Welcome to the very first Outings Newsletter from your local Sierra Club, dedicated to connecting Hoosiers with nature and the outdoors.
Spring is a time of renewal: the perfect time to dust off the winter cobwebs and stretch our legs on the trail. By getting outside we can bond with others and meet new people, and it is great for our physical and mental health. In these times which are challenging in so many ways, we can find solace, strength, and belonging in nature. We hope you will join us!
Our featured outings for this newsletter: 🪻 Three Spring Wildflower Hikes in the Bloomington 🌳 Summer Solstice: Remembering Andy outing
Plus! 🥾 Help us grow our outdoor community: Become an Outings Leader with Sierra Club ✍️ Tales from the Trail: Embracing the Cold and Moving Beyond Coal in Evansville 🌺 Spring Musings From Our Outings Leaders 🔜 Upcoming outings listings
Happy trails!
Rebecca Dien-Johns Digital Strategist Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter
P.S. We are planning to send these special Outings Newsletters on a quarterly basis, so look out for the next one in June! Is there something you especially liked (or didn't!) in this newsletter? Please let us know by replying to this email, we'd love to hear from you!
Featured Outings
🪻Three Spring Wildflower Hikes in the Bloomington Area 🪻
Bluebells at Salt Creek State Recreation Area, near Bloomington. Photo: Laurie Elliot
Join us for hikes in the woods to see the wonderful variety of spring wildflowers around Bloomington:
Sun, Apr 12, 2026; 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM (Eastern) Wildflower Hike at Brown County State Park Nashville, IN
Fri, Apr 17, 2026; 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM (Eastern) Wildflower Hike at Green's Bluff Nature Preserve Freeman, IN
Thu, Apr 23, 2026; 9:30 AM - 1:00 PM (Eastern) Hayes Trail Spring Wildflower Hike Bloomington, IN
The leaders will identify the flowers and there will be time for some quick pictures. This time we will be talking a bit about the native bees that come to these flowers.
Bloomington has recently been designated as a Bee City, USA by the Xerces Society and we are helping spread the word to help the native bees and other pollinators.
Laurie Elliott and Mary Reardon Outings Leaders Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter
L: Mary (Photo: Gillian Fields). R: Laurie (Photo: Wolf Maddy)
Featured Outing
🌳 Summer Solstice: Remembering Andy 🌳
Andy at Buffalo Springs, July 2025. Photo: Steven Higgs
Join us to celebrate the Summer Solstice and the life of forest defender, Andy Mahler.
The Summer Solstice starts the beginning of the season bringing warmth, life, and remembrance. Andy Mahler is a legend to forest defenders in the state of Indiana and across the country and in remembrance of him, we will hike in the forest he loved so much and fought so hard to protect and defend.
Andy's birthday fell on the summer solstice and we will hike on the Buffalo Trace Trail and search for the mystic Buffalo Springs that lie deep in the forest where the water begins. The USFS proposed the Buffalo Springs Project in 2021 which would include logging, burning and timber stand improvement disrupting nature and the people that call that area home.
Before Andy passed away in the fall of '25, the Governor let him know the project had been halted for now, but folks in the area worry this could change.
Many people still work hard to protect the area, continue Andy's legacy, and save the Buffalo Springs Area.
We will walk in the beautiful rolling hills that inspired Andy to dedicate his life to forest preservation.
Lora Kemp Vice Chair Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter
Register for more info here:
Save the Date: Summer Solstice Buffalo Trace Hike Honoring Andy Mahler
Volunteer leaders Lora Kemp and Marilyn Bauchat plant native dogwood trees at the Heartwood Reunion in memory of Andy, last year.
Tales From the Trail:
Embracing the Cold and Moving Beyond Coal in Evansville
Hikers on the Burdette Trail in Evansville. Photo: Nicole Chandler
On February 22, a few brave, dedicated Hoosiers trekked out to the Burdette Trail in Evansville, Indiana to enjoy the last gasp of winter and discuss the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign. As someone currently undertaking the Sierra Club Outings Leadership Training, it was also a great opportunity to see how a seasoned Outings Leader shows up for the community.
The Burdette Trail connects the University of Southern Indiana to the outskirts of western Evansville in a 3.5-mile long paved trail used for biking and walking. Closer to campus, student athletes use the trail to train. Despite its proximity to the city and campus, on any given day visitors might encounter deer, turkeys, ravens, hawks, and even foxes.
Keene Short Volunteer, Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter
We asked our Outings Leaders and folks participating in the current Outings Leadership Training cohort: what is your favorite flower to spot outdoors in the spring?
Beverly, winter training cohort participant: "I have several flowers - when my crocuses bloom, the aroma of hyacinth and the beauty of tulips. I also love seeing the magnolia trees come alive with blooms too!"
Dave, Outings Leader: “Wildflowers are so diverse, it is tough to pick just one. As a highly anticipated sign that spring is here, the spring ephemerals are my favorites. Bloom time is short and spaced out between species, so each spring hike is different.”
Eli, winter training cohort participant: “I am always looking forward to when the blossoms open up on the pawpaw trees. This also means Lindera is flowering and leafing out which is a tasty snack along the trail.”
Julie, Outings Leader: "My favorite spring ephemeral flower in Indiana forests is bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis."
Keene, winter training cohort participant: "I will be looking forward to whatever cherry blossoms are in bloom in Evansville, and whatever strawberries and blueberries and blackberries are freshest first."
Lora, winter training cohort participant: “I love seeing the first bluebell of spring and the daddy’s britches and the bleeding hearts. These are the first flowers I remember getting me interested in what was on the forest floor.”
Lori, Outings Leader: “Last year, during one of Mary's wildflower hikes, she introduced me to the fire pink wildflower. I love its vibrant colors, and I’m looking forward to spotting them on my hikes this spring!"
Marilyn, winter training cohort participant: "Bloodroot has long been my favorite, but, since Julie mentioned that already, I'll mention that I get really excited when I find twinleaf in bloom. As ephemerals, neither blooms very long at all, so some years I totally miss them!"
Mary, Outings Leader: "I don't have a favorite spring flower. What uplifts me about spring flowers is seeing an abundance on a trail; carpets of blue eyed Marys, yellow wood poppies, bluebells, trout lilies, Dutchman's Breeches, squirrel corn, Jacob's ladder to name just a smattering. These trails of wildflowers create a sense of exuberance and wonder at how these delicate, precious flowers came to be."
You tell us! We'd love to hear from you — what's your favorite flower to spot outdoors in the spring? Reply to this email or hit the button below to let us know!
Bloodroot flowers, near Bloomington. Photo: Marilyn Bauchat.
An energized group after Lori’s (third from right) qualifying hike at Fort Benjamin Harrison State Park, November 2025. Photo: Rebecca Dien-Johns/Dave Wildemann
We welcome new folks who would like to join our team of Outings Leaders. No matter your background or experience, we’d love to hear from you.
Here are three ways to find out more:
Come to our Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter: Summer Outing Leader Training Orientation on May 11
