February 2026 update from Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter
February 25, 2026
Get your native plants here!
YOUR URGENT ACTION NEEDED: If passed through the Indiana State Senate, SB 277 will eliminate the duty of IDEM to intervene to protect Hoosiers experiencing environmental harm. With the bill heading to a concurrence vote in the Senate soon please take action here to keep up the pressure opposing SB 277. Protect clean air, clean water, and lands by calling 855-980-2275 and ask your State Senator to vote no on SB277!
Hi Supporter,
Welcome to our February newsletter.
If you're feeling the weight of everything right now, you're not alone. We hope you're able to get outdoors, and find solace and solidarity in nature.
Here are two actions you can take today:
Stand with Minnesota: this directory of places to donate to all comes from activists on the ground, as federal agents continue to disrupt Minnesota.
Tell Congress: We Demand Accountability. Our grassroots activism depends on being able to exercise our freedoms and rights, including freedom of speech and assembly without fear of retribution–otherwise we cannot fight to protect public lands, clean air and water, and ensure a livable future for us all. In this newsletter:
🚣 Hear from our volunteers on Water Stewardship Day and Conservation Day at the Statehouse 🌼 Get your native plants here! The Winding Waters Group plant sale is back for another year 🛣️ Why Sierra Club is defending Roadless territories 📚 Join our Book Club in 2026 🗓️ Sierra Club events and outings near you
Plus all our regular features, and much more!
Rebecca Dien-Johns Chapter Digital Strategist
P.S. Is there something you'd like to see in these newsletters? Let me know! I always love hearing from our readers.
Protecting Our Waters and Honoring Public Lands Leaders
Sierra Club members and volunteer leaders have been busy at the Statehouse this legislative session, showing up to speak about the importance of protecting our waters and natural areas.
Although the snow was piled high outside the Indiana Statehouse, Conservation Day on February 3, 2026, hosted by Indiana Conservation Alliance (INCA) was visited by many supporting members and guests, including the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter. One of the themes of the day was recognizing senators and representatives who have been working to protect our public lands.
Water Stewardship Day was Monday, February 9, 2026 at the Indiana Statehouse. In addition to Sierra Clubbers, there were business leaders, other environmental nonprofits, policymakers, and community members who enjoyed the day!
Special thanks to our volunteer leaders Jennifer Ehara and Nicole Snider for these reports, and to everyone who joined us at the Statehouse!
Conservation Day. Lora, Marilyn, and Julie of the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter, along with Representative Matt Pierce of Bloomington, listen to Senator Shelli Yoder of Bloomington speak to the crowd after receiving an appreciation award for her hard work to protect the Hoosier National Forest from logging. Photo: Jennifer Ehara.
Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter members, volunteer leaders, and staff at Water Stewardship Day 2026. Photo provided with thanks to Nicole Snider.
The order deadline is April 15. Plants will arrive in Columbus with pickup at the Bartholomew County Fairgrounds on Friday, May 8, Friday, May 8 from 2 to 5 p.m. We will also be at the Columbus Farmers Market on May 9 & 16.
Happy planting!
Eric Riddle Winding Waters Group Executive Committee
Defending Roadless Territories - Halting the Erosion of our Public Lands
As this administration continues to roll back environmental protections and tries to sell off our public lands, forest defenders find their hands are full right now. Between comments to save the Boundary Waters from reintroducing copper mining, to burning the Shawnee National Forest, to rolling back the Roadless Rule, the powers that be want to bring more extraction tactics to our public land. At a time when our public land is being threatened more than ever, standing together to get the word out is so very important.
In September of 2025, the United States Forest Service (USFS) opened a comment period where over 625,000 comments were received with the majority of comments being opposed to repealing the Roadless Rule. With so many comments received, the USFS has taken the process under review. For a short period of time, citizens have a chance to make their voices heard again.
It's the 2nd year of our Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter Book Club! This year we have some fantastic reading selections, as well as opportunities for members to submit suggestions for future books. Have a book you want to see us read this year? Email your recommendation to colleen.curtin@sierraclub.org.
On March 31, join us to check out Intertwined: Women, Nature, and Climate Justice by Rebecca Kormos with us. Register at sc.org/hcevents
Women are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis but remain underrepresented in climate-related decision-making spaces. In Intertwined writer, wildlife biologist, filmmaker, and practicing conservation scientist Rebecca Kormos challenges this injustice by highlighting the powerful voices of women combatting climate change in their communities.
Colleen Curtin Outreach Coordinator
Spotted!
Sierra Club staff and volunteer leaders are passionate about getting out there and spreading the word about issues that matter to Hoosiers!
The Hoosier Chapter, Winding Waters Group, and Uplands Network tabled at the IU Sustainability Conference in Bloomington on February 6.
Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter volunteers had a strong and inspiring presence at the IU Sustainability Conference. Our grassroots volunteers actively participated in breakout sessions, engaged with student research posters, tabled to share our work, and built meaningful connections with fellow attendees.
We gathered at Indy Type Shop for our Words for Water Type-In on February 8.
Using beautiful vintage typewriters, we hand-typed letters to our reps about the importance of protecting our Indiana waters. Attendees shared their stories and concerns for our rivers, lakes, and drinking water. It was an inspiring day and we're grateful to Indy Type Shop for having us back for a second time!
This month we're going back to the 1990s, with this Heartlands Group pamphlet!
It was a pleasure discovering this in the Hoosier Chapter archives recently. This pamphlet brings into focus the history our volunteer leaders have in our communities. It mentions that the Heartlands Group, which serves Indianapolis and the surrounding counties, formed in 1978 — just three years after the formation of the Chapter. It talks about the group focus on conservation, outings, and educational experiences. We're so grateful for the work of all those volunteers, past and present!
Are you in this photo? Do you have memories you'd like to share? Let us know!
Our photo this month comes from reader Neal Dake, taken in August 2025 in the Fort Wayne area.
"This is goldenrod soldier beetles congregating on this sunflower. They are getting nourishment from the sunflower from the nectar and they are finding a mate. They are also beneficial to eating aphids.
Looking closer at something like this flower will make you discover things you haven't known before. It is important to understand balance in nature and within mankind."
Thank you so much, Neal, for sharing this beautiful colorful photo with us!
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.
