February update from your local Southwest Indiana Network
February 18, 2026
Join us on the trail!
Welcome to the latest from the Southwest Indiana Network of the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter.
In this newsletter:
🧑🦯 Meet us on the trail for our Let's Move Beyond Coal Walk 📢 Tell Gov. Braun and AG Rokita: Challenge Trump's illegal and costly coal orders! 💦 Take Action to Protect the Indiana Department of Environmental Management 📚 Join our Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter Book Club 🥾 Find out about upcoming events and outings ✍️ Keep in touch and get involved in our work.
Happy reading! Rebecca Dien-Johns Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter Digital Strategist
Let's Move Beyond Coal Walk!
Join the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign on Sunday, February 22nd at 11:00am CT for a walk on the USI-Burdette Trail . Participants will learn about the Beyond Coal Campaign and what the Sierra Club is doing to move beyond coal and advocate for a cleaner, more just energy system in Indiana.
We will start at mile marker 3 of the trail by the Discovery Lodge. We will meet in the parking lot and walk approximately 1.75 miles where the trail intersects with Broadway Avenue, turn around and walk back towards the Discovery Lodge. In total the walk will be approximately 3.5 miles. The trail is paved and there are some small hills and inclines, but this is a very beginner friendly trail. Together, let's build community outdoors!
Tell Gov. Braun and AG Rokita: Challenge Trump's illegal and costly coal orders!
Want to take action now? Sign our petition at sc.org/INcoalorders to tell Gov. Braun and A.G. Rokita to stand up for Hoosiers and challenge the costly 202c orders issued by the DOE to keep aging coal units that were slated to retire in 2025, online. Learn more about this at sierraclub.org/burningmoney.
On January 29, the Courier & Press published an op-ed written by staff member Nicole Chandler about how the 202c orders issued by the Administration were hurting everyday Hoosiers’ pocketbooks and health. Read the op-ed here.
Take Action to Protect the Indiana Department of Environmental Management
Senate bill 277 weakens the duty of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) to protect Hoosier families by holding corporate polluters accountable. There are many substantive changes found within SB 277. Here are a few reasons you may wish to mention when asking your State Representative to “Vote No” on SB 277:
SB 277 allows for septage, solid waste, or industrial waste products to be sprayed or spread onto the land surface.
This could very quickly turn into a significant source of solid waste runoff into our waterways.
Provides the Governor with sole discretion to remove an Environmental Rules Board member without cause.
Removes the requirement for a member of the Environmental Rules Board (ERB) to be qualified.
Removes the option of the commissioner to prevent pollution.
Makes optional the duty of the commissioner to hold polluters accountable.
Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter wants to see our state agency, Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM), be the group that holds those who would pollute Hoosier lands, waters, and air accountable.
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.
Learn more about each of our selections and register for Book Club at sc.org/hcevents
Meet with us on February 24th for When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy by Beronda L. Montgomery.
On March 31st check out Intertwined: Women, Nature, and Climate Justice by Rebecca Kormos with us.
Colleen Curtin Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter Outreach Coordinator
Upcoming Events and Outings
From Sierra Club:
Wed, Feb 18, 2026; 7:00 PM (Eastern) Fueling Sickness: The Hidden Health Costs of Fossil Fuel Pollution Virtual, livestream link here
Thurs, Feb 19, 2026; 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM (Central) Repower Ohio River Valley Team Meeting Virtual, email nicole.chandler@sierraclub.org to be added to the calendar invite
Fri, Feb 20, 2026; 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM (Eastern) Winter Hike at Paynetown SRA/Monroe Lake Bloomington, IN
Sun, Feb 22, 2026; 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM (Central) Let's Move Beyond Coal Walk! USI-Burdette Park Trail walk with the Sierra Club Evansville, IN
Wed, Mar 4, 2026; 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (Eastern) Hoosier Chapter Outreach Team: Volunteer Tabling Training Virtual
