ANNUAL HOLIDAY PARTY ! Wednesday, December 10, 2025 – 6:00-8:30 pm Buffet Dinner * Cash Bar * Door Prizes
Join us for a relaxing evening of fun and friends! An excellent opportunity to bring your friends and learn about the Sierra Club. (And you’re invited to bring your favorite dessert, if you like!)
Meet our special guest. Carlton Ward, Jr. He will be receiving a Sierra Club National Award. Carlton Is a Florida resident and is known world wide for his wildlife photography. He is also known for his work on the Florida Panther and the Florida Wildlife Corridor. ********** New World Tampa 810 E. Skagway Ave., Tampa 33604 Just east of Hwy 275, 1 block south of Busch Blvd. Convenient free parking across the street from restaurant. ****************
You must register for this event so that we can get a count of how many people are coming and keep you up to date on the status of the event.
Cost: $15 per person, payable in advance. Credit card : Square Link. Use the + button to indicate the number of attendees if more than one. - or - Check payable to Tampa Bay Group : Please indicate that the check is for the Holiday party Mail to: Treasurer PO Box 20473, Tampa, FL 33622
For questions contact Janet Stanko, JanetStanko@TampaBaySierraClub.org
When you're registered you'll get a confirmation email. If there are any changes (weather), we will use the information in your registration to keep you informed.
We will visit Cowhouse Creek. We hope to be able to walk in the creek, but it depends on water levels. You probably did not know it, but Cowhouse Creek is a side channel of the Hillsborough River. It leaves the river upstream of Morris Bridge, and only returns to the river after it has gone under the ByPass Canal.
We hope to see wildlife along the Bypass Canal and stroll under oak trees. Learn about the canal, area history, enjoy nature and make friends.
Distance about 4 miles along mostly trails and the canal berm.
Wear closed toe shoes. Bring water. OPTIONAL: Hat, sunglasses, mosquito repellent, hiking poles, lunch, camera, sunscreen.
Be sure to scroll to the bottom during registration and check the 2 check boxes to acknowledge and then sign the waiver.
Signup Restrictions: Adults or older teens with custodial parent. No dogs.
Dec. 13, 2025; 6:00 PM (earlier if you need more time to decorate) to 8:00 pm
Lowry Park Boat Ramp, Hillsborough River
Registration is required.
Registration also provides a precise location, meet-up address, and an interactive map from your location, and more.
When you're registered you'll get a confirmation email. If there are any changes (weather), we will use the information in your registration to keep you informed.
Be part of a no-motor, conservation focused, boat parade! Sponsored by Friends of the Hillsborough River and the Tampa Bay Sierra Club.
Bring your human powered boat. Decorate it and light it up!
Bring: Battery operated lights to decorate your canoe, kayak, paddle board or boat; water; layers of clothing in case it is cool after sundown; a flashlight; your own vessel; a whistle; LIFE JACKETS MUST BE WORN AT ALL TIMES
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.
A Successful First Military Outing
We went to the Morris Bridge Wilderness Park. Our group was small but enthusiastic. We look forward to many more.
A Great Black Friday Hike
We look forward to many more of these as well.
We went to the Little Manatee Corridor well upstream of US 301. The corridor is a Hillsborough County ELAPP preserve. A beautiful day and great company.
The Little Manatee River Corridor Preserve is a linear preserve consisting of river corridor, associated uplands and embedded wetlands. The total acreage of protected land within this corridor exceeds 8,000 acres; however, the contiguous protected landscape within the upper watershed is approximately 6,500 acres. Vegetation communities represented here include bottom-land swamp, forested wetlands, pine flatwoods, oak hammock and marsh. There are also several abandoned farm fields and citrus groves that are undergoing habitat restoration.
Take Action to Protect Water Quality in Our Streams!
The EPA has proposed greatly reducing protections on water quality.
I don't know if you remember the days when rivers caught on fire, when mine waste was dumped into streams without treatment, when sewerage was barely treated, if at all, when Tampa Bay was too polluted to support scallops and when you would not have wanted to eat fish caught in the Bay. And more! The passage of the Clean Water Act was extremely important to cleaning up our waters.
Now the federal government is threatening to return us to those days.
This alert comes from Beth Roach, National Water Conservation Campaign Manager for the Sierra Club. We are reprinting it here, and asking you to take action. The more people who express their concerns, the more likely it is that this bad proposal will fail. Speak out.
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The proposed rule cuts protections for 80% of wetlands and 5 million miles of streams. Major rivers and lakes cannot be effectively protected from pollution if the small streams that flow into them are unprotected. This rule ignores science and puts our drinking water at risk for millions of people.
Americans overwhelmingly say that protecting the water in our nation’s lakes, streams, and rivers is important. Wetlands protect our communities during floods, improve our water quality, provide safe drinking water, and provide wildlife habitat. Send in a comment to tell the EPA that we need strong water protections!
There is a huge disconnect between the administration and the vast majority of people across the country who value clean, safe water and have no interest in more pollution in their water. A 45-day comment period opened today that will close January 5, 2026. Please help us demonstrate that we DEMAND clean water protection!
Join our Sierra Club Water Conservation Campaign Monthly Calls - Sign Up Form Here - the next call is December 10, 4 pm, eastern.
Publics Plastic Bags Campaign
Our campaign to ask Publix to stop using plastic checkout bags continues. We have over 11,000 digital petitions but need more toward our goal of 20-50,000.
his campaign is 4 years old, but is still relevant because we need to focus on reducing single use plastics at the beginning of the process instead of litter cleanups.
It is a simple thing for Publix to stop giving out plastic bags or to charge for them, and for customers to bring their own bags. This avoids the use of fossil fuels for manufacturing the plastic and would save up to 1,000,000 bags per year, many of which end up littering our neighborhoods and natural areas.
Emilie Joyce emiliejoyce17@gmail.com (813) 789-1690 Dennis Joyce dmpjoyce813@gmail.com (813) 758-1546
Stadium Recycling
Help promote and encourage recycling at Raymond James Stadium events. You will be working the event but will have the opportunity to enjoy the excitement and see the event at no charge. You must be 18 or older, no extra guests, and subject to approval of the event organizers. All times tentative.
Congratulations to Tampa Bay's Newest outings Leader
Neatia D'Addio joined the Sierra Club in 2025. Her favorite outdoor activity is hiking, especially when she can take her time and look at birds or fungi (though don't expect her to know what they're called!). She wants to lead outings to get to know Florida's natural landscapes, and to meet other people who love Florida and the outdoors.
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