Summer is often a time for celebrations and reflections - with Solstice, Pride Month, festivals, and fireworks. All of us at the Winding Waters Group hope you took the opportunity to attend one of the many Pride events in Central Indiana. (Columbus Pride is coming up in September, and we will be there!)
There are many things to be excited about coming up this month here at the Winding Waters Group. Read on to find out more about our programming, and how you can get involved.
For our July program, join us for a public showing of the movie The Little Things that Run the World. We’ve already paid for your ticket, so admission is free!
“The Little Things that Run the World introduces viewers to a diverse group of scientists, nature lovers, gardeners, farmers, and general bug enthusiasts in exploring the importance of flying insects amid rapid declines in their numbers. This most numerous group of animals on the planet by far—three quarters of all species—have also been called the "glue of life" on Earth. They literally hold ecosystems together.”
This is a free public showing, so please be sure to sign up and grab a seat! (However much we love the movie vibe, please refrain from bringing food or drink into the library.)
Wednesday, July 1, doors open at 5:00, movie starts promptly at 5:30. Bartholomew County Public Library, Red Room.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Celebrating Our Nation’s 250th Anniversary
Please find the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter’s latest blog celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. Because of global, national, and state-wide efforts, there are many environmental successes to celebrate!
The Hoosier National Forest (HNF) comprises two units, the Lake Monroe unit running east to west between Columbus and Bloomington, and the south unit running north to south between Bedford and the Ohio River. National forests are public land, which means they belong to YOU! Unlike Indiana State Parks, entry to National Forests is free!
Sierra Club outings participants on the Turkey Trot Trail in the Hoosier National Forest. Photo: Julie Lowe
The HNF is a rewilding success story! Like many National Forests in the US, it was created in 1935 in the wake of financial and ecological bankruptcies. Indiana had been shorn clean of its forests by 1910, leading to severe erosion and depleted soils in hilly Southern Indiana. The Civilian Conservation Corps was put to work remediating erosion, planting trees, and building shelters. During the past 90 years the Forest has grown to the current 200,000 acres as newer parcels are purchased. The HNF is now fully forested and waiting for you to explore!
The Winding Waters Group and Bloomington-based Uplands Network of the Hoosier Chapter Sierra Club have been enjoying the Hoosier National Forest for years. Many of our hikes take place there, such as Browning Mountain, Paynetown, and Pate Hollow.
Below are some examples of YOUR public lands in Indiana!
Please consider checking out a new outdoor destination on your next outing!
Volunteer Spotlight: Mike Mullett
Mike and his wife Patti March have lived in Columbus, Indiana for over half a century, although they now spend several months a year in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area in Washington State.
While now retired as a public interest attorney, Mike feels that as a parent, grandparent and great-grandparent he cannot retire from confronting the climate crisis as effectively as possible so long as he is still able to make a difference doing so.
Photo: Mike Mullett.
Mike and Patti have been life members of the Sierra Club since the 1980s and Mike has been deeply involved in Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter, Energy Matters Community Coalition, and multiple other local, state and national energy, utility and environment advocacy activities since the 1970s. He has represented organizations such as the Sierra Club, Citizens Action Coalition, Hoosier Environmental Council, Energy Matters Community Coalition and numerous ad hoc community groups, e.g. the Power Plant Information Committee in Columbus, and Citizens for Appropriate Rural Development in Brown County. Mike has also periodically taught as an Adjunct Professor at the McKinney School of Law since the 1980s.
Mike encourages other Sierra Club members both to enjoy and to protect our shared natural world the best way we know how. To get started, please attend the Winding Waters Group monthly program at the library, and join in the many activities offered by the Sierra Club Hoosier Chapter!
Events
Wednesday, July 1, 5:00 - 7:45 Public showing of the movie the Little Things that Run the World
The Little Things that Run the World, a documentary film, introduces viewers to a diverse group of scientists, nature lovers, gardeners, farmers, and general bug enthusiasts in exploring the importance of flying insects amid rapid declines in their numbers. This most numerous group of animals on the planet by far—three quarters of all species—have also been called the "glue of life" on Earth. They literally hold ecosystems together.
Bartholomew County Public Library, Red Room doors open at 5:00, movie starts promptly at 5:30.
Wednesday, August 5, 5:45 - 7:30 Hoosier Hikers Council presents: Trail Building at Yellow Birch Ravine
What does it take to build a trail from the ground up? Join Sarah Akemon for a look at the creation of a new trail at Yellow Birch Ravine, one of Indiana's most ecologically unique places. As a longtime hiker, Sarah has spent years exploring trails and thinking about how they shape our experience of the landscape. This project offered an opportunity to give back by helping create a route that protects sensitive natural features while inviting visitors to discover hemlocks, orchids, mountain laurels, rock shelters, and waterfalls.
