recreation and education, deepening connections to Florida’s environment and support for protecting it.
We are looking for a few more Outings leaders, so that we can expand our offerings. If you’re reliable, organized, and care about people’s experience, you’ll be well qualified. You will need to commit to the well designed training and mentoring process and demonstrate you can safely lead a group. Interested? I hope so! Contact us at ssjsierra@gmail.com. You’ll be glad you did!
We are having our next Sierra Club General Meeting (RSVP here) on Saturday May 23rd at 1pm at United Church of Gainesville. Join us to hear energy expert Jason Fults talk about: “What’s Next for Clean, Affordable Energy?” and hear updates about our campaigns including the detention center in Starke, the Florence dump, and others.
David Hastings, Chair SSJ Executive Committee
Join us on Saturday, May 16th at the Melrose Center for our SSJ Social to celebrate our recent win in Bradford County! Read more about it here.
Our Energy and Climate Book Group is discussing significant books that focus not just on the problem, but on the different solutions and approaches that address the climate crisis.
The Beginning Comes After the End
by Rebecca Solnit
Sunday May 17 4 - 5:30 pm Lynx Bookstore 609 S Main St, Gainesville
In this sequel to her bestseller Hope in the Dark, Solnit surveys a world that has changed dramatically since 1960. Despite the forces seeking to turn back the clock on history, change is not a possibility; it is an inevitability.
How can we advance clean energy, cut energy burdens, and strengthen climate resilience in Alachua County?
Join neighbors, advocates, and community members for a lively, community-powered morning as we dig into the future of energy and climate action in Alachua County.
The hydrological report from the Suwannee River Water Management District states that we are at a 20” rainfall deficit. As we enter our prime growing season, more water will be used by agriculture. Read more on Fire Season Prep here...
Protecting FL Springs
Join our Water Protectors meeting to protect our Springs as Water Is Life!
This coalition shares information and planning to raise public awareness about proposals that impact our freshwater resources.
The meeting is virtual so register to receive the Zoom meeting link.
There are few wildlife experiences in Florida as unforgettable as watching a creature older than dinosaurs burst from the water—and that’s exactly what you’ll see at our Sturgeon Social.
Each summer, Gulf sturgeon—ancient, armored fish that can grow up to nine feet long—gather in the deep, dark holes of the Suwannee River. And then… they leap. Not just a splash—these powerful fish rocket skyward like living fossils in motion, rising several feet above the surface before crashing back into the river.
It’s wild. It’s unpredictable. And it’s something you don’t forget.
These “gentle giants” are a true conservation success story. Once pushed to the brink of extinction, they’ve made a remarkable comeback and are now protected under the Endangered Species Act. Seeing them today is a glimpse into both Florida’s deep natural history and what’s possible when we protect it.
We’ll gather on the afternoon of Sunday the 31st at Suwannee Belle Landing Restaurant, perched right along the river near Fanning Springs State Park—a prime location overlooking the deep channels where sturgeon are known to congregate.
While their most dramatic jumps often happen in the cooler morning and evening hours, the river itself is always alive with possibility—and the setting alone is worth the trip. Come for the chance to witness one of Florida’s most unique wildlife spectacles, stay for the community, conversation, and connection to a truly special place.
If you’ve never seen a sturgeon leap, this is your chance. And if you have—you already know why it’s worth coming back.
Activists Pack Meeting to End Bradford Detention Center Plan
Reprinted from Gainesville Iguana by Carol Mosely
Despite having only two days' notice, more than 40 speakers packed the Bradford County Commission meeting on April 16th to comment on the proposal to lease the Douglas warehouse to the sheriff's department for an immigrant detention center. That would take it out of the hands of the county commission and allow the sheriff to make his own deal with ICE/DHS and the consulting company, Sabot. The item was a last minute agenda addition.
In an astounding act of solidarity, folks came to Bradford from surrounding counties: Alachua, Clay, Gilchrist, Baker and even as far as St. Augustine and Jacksonville.
The original proposal was for a 10,000 square foot warehouse to be converted to hold up to 3,000 migrants headed for deportation. The county sheriff was pushing the idea as a means to rehab an old warehouse for future use and bring 1200 jobs. Leasing the property to the sheriff's department was never part of the original proposal.
There is another offer to lease the warehouse to an import company for three years at $50,000 per year. At the previous commission meeting, only ten days prior, the sheriff was scheduled to present his new lease idea alongside the proposal from OM Imports (OMI). The sheriff was a no show. So, the commissioners decided to “keep all options on the table.”
The property itself is fraught with obstacles. There is contamination of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the site that could become problematic if disturbed. The Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection (FDEP) recently reached an agreement with the county for unrestricted access to conduct testing. While the site might be acceptable for use storing stuff, warehousing humans may come with medical consequences. And, there is no water and sewer access that would accommodate a 3,000 bed ICE detention center.
The sheriff had attempted to put it on the agenda as an action item, but Chairperson Carolyn Spooner insisted it be a discussion item under the sheriff's report instead. Some commissioners commented about the short notice damaging public trust and the ridiculous appearance of deciding at last meeting to keep all options on the table and now being asked to consider only this option. Despite those concerns, Commissioner Dougherty tried to make a motion to accept the sheriff's proposal, but Spooner sharply responded, “I didn't call for a motion.” Then Commissioner Thompson, who consistently votes with Dougherty, burst out with, “I can't vote on this at this time.” That made it clear the sheriff would not have the votes to pass his plan. And, it would have denied consideration of the option proposed by OMI in their Letter of Intent to the county.
The sheriff said that DHS/ICE is no longer interested in moving forward unless he was granted the lease. We hope that's true and this horrific plan doesn't rear its ugly head once again. Meanwhile, the Bradford County Commission is being encouraged by local residents to explore its other options, including obtaining an environmental assessment of acceptable use.
Opposition groups are at the ready just in case.
Groups represented at the county commission meeting include: Badass Feminists of Gainesville; Baker Interfaith Friends; Bradford Co. Democratic Party; Bradford Environmental Forum; Indivisible Mandarin; Indivisible St. Johns; NCFL Blue Dots; NCFL Indivisible; Sierra Club Suwannee-St Johns Group; Putnam Co. Dems; Singing Resistance; Solidarity UF; WWALS Watershed Coalition.
Join fellow Sierra Club Florida volunteers and staff June 12th-14th for our Chapter’s Summer Quarterly Meeting at Wekiva Springs!
