Header photo: Bob Rice taken at Circle B Bar Reserve
Conservation Volunteers Wanted
The Conservation Committee works to preserve and protect Hillsborough County‘s natural areas and resources such as water, air and wildlife. Conservation issues that the Tampa Bay Group works on include land conservation, land use, affordable clean energy, affordable clean water, water quality, wildlife habitat protection, tree protection, plastic reduction, climate resiliency, safe multimode transportation, and more. The Conservation Committee provides support, information and guidance to volunteers who are working on such issues.
We need members who are interested in conservation issues to attend monthly Conservation Committee meetings and to help on existing initiatives and/or to initiate programs based on their interest, knowledge, skill set and time availability.
Tasks:
Attend monthly 1½ hour Conservation Committee meetings—online or in person—on 2nd Monday of each month at 6:30pm.
Brainstorm with members of the Conservation Committee
Report to the Conservation Committee on relevant projects
Work with multi-organizational teams - Tampa Bay Water, City of Tampa, Friends of the River, etc.
Address issues as they arise (Ex. land use and tree protection issues)
Provide information and outreach support to point people for conservation issues.
Skills Needed:
General outreach—telephone, text, email, computer, online meetings, etc.
Collaboration and teambuilding skills.
May Day Momentum: Defending Florida's Future
Monday, June 23 (online)
Florida is feeling the impacts of climate change now—flooding, storm surge, disappearing coastlines, polluted air and water, and out-of-control development. But our voices and actions can shape a more resilient, sustainable future.
Join the Sierra Club and Families for Strong Public Schools for a solutions-focused session on how to activate around the environmental issues raised at the May Day of Action.
💡 We’ll cover:
🌊 Flooding & climate resilience 🏘️ Smart, sustainable development 🛡️ Housing, insurance, and disaster recovery 🚍 Transportation as a climate solution 🛑 Plastic reduction & personal responsibility
✊ Let’s organize around policies that protect people, wildlife, and the planet.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is considering a potential black bear hunt in Florida for the first time in nearly a decade, with a possible hunt date in December 2025.
The proposal includes
A 3-week season and a harvest quota of 187 bears. The hunt in 2015 overshot its target and had to be halted in 2 days.
The proposal is to allow the killing of 187 bears.
The hunt would allow hunting in 31 counties divided into 4 bear management areas.
Permits would be issued at random, with one bear allowed per permit.
Hunters would be allowed to use a variety of weapons, including archery equipment, muzzle loading guns, shotguns, and rifles.
Bears could be attracted with baits and tracked with dogs.
Why Sierra Club Florida opposes the bear hunt:
No scientific basis. Peer-reviewed research does NOT support claims that bear populations have exceeded their habitat’s capacity. In fact, FWC’s own data suggests some bear management areas remain under capacity.
Human-bear conflicts are preventable. These conflicts are primarily driven by human encroachment into bear habitats—not by an overpopulation of bears. Education, better waste management, and habitat protection are the real solutions.
Trophy hunting is not the answer. Killing bears for sport disrupts their social and reproductive structures and undermines public respect for wildlife.
Instead of hunting, FWC should focus on non-lethal conservation strategies, including habitat restoration, wildlife corridors, public education, and bear-proofing measures.
Beth is the Director of Science for the Save the Manatee Club. This club was founded in 1981 by Jimmy Buffett and Governor Bob Graham. Beth will be discussing the biology of manatees, the threats they face, and research efforts to aid in conservation. She will be presenting a Power Point.
Shari is the President of The Florida Bat Conservancy. She has a colorful slide presentation that will dispel common myths about bats, reveal bat facts and explores the species that live and hunt in central Florida neighborhoods. Discussion includes simple practices anyone can adopt to help bats thrive. LIVE BATS will be exhibited during the presentation!
Please Register -- it helps us know how much food to buy.
Full details including location (and map) are on the Registration page.
Meet at trailhead/canoe launch parking inside main park, NOT North of the river. Restrooms are nearby.
Hike at Little Manatee River State Park
Join us for a 4-mile hike exploring open prairies, scrub and flatwoods. We will learn about the habitats and pause for quotes to help us connect with the natural world.
Usual hiking gear/apparel e.g. water, hat, sun protection, mosquito protection, closed toe shoes, long pants recommended. Optional hiking sticks, sunglasses.
Difficulty: Moderate(About four miles)
Cost: State Park entrance fee
Signup Instructions: Register on website and sign waiver Details on the Registration Page.
Meet at the parking area a ranger station just off of Morris Bridge Road
Hike at the Flatwoods Site
Enjoy nature while hiking in the Flatwoods Site of the Hillsborough County Wilderness Conservation Park. This is true hike during which we will be enjoying sounds, plants and wildlife.
Expect to see and hear birds, and possibly see rabbits, deer, squirrels, and butterflies.
It's rated as strenuous due to expected hot temperatures, and our intended moderate space.
The terrain is mostly flat, and we will be walking dirt trails. Almost all of the trails are under tree canopies, and there are occasional vines, roots and rocks. There will be occasional short road walks.
There a restroom and water fountain at Flatwoods Office where we park and meet.
Please be sure to scroll to the bottom of the registration form. We want your inputs.
Cost: Free, but there is a parking fee of $2
Bring: Closed toed shoes, 2 liters of water (freeze at least 1 bottle), snacks. You may want hiking poles, sunglasses, hat, mosquito repellent, binoculars, rain gear, camera and any essential personal items. If during breaks you want to sit, bring something to sit on like a seating pad.
Signup Restrictions: Adults
Cancellation Policy: Heavy rain cancels
Signup Instructions: Register on website and sign waiver Details on the Registration Page.
Registration is required for all outings. Unless otherwise noted, outings are free though there may be site entry fees. Liability waivers are required, and anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian. No pets.
We provide support for youth programs including ICO and Green Schools.
Sierra Club Leader Ben Jealous Gets Outdoors with Tampa Bay Kids
By Dennis Joyce
Two dozen fifth graders from the ICO program set out on a Saturday morning at Circle B Bar Reserve with high expectations about what they’d see — flying birds, swimming birds, and most exciting of all, alligators — along a wetlands trail rich with wildlife.
Joining them was Ben Jealous, Executive Director of the Sierra Club, and his 11-year-old son Jack, who was about the age of the other children on the hike. When he was named to the post in 2023, Jealous became the first black leader in the Sierra Club’s 133-year history. He brought to the job his own legacy as an advocate for social justice, formed through his years as a campus activist, Rhodes scholar, community organizer, investigative journalist, Ivy League professor, New York Times best-selling author, investment fund manager, gubernatorial candidate, and president and CEO of the NAACP, one of the oldest, largest and most successful civil rights organizations in the nation.
Click the link below to read and enjoy the entire article. (It will open in your browser).
The State Parks Preservation Act passed in the Florida Legislature the governor has been signed into law!
This legislation closes the gaps in Florida’s law that allowed for development proposals which would have irreparably harmed our state parks that was proposed in August 2024.
We would like to thank the legislature and Governor DeSantis for signing this important bill.
This is an incredibly important win for our parks!
Conservation Committee Meetings
For more information or to volunteer, please contact Nancy Stevens.
Meetings are held on the second Monday of the month at 6:30 pm via Google Meet. Contact Nancy to get the link.
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