Past Meetings
September 25, 2008
Green Buildings
Our own Frank Lorberbaum will give a presentation on green buildings.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.August 28, 2008
Taum Sauk Restoration
Our own Conservation Committee Chair Mike Bollinger will give a presentation on the Taum Sauk restoration project.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.July 24, 2008
River Restoration
Brad Walker, River Restoration Coordinator for Prairie Rivers Network, will discuss the Upper Mississippi River Restoration Program which focuses on protection and restoration of wetlands, side channels, and wildlife corridors along the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.
Time change: The meeting will start at 7 p.m.
Location change: Oak Bend Branch of St. Louis County Library, 842 S. Holmes in Kirkwood. Dinner before the meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. at Sweet Tomatoes, 9846 Watson Road in Crestwood.June 26, 2008
Caves
Philip Newell, a lifetime Sierra Club member and founding member of the Karst Conservancy will give a video presentation on Caves: Live Beneath the Forest, which takes you on a journey through Indiana's most beautiful caves.
Time change: The meeting will start at 7 p.m.
Location change: Schlafly Branch Library, 225 N.Euclid. Dinner before the meeting will be at 5:45 p.m. at Companion Bakery, 4651 Maryland in the Central West End.May 22, 2008
Ecuador
David Motherwell will give a presentation and slideshow on the incredible richness and diversity of Ecuador that make it a great ecotourist destination.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.April 24, 2008
Alaska
Richard Spener and Toni Armstrong will give a presentation and slide show on planning and executing a wilderness paddling trip to Alaska. This is also our Annual Swap Meet, a "garage sale" event where you can bring your outdoor gear to swap or sell. No reservations necessary, entry is free and it's open to the public!
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.March 27, 2008
Joint meeting with the Audubon Society.
Our annual joint meeting with Audubon Society will feature Matt Bruns with a presentation on lichens.
Time change: The meeting will start at 6:45 p.m.
Location change: Schlafly Branch Library, 225 N.Euclid. Dinner before the meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. at St. Louis Bread Company at 4561 Forest Park Avenue.February 28, 2008
Legislative session
Roy Hengerson will make a presentation on the Missouri Legislative session.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.January 24, 2008
Emerald Dragonfly
Jane Walker will make a presentation titled "Hine's Emerald Dragonfly in Missouri An Endangered Species." Her talk will cover the ecological history of the species, its current distribution, and how they conduct surveys in the field.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.December, 2007
Note:There is no meeting in December.November 15, 2007
Annual Members Photo Show
Note: This meeting is the third Thursday instead of the fourth Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.October 25, 2007
Genetically Modified Crops
Barbara Schaal, the Spencer T. Olin Professor of Biology at Washington University, will make a presentation on Environmental Issues and Genetically Modified Crops. Topics covered will include production and regulation, environmental risks, and benefits and risks.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.September 27, 2007
Missouri Weather
Meteorologist Joe Schneider will make a presentation on Missouri's crazy weather, the variety of storm systems we see and why we receive them.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.August 23, 2007
Missouri Wind Farms
Tom Carnahan of Wind Capital Group will make a presentation on Missouri wind farms.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.July 26, 2007
Silent Forest
The meeting will feature a viewing of "A Silent Forest: The Growing Threat of Genetically Engineered Trees", an award winning video narrated by Dr. David Suzuki, a Canadian scientist with a background in genetics, a noted environmentalist and host of "The Nature of Things."
Location change: Oak Bend Branch of St. Louis County Library, 842 S. Holmes in Kirkwood. Dinner before the meeting is at Sweet Tomatoes, 9846 Watson Road, Crestwood.June 28, 2007
The Sierra Club's Diversity Initiative
Jill Miller, outgoing Conservation Organizer, will show a graphical presentation and discuss some of the challenges and opportunities organizations face in becoming more diverse and inclusive in terms of members, leaders and staff--and how a commitment increasing diversity can strengthen the Club and efforts to protect the planet. Jill will review the steps the Club has taken already and what's ahead, and hopefully we can brainstorm some ideas of how to build diversity on a local level.
Location change: Oak Bend Branch of St. Louis County Library, 842 S. Holmes in Kirkwood. Dinner before the meeting is at Sweet Tomatoes, 9846 Watson Road, Crestwood.May 24, 2007
Nuclear Power
Our own Ken Schechtman will make a presentation titled "Nuclear Power on a Warming Planet:The Parameters of Enlightened Debate."
