WE NEED YOU! (Treasurer, Political Committee, and more!)
Fox Hollow Fest (June 7)
June General Meeting (Need Final Details from Campfire) (Tues., June 23)
Upcoming Local Public Hearings Regarding Evergy Rates
Team Monarch Update
“Learn the Basics” Backpacking Trip a Success!
Native Plant Sales
Area Farmers’ Markets
News You May have Missed
Upcoming Events Led by Allied Organizations
We Need You!
Are you interested in deepening your involvement with the Sierra Club? Do you have financial skills or political savvy and need somewhere to use them? Consider volunteering with the Thomas Hart Benton Group of the Sierra Club as our next Treasurer or as a member of our Political Committee. If you have any extra hours each month to spend on climate action and environmental justice, fill out this brief interest form by the end of June and someone will be in touch. We look forward to working with you!
Keep An Eye Out!!!
Sometimes events are planned after our e-newsletter goes out.
Please watch our Meetup pages and our website calendar for events that may be planned after each E-Newsletter’s publication date.
Photo by Bruce Dupree, Alabama Cooperative Extension System
Fox Hollow Fest (Sun., June 7) Time: 11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Location: Lakeside Nature Center, 4701 E Gregory Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64132
Stop by our Sierra Club table at Fox Hollow Fest and say hello! This fantastic annual event will feature a pizza truck, plant sale, and live music by The Craftsmen. Go on a birding hike and participate in the raffle, climbing demo, or SWOP and SHOP. Fun for the entire family!
Some of Lakeside Nature Center’s programs include wildlife assistance, Nature education including kids’ programs, native gardens, hikes with naturalists, animal attractions, and more!
We will also do an action and have some good news to share!
Participants are asked to RSVP so we can order pizza and salad for everyone. We will "pass the hat" to share the costs of dinner. Drinks are on your own.
Thanks to Kendra Varns Wallis of the Missouri Parks Association for presenting our April program!
Upcoming Local Public Hearings Regarding Evergy Rates
Students in the after-school LINC program at Wendell Phillips enjoyed a lesson on monarchs the last week of school, on May 19th. They went to the pollinator garden to place tags by the twelve different species that were planted on Earth Day in April, including three species of milkweed for monarch caterpillars. Team Monarch may be needed for some monthly weeding; students will be in school for the summer at another building while the flooring is replaced. The garden should be really grown up when they return in August—just in time for monarch migration.
Due to a tragic accident in Lee's Summit in April, MoDOT has put a hold on maintenance work by Team Monarch at Strother Road. Meanwhile, MoDOT spot-treated some invasive thistle and the area will be left wild and unmowed through the summer. It will be interesting to see native plants that were seeded last November while driving by; already numerous common milkweed are evident.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 18th—for our day-long "Missouri Monarch Mission" program at Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area in Blue Springs. Beginning at 9am, there will be children's activities and nature walks outside the Nature Center. We're inviting artist displays, too. There is a nice Monarch Way Station in front of the Nature Center; look at examples of plants to put into your garden. Bring a picnic lunch to enjoy on the shaded picnic tables. At noon, our program of speakers will begin in the auditorium starting with Kristen Baum, Director of Monarch Watch (KU, Lawrence). The second speaker is Lilly Germeroth, from The Missouri Prairie Foundation, speaking on "Prairie in Missouri: Precious Wells for Monarch Conservation." Our third speaker is Jessica Poush, talking about The Nature Conservancy-Missouri.
Our Thomas Hart Benton Group has brought attention to the need for monarch and pollinator habitat in recent years, including advocating for calling for "threatened status" by the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Data from new technology tracking migration last fall show that monarch migration through Missouri is reduced; previous data showed a similar result. We want to bring attention to this—and are looking for resources for further study in our state.
Longtime readers know how popular our Beginning Backpacking series has been through the years. Recently we had a “Try Backpacking One Weekend–Learn the Basics!” trip aimed at beginners and received this favorable comment:
“Thank you again to everyone who made this class possible. The leaders were incredibly kind and helpful, and I loved hearing about everyone’s wide variety of journeys and experiences. Overall, I had a fantastic time with the class. It was mentioned that the class has evolved over the years, I just wanted to say I think the focus on just getting out there and seeing things first hand is a good one. I feel much more motivated to just get out and get used to everything and build up the muscles and the know-how to go on a trip.”
Thank YOU, nature and outdoor enthusiasts for getting out there and sharing your experiences to inspire us all! And thanks to our Outings Leaders, including Matt who led the outing and took this photo!
Fox Hollow Fest Sunday, June 7 Lakeside Nature Center 4701 E. Gregory Blvd Kansas City, MO 64132 Time: 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Please donate to the Thomas Hart Benton Group—Thanks!
You can probably tell from recent Newsletters that we are getting a lot more active in 2026. We welcome all the new friends and allies we have been meeting and speaking with at our recent in-person meetings. We also welcome any donations you can spare to help with all our new activities…thanks so much! Every little bit helps!
You can also send us a check made out to “Sierra Club” if that is more convenient. Our address is
Sierra Club P.O. Box 32727 Kansas City, MO 64171
Thanks to those who donated so far this year!
Area Farmers’ Markets
Overland Park Farmers Market Location: Temporary location at Matt Ross Community Center (Marty Street). Schedule: Saturdays 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Apr – Sep); Wednesdays 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. (Jun – Aug); Saturdays 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. (Oct – Nov).
Downtown Lee's Summit Farmers Market Location: SE 3rd Street and SE Green Street. Features: Covered, open Wednesdays and Saturdays, featuring local produce, baked goods, and regular special events like the Spring Celebration.
Lenexa Farmers Market Location: 17201 W. 87th St. Pkwy (Civic Campus). Schedule: Saturdays 8 a.m. to noon; Tuesdays 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (May 26 – Aug 25).
Parkville Farmers Market Location: Located near the intersection of 6th and Main St. Features: New shelter for 2026 and new vendors expected.
Boulevard Drive-In Farmers Market Location: 1051 Merriam Ln, Kansas City, KS. Schedule: Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m..
Hyde Park Farmers Market Location: Gillham Park (39th & Gillham Rd). Dates: Four Sundays: May 31, June 21, Sept 6, and Oct 11, 2026.
Independence Farmers Market Location: 101 N. Osage St, Independence, MO. Schedule: Seasonal, Wednesdays and Saturdays.
KCK Farmers Market Location: Various locations, including June 27, 2026 – Oct 3, 2026.
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By Jennifer Helber, Conservation Chair
Longtime readers know how popular our Beginning Backpacking series has been through the years. Recently we had a “Try Backpacking One Weekend–Learn the Basics!” trip aimed at beginners and received this favorable comment: