Header image by taken by drone by young and very creative Chris Ollice
Tampa Bay Sierra Club Ice Cream Social
Put this on your calendar now!
September 18, 2025 6:45 PM – 8:30 PM
Carrollwood Village Park 4680 W Village Drive Tampa, FL 33624
Join us to enjoy a cool treat mingle with Sierra Club Tampa Bay leadership and volunteers! You will have the opportunity to learn what our local group does, to talk with volunteers working on initiatives to protect our environment; with leaders of outings for adults and children; with activists involved in political causes; and others.
Join us to Greet and Meet people with similar interests, and others who are involved in important environmental activities. Share your expertise and talents!
Sign petition to protect manatees on the Hillsborough River in Tampa
The Sierra Club Tampa Bay Group has added its support to a change.org petition urging Tampa City Council members to work toward greater protection of manatees along the Hillsborough River.
In seeking the Sierra Club endorsement, petition organizers with Friends of the Hillsborough River said they’re pushing designation of a manatee sanctuary — to include "Idle Speed, No Wake" restrictions on boaters — for a two-mile stretch of the river from Lowry Park east to the Rowlett Park dam. The friends group said the effort has the backing of Zoo Tampa at Lowry Park.
The petition (go to change.org) is titled, “Help Protect the Heart of the Hillsborough River – Our Manatees and Our Community.” It calls on the city of Tampa to collaborate with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission to designate a Manatee Habitat Zone “that would enhance boating safety, protect our riverbanks, and provide essential safeguards for manatees.”
To sign the online petition is to advocate for “stronger community education about safe boating practices, improved signage and enforcement to protect wildlife, and a safer, more enjoyable river experience for all,” the petition says. The decision makers targeted in the petition are Democratic City Council members Alan Clendenin, Bill Carlson and Charlie Miranda. The three have not responded at the change.org petition page in the two months since the effort was launched. Nearly 450 people have signed the petition.
The stretch of the Hillsborough River running through the city of Tampa, from Temple Terrace southeast to the Platt Street Bridge, includes densely developed urban areas and a patchwork of speed limit signs for boaters. The most restrictive "Idle Speed, No Wake” zones, typically limiting boaters to 5 mph, have been established at boat ramps and in other areas.
The threatened manatees, whose numbers have dwindled to an estimated 8,350 statewide because of habitat loss and hazards such as boat strikes, compete for space with a growing level of boat traffic along the Hillsborough River. “These gentle, threatened mammals raise their young in its calm waters, graze along its banks, and find warmth in its springs year-round,” according to the petition. “For many of us who live, boat, or simply enjoy the beauty of the river, manatees are an irreplaceable part of our shared ecosystem.”
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 the parking area a ranger station just off of Morris Bridge Road
Hike at the Flatwoods Site
Enjoy nature while hiking in the Flatwoods unit 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 pace.
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 is a restroom and water fountain at Flatwoods Office where we park and meet.
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. Please complete the entire form.
Join us for a 4-mile hike across open prairies, flatwoods and some riverine hammock. We will learn about the ecology, habitats and pause for quotes to help us connect with the natural world.
Usual hiking gear/apparel e.g. plenty of water, hat, sun protection, and closed toe shoes. Long pants recommended.
Very limited parking will keep our group small. There are no facilities. Please sign the waiver on the electronic sign up. You can check with the leader about number of reservations and other questions.
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.
What An Honor!
Thank you to the National Sierra Club for having a great lobby day in Washington, D.C.!
There were about 10 who attended including Rocky Milburn from the Tampa Bay Group. We spoke about the Low Income Housing Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). It' is a $6 billion program that helps about 6 million folks. They are the lucky 16 percent. All the other folks who qualified and needed assistance get nothing. The program could use even more funding. With more extreme weather, freezing or horribly hot days, folks — especially children and the elderly — are more vulnerable and truly need a little help. It's not a luxury, it's a lifeline.
We asked our elected officials to fully fund and continue the program. The “Big Beautiful Bill" has killed it entirely and the D.C. staff working on it have been fired.
Besides seeing Washington and senators and representatives and their offices and meeting really nice people from other states, what I came away with is that it is really important to reach out to your elected officials. They are ready to invite you into their offices and they want to hear what we have to say. I wish we could have talked to even more of them.
Please call a few of them and add your voice? The senators are working on this now. Please call as many as you can, especially Florida Senators Rick Scott and Ashley Moody, and let them know this is important to you.
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.
ANNOUNCING TAMPA BAY MILITARY OUTDOORS
The Tampa Bay Group has entered into a partnership with Four Star Families based out of McDill Airforce Base to establish Tampa Bay Military Outings.
Sierra Club’s Military Outdoors (SCMO) ensures military members, veterans, and their families enjoy the beauty of nature by supporting programs and policies that remove barriers preventing them from experiencing the great outdoors
We have begun the training and are looking for additional folks who would love to help with this program.
For more information, contact Rocky Milburn 813-966-978, rockymilburn@tampabaysierraclub.org.
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