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.April 26, 2007
Annual Swap Meet
The Outings Committee will sponsor the annual swap meet. Jo Schaper will speak on Ozark springs, caves, karst and balancing the study, recreational opportunities and conservation of these fragile resources.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.March 22, 2007
Joint meeting with the Audubon Society.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.February 22, 2007
Forest Park
Lee Anna Good, Vice President of Forest Park Forever, will make a a presentation titled "Restoring the Glory of Forest Park."
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.January 25, 2007
Nuclear Power
Mark Haim of Missourians for Safe Energy will make a presentation titled Nuclear Power: Failed Technology or Candidate for a Comeback?
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.December, 2006
Note:There is no meeting in December.November 16, 2006
Annual Member Slide Show
Note: This meeting is the third Thursday instead of the fourth Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.October 26, 2006
Rain Gardens
Scott Woodbury, manager of the Whitmire Wildflower Garden at Shaw Nature Reserve, will make a presentation on Rain Gardens which use natural features and native plants to slow and control stormwater runoff.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.September 28, 2006
Recycling
Gary Gilliam of Resource Management will discuss the economic value of recycling to the local economy and some of the technical aspects of single-stream recycling.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.August 24, 2006
Missouri History
Randal Clark, an environmental chemist and Sierra Club member, will give a slideshow presentation titled "Missouri Thru Time: The Last 20,000 Years".
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.July 27, 2006
Confluence Greenway
Lynn Learie from Trailnet will make a presentation on the Confluence Greenway Conservation and Heritage programs.
Location change: Oak Bend Branch of St. Louis County Library, 842 S. Holmes in Kirkwood. Dinner before the meeting is at Sweet Tomatoes, 9846 Watson Road, Crestwood.June 22, 2006
Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park
A representative from the Missouri State Parks Dept. will discuss the devastation caused by the breaching of the Taum Sauk reservoir dam and the restoration of streams, ecosystems and eventually, infrastructure in Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park.
At St. Louis County Library Headquarters. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.May 25, 2006
Joint meeting with the Audubon Society
Dan McGuiness, Director of National Audubon's Mississippi River Campaign, will discuss the multi-faceted campaign to build national awareness and advocacy for restoration of the ecological health of the 1,366-mile Upper Mississippi River and its 189,000 square mile basin.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.April 27, 2006 - Was announced as April 28
Fundraising
The April meeting will feature a presentation titled "The Importance of Fundraising for Environmental Education and Conservation" regarding the Sierra Club's national, regional, chapter and local conservation efforts as they relate to our fundraising campaign.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.March 23, 2006
Bruce Schutte, Cuivre River State Park naturalist, will give a presentation on Prairies of the St Louis Area.
Time change: The meeting will start at 7 p.m.
Location change: Oak Bend Branch of St. Louis County Library. Dinner before the meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. at Sweet Tomatoes, 9846 Watson.February 23, 2006
The February meeting speaker is to be determined. Check back before the meeting for details.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.January 26, 2006
Picture This
The January meeting will host Sierran Bob Gill with a presentation on improving your nature photography.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.December, 2005
Note:There is no meeting in December.November 17, 2005
Annual Member Slide Show
The November meeting will host the Annual Members Slide Show. Assemble five minutes of your best slides and narration to show. We've seen some great vacation pictures in the last few years.Call Ann Eggebrecht at 314-725-1560. Limit 8 presenters.
Note: This meeting is the third Thursday instead of the fourth Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.October 27, 2005
The October General Meeting will feature Diane Albright with a presentation on the Holcim Cement Company process.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.Sept 22, 2005
The September meeting (9/22) will feature a presentation by the Ozark Chapter's Carla Klein on recent Missouri environmental legislation.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.Aug 25, 2005 - Was announced as July 28
The August meeting will feature a presentation by Punit Jain, the Outreach Chair of the St. Louis Chapter of the Green Building Council.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.July 28, 2005
Tom Shrout, Executive Director of Citizens for Modern Transit, will speak on the cross-county MetroLink project, the future of MetroLink and other transportation policy questions we face in the 21st century
At St. Louis County Library Headquarters. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.June 23, 2005
Ozark Regional Land Trust
The June meeting will feature a presentation by Abigail Lambert on the Ozark Regional Land Trust.
At St. Louis County Library Headquarters. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.May 26, 2005
Joint meeting with the Audubon Society
Rochelle Renken will discuss the current status and conservation strategies for the federally-endangered Interior Least Tern in Missouri.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.April 28, 2005
Annual Swap Meet
The Outings Committee will sponsor the annual swap meet will be accompanied by presentations on the Brushy Creek Trail and the Current River Natural Area.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.March 24, 2005
Detox Your Domicile
Emily Andrews's presentation "Detox Your Domicile" will help educate you on how to improve the air quality in your home.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.February 24, 2005
The Mystery of Maps - presented by Bob Gill
Maps affect each of us every day of our lives. Do you understand the secrets that maps have to tell? Would you like to know how maps could make your life easier? This multimedia presentation will explore the origins of map-making, major cartographic controversies and the practical uses of maps in everyday life. It will also look at how digital technology is changing our very concept of what a map is. Several computer software programs for making your own maps will also be demonstrated.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.January 27, 2005
Water Quality Coordinating
Steve Nagle and Dave Wilson will speak about the EPA Grant for Water Quality Coordinating in the Lower Meramec River and what should be acheived with this collaborative research and planning project.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.December, 2004
Note:There is no meeting in December.November 18, 2004
Annual Member Slide Show
Note: This meeting is the third Thursday instead of the fourth Thursday due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.October 28, 2004
Future Threats to the Environment
The October General Meeting will feature two speakers. Ginger Harris will be on hand to discuss Missouri Constitutional Amendment 3 on the November 2nd ballot. And Cheryl Hammond will be on hand to discuss the threatened elimination of the Gateway Clean Air Program.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.September 23, 2004
Ecogastronomy
The speaker will be Beki Marsh from Slow Food, an organization concerned with defense of biodiversity, taste education and a return to the pleasures of the table. Ecogastronomy is the enjoyment of food produced with care for the earth.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.August 26, 2004
Global Warming
Jill Miller, Sierra Club's own conservation organizer for the Global Warming and Energy Program here in Missouri, will relate efforts to bring the issue of global warming to a broader public audience and to increase support for energy solutions that reduce carbon dioxide emissions. She will show photographs and recap the "Route 66 Hybrid Evolution Tour", which began on in Chicago on Memorial Day, traveled through Missouri in early June, and finished in Los Angeles on the 4th of July.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.July 22, 2004
Dependent No More - Getting Over Fossil Fuel
Speakers Bob and Nickie Solger, proprietors of Energy Savings Store, (subsidiary of ROI Energy Solutions, an Energy Services Co. providing renewable energy solutions to business)
Topics covered:At First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood. Join us after 5:45 pm for dinner at The Daily Bread on Manchester Rd. between Lindbergh and I-270, on the north side of the road next to Kinko's in the Ace Hardware shopping center.
- Facts of Wind Power
- Environmental Benefits of Wind
- Green Tags, An Overview
- Hydrogen Fuel Cells - A Residential Program for Clean Power
June 24. 2004
Mountaintop Removal Mining
Dave Cooper, a Sierra Club member from Kentucky, will be speaking on mountaintop removal mining.
At First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood. Contact Anne Eggebrecht at 314-725-1560 for location of pre-meeting dinner or other questions.May 27, 2004
Guest speaker Rachel Crandell.
Rachel Crandell of St. Louis Rainforest Advocates will present a slide show and discussion concerning the effects of oil exploitation on Ecuador's Amazon environment and its people.
At Litzsinger School. Call the Sierra Club EMG Office for time and location of the dinner before the meeting.Apr. 22, 2004
Annual Swap Meet
The Outings Committee will sponsor the annual swap meet. This is our annual "garage sale" event where you can bring your outboor gear to swap or sell. Expect to pick up quite a few bargins for yourself! No reservations necessary, entry is free and it's open to the public! There will also be a special presentation by the Outings Committee.
At Litzsinger School. Dinner before the meeting is at The Daily Bread, 11719 Manchester Road.Mar. 25, 2004
The life and thoughts of Aldo Leopold
Susan Flader, professor of history, University of Missouri-Columbia
Joint meeting with the Audubon Society
At the Brentwood Community CenterFeb. 26, 2004
What's happening in the Missouri Legislature?
