Forest Park in the spring. Photo by Louise Bullock.
Whether your interest is conservation, policy, trail maintenance, activism or enjoying our outings, everyone with a love for the outdoors is welcome here. We appreciate you being a part of the Eastern Missouri Group (EMG) of the Missouri Sierra Club.
Explore Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary - ICO Outing Recap The Inspiring Outdoor Connections outing to the Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary was a fun experience! The day began inside the Audubon Center, where attendees had a chance to explore engaging exhibits about birds, rivers, and the Mississippi flyway, as well as other wildlife and river ecology.
Outside they strolled the sanctuary's trails, winding through prairies, marshes, and bottomland forests. The paths were designed with bird watchers in mind, featuring viewing platforms and bird blinds for optimal observation. They also enjoyed the beauty of the native plant garden and unique sculptures scattered throughout the sanctuary. A lunch break was taken at one of the scenic picnic areas, offering a moment to relax and enjoy the natural surroundings.
ICO Outing photo by Tim Pekarek.
OneSTL Releases 2025 Report to the Region OneSTL, a regional sustainability collaboration led by East-West Gateway and 11 local partners, has published its 2025 Report to the Region, offering a comprehensive look at the St. Louis region’s progress toward sustainability goals. READ THE REPORT
U.S. EPA director promises action to clean up West Lake Landfill radioactive waste From St. Louis Public Radio New EPA Director, Lee Zeldin is promising quick action to clean up the West Lake Landfill, a north St. Louis County site that’s become a focal point in a decades-long struggle over radioactive waste exposure. Zeldin and Missouri U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley recently spent time in Bridgeton and Hazelwood touring areas that were contaminated with radioactive material stemming from the Manhattan Project. READ MORE
Companies Stick To Sustainability Targets From Forbes For now, most companies are sticking with plans to keep improving sustainability and cut climate-warming carbon emissions–even if they’re not talking as loudly about them, according to PwC’s State of Decarbonization report. In fact, the total number of companies with such plans is rising, with more than 4,000 sharing information in 2024–a more than nine-fold increase in the past five years. MORE INFO
Climate change taken off spy agencies' global threat list From Axios Prior annual reports dating back to at least 2009, along with a National Intelligence Estimate on climate change in 2021, had highlighted climate change as a threat to the U.S. and American interests abroad. FULL STORY
These are the impacts some scientists fear most from EPA deregulation From ABC News Several of the environmental freedoms Americans experience today – clean air, clean water and clean rain among them – could soon be in jeopardy from the Environmental Protection Agency's deregulation plans, several experts told ABC News. READ MORE
Hikes by Outings Leader, Lisa Dahlgren. Photo by Louise Bullock. The 16rs (16 Hundred, that is) bagged another one with a long Bell Mountain hike on March 9th. Thoughts shared by the hikers as we paused for reflection at the top: “Awesome”, “Fantastic”, “almost surreal”, “a sacred moment”. Fortunately, there are a few ways to get to the top of Bell Mountain and with the days getting longer thus having more time for reaching the summit and returning, look for more hikes planned both on Bell Mountain and in the surrounding area.
Stewardship by Outings Leader, Lisa Dalhgren. Photo by Lisa Dahlgren. Stewardship at both Castlewood State Park and Don Robinson State Park has continued through the winter, with only one cancellation due to the weather. At Castlewood we have been assisting with removing invasive species such as honeysuckle and bamboo, lopping and working with barriers for trails. At Don Robinson the work has mostly involved small cedar removal. We plan on continuing stewardship at each park once a month. You are welcome to attend!
Trivia Night: Hosted by SLU MSW Student & Alumni Assoc. (Benefiting MO Chapter) - April 5 The Sierra Club, Missouri Chapter is incredibly honored to be the recipient of 2025’s SLU MSW Alumni & Student Association’s Trivia Night on Saturday, April 5. Whether you have a full team ready to go or want to sign-up individually to be placed with a team later, it will be a wonderful evening to raise money to support the Sierra Club’s mission to explore, enjoy and protect Missouri. FULL INFO
Afternoon Hike in the Foothills of Jefferson County - April 8 This area is one of several in this beautiful part of Jefferson County that were donated for public use by generous benefactors. Having prior experience with the area suggests that hiking the primary loop clockwise is preferable. In doing so, more of the climbing is in the earlier stages of the outing, with the more scenic and interesting parts of the route occurring later. Participants will be rewarded with a commanding view of a wide expanse of the Meramec River valley from the south. SIGN UP
Victoria Glades Conservation Area Hike - April 10 The Victoria Glades Conservation Area Hike is a 2.2 mile loop trail (less than an hour from St. Louis). This hike will include observations from: a previous science teacher, a botanist/landscape specialist and numerous master naturalists…..the hike is specifically designed to identify and photograph wild flowers along the trail so the pace will be slow. The hiking trail (thin and rocky soil) is comprised of forested hollows and windswept grassy glades. RSVP HERE
MO Sierra Club Lobby Day - April 16 On Wednesday, April 16, Sierra Club members and supporters will travel to Jefferson City to talk to our legislators. State leaders can learn that Missourians support clean air, renewable energy, and the protection of wild spaces. If you'd like to consider lending your voice, you can join the exciting day! MORE INFO
Chapter Director's Office Hours - April 18
Join our Chapter Director's office hours! This is a great place to drop in, ask quick questions, or just talk through your priorities. If you have a larger issue, please schedule a one-on-one with Gretchen by finding a time. SCHEDULE A TIME
Join the Energy Justice Team - April 16 Every third Wednesday you can join the discussion to find ways to fight for clean, affordable, renewable energy for our communities. RSVP HERE
Legislative Committee Meeting - April 17 This is a monthly Legislative Committee meeting to learn about our action in Jefferson City to defend conservation and how you can get involved with Missouri's environment through grassroots organizing! MORE INFO
St. Louis Earth Day Festival Tabling & Lemonade - April 26-27 Sign-up today to support the EMG educate the greater St. Louis community on our conservation & clean energy priorities and raise funds for our conservation & outings program! We have shifts throughout the day, but appreciate any time you can donate to the Sierra Club. This is a great time to pitch and help out. We REALLY need YOUR help to raise funds for our Eastern Missouri Group and educate our community on local environmental action. SIGN UP HERE
MO Sierra Space (MOSS) - April 30 Join the Sierra Club Missouri Chapter new & returning members, supporters, volunteers, allies, and staff to intentionally connect from across the state to: 1) build community amongst ourselves as teammates in Sierra Club’s mission, vision, values, and norms; 2) share updates on campaigns, victories, or other goings on in the state; 3) provide actionable steps to support grassroots organizing efforts for MO communities and environment. MORE INFO
Calling all IT pros and those that want to learn! As an organization managed by volunteers, so is our website! Are you interested in helping us update and manage our website? After completing a 1 hour online training, you can help build our group's digital prescence! Reach out to Chapter Coordinator Ashton Kuehnel (ashton.kuehnel@sierraclub.org) to get involved.
Forest Park in St. Louis. Photo by Louise Bullock.
