May update from your local Southwest Indiana Network
May 20, 2026
Thank you for showing up for Earth Month!
Welcome to the latest from the Southwest Indiana Network of the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter.
In this newsletter:
🤩 Thank you for showing up for Earth Month! 🌳 Join us on the trail in Dubois Co. in June 📢 Keep up the pressure: Tell Gov. Braun and AG Rokita to challenge Trump's illegal and costly coal orders! 📚 You're invited to the 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 Chapter Digital Strategist
🤩 Thank you for showing for Earth Month 🤩
Attendees point out a snake on a log on an Indiana Beyond Coal Campaign outing at Howell Wetlands in Evansville, IN. Photo: Nicole Chandler.
Howell Wetland Outing
We had a great group join us on April 10th for an outing at Howell Wetlands. While walking through one of only five urban wetlands parks in Indiana participants talk about the importance of protecting these types of ecosystems and how Sierra Club is working to do that through climate action. While on the outing we saw birds, a snake, a turtle, and the evidence of beavers in the area. Despite a little rain that cut the outing short, it was a fantastic time.
Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter and Beyond Coal Campaign volunteer Niles talks to attendees at Wesselman Woods Earth Day event. Photo: Nicole Chandler.
Wesselman Woods Earth Day
Many wonderful volunteers and members joined us for the Wesselman Woods Earth Day event on Saturday, April 18th. We talked to hundreds of people about how coal impacts our communities, and how the Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign is fighting back.
Attendees at Evansville Earth Day Fest: Clean Power to the People listen to D.R. Bridges perform in Haynie's Corner. Photo: Nicole Chandler.
Evansville Earth Day Fest
On Earth Day, folks in the Haynie’s Corner Arts District gathered for the first ever, Evansville Earth Day Fest: Clean Power to the People. Thank you so much to our incredible team of 15 volunteers who helped the event go off without a hitch. Troubadours of Divine Bliss, D.R. Bridges , and Nina Snoogans played some incredible tunes for us down in Haynie's Corner while Keto-licious 812 served up some great food (staff loved the vegan smash burger). Urban Seeds graciously joined us to help educate folks on local food systems and had herbs folks could pot up and take home. In between sets, Sierra Club Beyond Coal staff and Solar United Neighbors staff talked to attendees about upcoming campaigns and efforts to move beyond coal and advocate for cheaper, cleaner, faster forms of energy like solar!
Thanks to Solar United Neighbors Indiana for partnering with us on this event! It is always great to work with the incredible SUN organizers.
Indiana Beyond Coal will be up in Jasper for an outing at the Parklands on Saturday, June 13th.
The group will meet at the Jaycee Park Shelter House across from the Parklands. The hike will be a 2 mile loop with the option of an additional mile for those that want to explore the entire Parklands. The trails are all asphalt and some fine crushed stone. Tennis shoes or other comfortable shoes are appropriate.
Register here: Sat, Jun 13, 2026; 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Eastern) Walk with Indiana Beyond Coal at Jasper Parklands Jasper, IN
📢 Keep spreading the word 📢 Tell Gov. Braun and AG Rokita: Challenge Trump's illegal and costly coal orders!
The Trump administration has extended these illegal orders keeping these costly and polluting coal plants online. We filed a lawsuit in response and other state Attorney Generals have also joined the fight and are challenging the administration’s use of 202c orders.
Thank you to the 700+ of you who already took action, demanding Governor Braun and AG Rokita speak out against this costly and illegal act! Continue to share this petition, get the word out, and keep the pressure on. Gov. Braun says energy affordability is a concern of his; well challenging these 202c orders is an easy way to advocate for Hoosier’s pocketbooks.
If you’ve already taken action, thank you! Please send this link to five of your friends to help spread the word: sc.org/INcoalorders
Join the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter Book Club!
Join us for 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? Submit your recommendation here or via email to colleen.curtin@sierraclub.org.
Join us in May for The Great Displacement: Climate Change and the Next American Migration by Jake Bittle and again in June for our Pride Month read Forest Euphoria: The Abounding Queerness of Nature by Patricia Ononiwu Kaishian.
Gentle reminder that it is totally okay to show up to Book Club having read all of the book, some of the book, thought about reading the book, or looking for a pitch to sell you on reading the book. ALL are welcome! Also a reminder that the goal of this space is to facilitate conversation and there is not a quiz at the end or an objective beyond learning more about issues we care about and cultivating community with one another. We look forward to the opportunity to connect, share about, and reflect on the issues, themes, and excerpts that resonated with you in the book.
Colleen Curtin Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter Outreach Coordinator
Upcoming Events and Outings
From Sierra Club:
Our next Repower Ohio River Valley team meeting will be May 21st. Email nicole.chandler@sierraclub.org if you’d like to be added to the calendar invite.
Tue, May 19, 2026; 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (Eastern) Clean Energy Advocates Training (Virtual)
Tue, May 26, 2026; 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM (Eastern) Hoosier Chapter Book Club: The Great Displacement by Jake Bittle (Virtual)
Thu, Jun 4, 2026; 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (Eastern) Hoosier Chapter: Monthly New Volunteer Onboarding Training (Virtual) (evening session also available)
Sat, Jun 13, 2026; 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Eastern) Walk with Indiana Beyond Coal at Jasper Parklands Jasper, IN
Have a place you’d love to see us hike? Reach out!