Carla Klein - Sierra Club Ozark Chapter director.
At Litzsinger School
Everyone is welcome to come to El Indio after 5:30pm to dine with the speaker. El Indio is at 9865 Manchester Road in Rock Hill. It's a smoke-free restaurant with Mexican food in a former Pizza Hut building.Jan. 22, 2004
Permaculture
Speaker: Wayne Weiseman, Permaculture ethics, goals, and practical applications.
Wayne Weiseman, Director of Daymepur Farm in southern Illinois, will discuss the ethics, goals and practical applications of the elements of organic farming and eco-agriculture.Please join us after 5:30pm to dine with the speaker at El Indio, 9865 Manchester Road in Rock Hill.
Nov. 20, 2003
Annual Member Slide Show
At Litzsinger SchoolOct. 23, 2003
High Tech Trash - what we can do.
Laura Yates, St. Louis County Dept. of Health.
At Litzsinger SchoolSeptember 25, 2003
Conservation Management Practices
Mark Meyer, P.E.
Principal Civil Engineer, Intuition & Logic, St. Louis, MO
At Litzsinger SchoolOver the past decade our understanding of the interaction between land and water has increased dramatically. While we have long known that current development practices damage water resources, we have not been able to quantitatively understand how the damage occurs until recently. Fortunately with this understanding comes the ability to prevent the damage. In this presentation, Mark will illustrate fundamental stream mechanics and demonstrate how the dynamic equilibrium is critical to the physical and ecological health of our streams. He will present management methods that work with stream processes to maintain stream health while still providing protection to people and infrastructure. Some of these methods include using native riparian vegetation as a functional, structural element of stabilization designs.
Outside of the stream channels Mark will describe development practices that mimic the natural water cycle and counteract the damaging influence of increased impervious surfaces. These techniques, many of which use the interception, infiltration and filtering capacity of plants add beauty to the landscape while protecting the riparian zone. Green roofs, micro-detention, micro- or "eyebrow" wetlands and a myriad of infiltration technologies have been developed and tested over the past few years. He will illustrate how these practices can also be used to retrofit existing sites as well. Finally, Mark will describe the economic advantages of conservation design.
About the presenter: Mark Meyer is a registered professional engineer in Missouri and Kansas. He specializes in the hydrology and hydraulics of natural streams and has developed a professional practice in urban stream protection and restoration. His stream practice extends to conservation site design. His storm water designs on commercial sites are some of the first in our region to closely mimic natural hydrographs and virtually eliminate site runoff for frequent storms. Mark received a B.S. in business from St. Louis University, a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado in Denver and an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla. Mark joined Intuition & Logic in 2000 and now manages the St. Louis office.
At Litzsinger SchoolAugust 28, 2003
Forest Releaf of Missouri - Nancy von Brecht, Executive Director of Forest ReLeaf of Missouri
at Litzsinger School
Nancy will provide an overview of this unique, statewide resource. Founded in 1993, Forest ReLeaf is a a St. Louis based not-for-profit organization. Its mission is to guide and inspire personal and community stewardship of the trees and forests in Missouri and surrounding communities. This mission is accomplished through a variety of tree-planting programs and forestry initiatives.July 24. 2003
Biological Diversity in Missouri - Randal Clark
At the Botanical GardenJune 26, 2003
Carla Klein, Sierra Club Ozark Chapter director will bring us up to date on environmental issues in Missouri, concerns, opportunities, what happened the last legislative session.
At the Botanical GardenMay 22, 2003
Snakes, Turtles and Toads
The St. Louis Herpetology Society will present LIVE a wide variety of reptiles and amphibians, including herps indigenous to Missouri. Depending upon availability, the presentation may include a Glass Lizard, Speckled Kingsnake, Black Rat Snake, Bull Snake, Alligator Snapping Turtle and other herps. At the Botanical Garden.April 24, 2003
Outings committee sponsored meeting.
Bring outdoor clothing and camping equipment to swap. Learn about the Ozark trail.
