July 23, 2025
Join us outdoors this summer!
| Hi Supporter, In this issue: meet volunteer leader Kasey Grau Jackson, join our virtual Summer Book Club, learn how to manage your Sierra Club emails, get the lowdown on data centers, see upcoming events and outings, plus all our regular features — like photos from you, our readers — and much more! Happy reading, Rebecca Dien-Johns Chapter Coordinator |
Volunteer Spotlight - Kasey Grau Jackson |
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| I'm still a reporter, writer, editor, photographer and curious learner. I completed the Learning For Action Climate Change Fellowship with Terra.do in March 2024 as well as the Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training in October 2024. In addition to being a member of the Sierra Club, I served as co-chair of the Central Indiana Chapter of the Climate Reality Project and volunteered with Work on Climate. During my time as the first woman to serve as executive editor in Kiwanis International’s then-104-year history, I dedicated the entire first issue of Kiwanis magazine to the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, highlighting the climate crisis and what Kiwanis clubs around the world are doing to protect the planet. I was born and raised among the rolling hills of rural western Pennsylvania, but have now lived in Indianapolis longer than I've lived anywhere else. I have three amazing children who are true Hoosiers and lovers of the outdoors, just like their mama. I do this work for them and future generations. How did you first become active with the Sierra Club? I followed Sierra Club on social media and one day decided to join. Shortly after, I attended my first outing and have been hooked ever since. What's your favorite thing about volunteering with the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter, or a favorite memory from your time here? I enjoy being part of an organization filled with people who have similar passions and interests. It's hard work fighting for Mother Earth, and I'm proud of the work we do. What would you say to someone who’s thinking of volunteering with the Sierra Club? Join us! |
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Join our virtual Summer Book Club! |
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| This is a quick read at just over 200 pages and we are looking forward to the discussions it generates! Register here: Hoosier Chapter Summer Book Club: The Intersectional Environmentalist. Not able to join us this month? August's book will be Sea of Grass by Dave Hage & Josephine Marcotty and that Hoosier Chapter Book Club will be held on 8/26. |
Managing your Sierra Club emails |
| Did you know there's a one-stop shop for all your Sierra Club email preferences? It's called MyAccount! This is where you can unsubscribe to specific emails and subscribe to others. It's a great place to take control of exactly what you receive from both your local chapter (that's us!) and our national organization. And for your local chapter and group Executive Committee elections later this year, MyAccount houses the voter portal. So if you're a Sierra Club member, it's where democracy happens! All you need to do is go to myaccount.sierraclub.org. If you've never used MyAccount before, you can create an account at that link too. Once you're in, you may find this guide from our friends at the Tennessee Chapter helpful: How to update your Communication Settings. If you have any problems, contact member.care@sierraclub.org and they'll be happy to help! |
Data Centers are Demanding Dirty Power |
| Last month, we learned AES Indiana is intending to build a new gas plant to serve an unknown large energy user (likely a data center). If you haven’t had a chance to write to AES telling them that you oppose electric price hikes for dirty power, please sign our petition at sc.org/nodirtypower. Two data centers are proposed in AES service territory, including Google’s Franklin Township Data Center on Indy’s southside. Check out Protect Franklin Township to learn more about why neighbors are opposing the data center and to see how you can help. AES Indiana is also considering building an experimental Small Modular Nuclear Reactor. You might recall that due to recent state legislation, we could be stuck paying for up to 100% of these costs, even if the project fails. We need to push back on AES Indiana’s dirty power proposals! Help us protect the progress we’ve made toward a renewable energy future by joining our campaign. Check out our upcoming Beyond Coal mixer to get involved: Beyond Coal Campaign Mixer Let’s come together as a community to advocate for renewable energy and to push back on dirty power proposals in 2025! At the mixer, you'll have a chance to meet people from around Central Indiana and get to know staff including Beyond Coal Campaign Organizers Megan Anderson and Nicole Chandler, Campaign Organizer based in Evansville; and Colleen Curtin, Hoosier Chapter Outreach Coordinator. We will give a short overview of our goals, and spend time enjoying food and getting to know each other! Date, Time: August 11th, 2025 at 6:00pm ET Location: 708 E Michigan St, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA Register: Indiana Beyond Coal Campaign Mixer. |
