Program meetings are held the 2nd Thursday of the month, January - June and September - November. Membership to the Sierra Club is not required to attend our program meetings, and all programs, outings, and activities are free. Our program meetings include guest speakers who give educational presentations on a wide assortment of environmental topics.

FUTURE PROGRAMS

Thursday, May 14th Program Meeting: Health Concerns of One Dalit Community in Nepal

Join us for a presentation by Steve Folmar discussing the health concerns of one Dalit community in Nepal, and his role in addressing those concerns.
📍Location: Parkway United Church of Christ
1465 Irving Street
Winston-Salem, NC 27103
Social time & refreshments at 6:30, announcements at 7:00, followed by our program.

Steve Folmar is Associate Professor and former Chair of the Department of Anthropology at Wake Forest University. He earned his PhD from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1985. He began conducting research in Nepal in 1979 and continues to this day. Since 2001, he has committed his research to issues affecting Dalit people, those who are the most severely marginalized. Over the past decade and a half, he has increasingly used his research to serve Dalit communities directly. Relevant publications include Identity Politics among Dalits in Nepal (Himalaya 2009), Being, Becoming, Belonging: The Paradox of Identity and Mental Suffering among Nepal’s Dalits (CNS 2019), and Addressing Dalit Wellbeing through Counter Ritual in Handbook of the Himalayas: Environments, Developments, and Wellbeings, Ben Campbell, Mary Cameron, and Tanka Subha, eds. Routledge

PAST PROGRAMS

Thursday, April 9, 2026 - Long Creek Park: A Healing Landscape in the Muddy Creek Watershed

Our speaker for our April program meeting will be Ryan Goodman, Conservation Chair of Forsyth Audubon. Ryan is currently organizing and leading the implementation of Forsyth Audubon's Natural Resource Management Plan for Long Creek Park. He will discuss the natural and cultural history of Long Creek Park, why this floodplain is ecologically important, and the details of Forsyth Audubon's collaboration with the City to restore native meadow and wetland habitat in the park. 

In addition to serving as Conservation Chair of Forsyth Audubon, Ryan is a Northwest Piedmont Master Naturalist and Visiting Assistant Professor of Spanish at Wake Forest University. Born in South Florida, he has been involved in coastal estuary and marine conservation efforts throughout his life, volunteering with the International Game Fish Association, Nova Southeastern University, the College of William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and both the Florida and Virginia State Fish and Wildlife Commissions. His current research studies the interplay of ecology and historical memory in Spain. Every fall, Ryan looks forward to tracking migrating raptors at Pilot Mountain’s Hawk Watch.

Ryan Goodman

Photos From Previous Program Meetings

              April 2026 Program Meeting 

 A Healing Landscape in the Muddy Creek Watershed

                                                                          Foothills Planning Meeting - February 2026

             November 2025 Program Meeting

Building and Maintaining the Mountains-to-Sea Trail

Foothills Monthly Executive Committee Online Meetings are usually held the third Thursday of the month.  Membership in the Sierra Club is not required to attend our executive committee meetings. All are welcome to attend. 

Sample Basic Agenda:

1. Welcome and Call to order / proxies needed  
2. Review of Agenda
3. Review of Minutes 
4. Programs Update
5. Political Committee Update
6. Water Committee Update
7. Conservation Update 
8. Outings Update
9. Membership Update 
10. Adjourn 

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Thursday, April 30th at 6:30pm - Foothills Conservation Dinner and Discussion at Cha Da Thai Restaurant, 420 Jonestown Road, Winston-Salem, NC

Our area has become a focal point for both the buildout of fossil fuel infrastructure by Duke Power and the rapid attempt to build out hyperscale data centers. Both carry substantial environmental impacts, so we need to educate ourselves on their consequences for our quality of life and how we can make our voices heard.   Join us as we discuss these and other current conservation issues, while enjoying delicious Thai cuisine.   All are welcome!   For more information, contact johnccalhoun@bellsouth.net. 

As we daily hear about the assaults on the environment, we are challenged to pay attention, stand up, and speak out in support of our only Earth. Join us for a review of current environmental issues and ways to make our voices heard, on the local, state, and national levels, while enjoying fine Thai cuisine. Everyone welcome! For more information, contact johnccalhoun@bellsouth.net . Foothills Conservation Dinners are usually held every other month at Cha-Da Thai Restaurant at 420 Jonestown Road · Winston Salem, NC. 

      Conservation Dinner - October 30, 2025