Spotted! |
Sierra Club staff and volunteer leaders are passionate about getting out there and spreading the word about issues that matter to Hoosiers! |
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| Jean Barr, Susan Wilder, Robyn Skuya-Boss, Mark Hatlestad, Christopher Norrick, and Nicole Chandler at the outing in Newburgh, IN. Photo: Nicole Chandler. |
| The Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter and the Indiana Beyond Coal had a great time on our most recent outing in Newburgh, IN! "We discussed the work the Sierra Club is doing to help stop mercury pollution in the Ohio River, and witnessed both the smoke stacks at the F.B. Culley (CenterPoint) and Alcoa Aluminum smelting coal plants." - Nicole Chandler, Sierra Club Beyond Coal Organizer. Sign our petition at sc.org/centerpoint asking CenterPoint to stick to their 2027 goal of being coal-free! |
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Way Back Wednesday |
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| Welcome to this regular feature where we look back and share photos from our past. This month we travel back to July 2016, when Jodi Perras (Sierra Club) and Indra Frank (Hoosier Environmental Council) presented about the health risks related to coal and coal ash at a Heartlands Group Meeting in Mooresville, IN. Thank you to Heartlands Group Chair Jesse Kirkham for sending this photo! |
Readers' Photos |
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| Thank you so much Josh Brown, for sending in this beautiful photo of a red-tailed hawk. This photo was taken on September 18, 2023, in Fishers, IN. We love to see the wildlife in our cities! Do you have a photograph of Indiana nature — past or present, micro or macro — that you would like to share? We'd love to see it and perhaps feature it in a future newsletter. Use the button below, email rebecca.dien-johns@sierraclub.org, or just hit reply to share! |
| I have a photograph to share |
Upcoming Events |
| Sierra Club local events and outings: Wed, Jul 23, 2025; 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM (Eastern) Seeds of Democracy: Summer Training Program Orientation (Virtual) Sun, Jul 27, 2025; 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM (Eastern) Art in Nature Family Hike Bloomington, IN Tue, Jul 29, 2025; 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM (Eastern) Hoosier Chapter Summer Book Club: The Intersectional Environmentalist (Virtual) Wed, Jul 30, 2025; 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Eastern) Rail-Trail Series: Clear Creek Trail Bloomington, IN Sat, Aug 2, 2025; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Eastern) MC-IRIS/Hoosier Nat'l Forest partner weed wrangle Bloomington, IN Wed, Aug 6, 2025; 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM (Eastern) Rooted in Community: Growing our Environmental Movement Columbus, IN Sat, Aug 9, 2025; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Eastern) MC-IRIS/Hoosier Nat'l Forest partner weed wrangle Bloomington, IN Mon, Aug 11, 2025; 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM (Eastern) Indiana Beyond Coal Campaign Mixer Indianapolis, IN Mon, Aug 11, 2025; 6:30 PM - 7:45 PM (Eastern) The Fascinating World of Moths - Uplands Network August Virtual Meeting (Virtual) Tue, Aug 12, 2025; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Eastern) MC-IRIS/Hoosier Nat'l Forest partner weed wrangle Bloomington, IN Sat, Aug 16, 2025; 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Eastern) MC-IRIS/Hoosier Nat'l Forest partner weed wrangle Bloomington, IN Tue, Aug 26, 2025; 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM (Eastern) Hoosier Chapter Summer Book Club: Sea of Grass (Virtual) For the full list, go to our Upcoming Events and Outings page. Other local events and outings of interest: Thu, Aug 21, 2025; 6:00 PM (Eastern) Carmel Green Initiative - Solar 101 workshop Carmel Library, IN Jun 20, 2025 - Oct 25, 2025 Greetings from Duneland: Indiana’s National Park Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center Indianapolis, IN Sep 29-30, 2025 Faith in Place hybrid 2025 Annual Environment and Spirituality Summit with keynote address from Robin Wall Kimmerer. |
Recommended Reading |