This meeting at Litzsinger School. Meet at Elsahs' Landing in Plaza Frontenac if you wish to join the group for supper before the meeting. Supper at 5:30 pm.March 27, 2003
Native Landscaping for Wildlife and People
Joint meeting with the Audubon Society
The meeting will be held at 7:30 on Thursday, March 27 at Litzsinger School (1 mile south of I 40) All are welcome to meet the speaker for dinner anytime after 6:00 at Elsah's Landing in Plaza Frontenac.
Native Landscaping for Wildlife and People: How to Use Native Midwestern Plants to Beautify Your Property and Benefit Wildlife, was just published this past Spring by the Missouri Department of Conservation under the authorship of Dave Tylka. The book is an essential tool for anyone interested in trading the typical exotic species-filled, energy-consuming home landscape for one that benefits our native wildlife, saves energy, and feeds your spirit. Dave will provide an overview of the book including the awesome photos, the easy step-by-step instructions, and handy tables of native plant species. Copies of the book will be available for sale before and after the presentation.Dave Tylka is a biology professor at St. Louis Community College at Meramec. Prior to teaching, Dave spent 14 years as a wildlife biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation. He has served on the board of directors of several conservation organizations and in 2001 was elected to the Audubon Society National Board.
February 27, 2003
Lewis and Clark Expedition Then and Now. Stewardship of the trail.Scott Mandrell is the official Lewis and Clark re-enactor affiliated with the Discovery Expedition of St. Charles, MO and sanctioned by the National Bicentennial Council and the Missouri Bicentennial Commission. Starting from Washington D.C. in July, he is traveling across the country following the Lewis and Clark trail and re-enacting the living conditions and studies of Meriwether Lewis
Jan 23, 2003
Wild Utah: America's Redrock Wilderness.A multimedia slide show documenting citizen efforts to designate public lands in Utah's spectacular canyon country as Wilderness under the 1964 Wilderness Act. This 20-minute journey through redrock splendor invigorates and motivates viewers to participate in the movement to protect these unique lands. "Wild Utah: America's redrock wilderness" was made possible through the generous donation of photos, music and words from concerned Utahans who wish to pass this heritage on to future generations, including a special reading by Pulitzer Prize winning author Wallace Stegner from his famous wilderness letter. Botanical Garden.
November 21,2002
Litzsinger School
Members slide show, Litzsinger SchoolOctober 24,2002
Botanical Garden meeting room.
John Hoal, associate professor at Washington U. School of Architecture: Returning cities to their rivers - Engaging the poetics of water. Based upon a review of nationally renowned and St. Louis projects, a number of key principles for success will be outlined, illustrating that the re-engagement with rivers needs to move beyond the utilitarian and the functional. Cities and communities adjacent to rivers will become life-enhancing once again.John Hoal is the founding principal of H3 Studio, Inc., a planning and design firm located in St. Louis. He has practiced architecture, urban design and community based planning in both public and private sectors in the United States and Southern Africa. He has also lectured nationally on the design and development of sustainable, livable cities.
Hoal was the director of Urban Design for St. Louis from 1993-2000 and is currently an Associate Professor of Architecture and Urban Design at the School of Architecture at Washington University.
Sept. 26,2002
The Director of the Tyson Research Center at Washington University, Jonathan Losos, PhD, will speak at the Sierra Club meeting on Thursday, September 26, 2002. Jonathan graduated from Harvard University and went on to the University of California at Berkeley for post graduate work. He is now a full professor at Washington University; his research focuses on evolutionary diversification. Jonathan uses lizards, particularly Caribbean species in the genus Anolis, to study the evolutionary process. He will discuss how an integrative approach, combining molecular biology, field studies, and laboratory investigations, is the most fruitful approach for understand the causes and consequences of evolutionary diversity.August 22, 2002
Jim Rhodes, PhD, will be our featured speaker at the Thursday, August 22, 2002 meeting. Jim has been a member of the Sierra Club since 1988 and has been very active in the Club serving on the Executive Committee, as Chair of the EMG, as the EMG group representative to the Ozark Chapter as well as serving on the Ozark Chapter Conservation Committee. He is currently an environmental engineer with the Department of Natural Resources in the St. Louis Regional Office. Jim will present an overview of water quality concerns in relation to how DNR's Clean Water Commission regulations work. Specifically, he will cover how the DNR characterizes water quality and pollution and how point source discharges are regulated. He will also cover such "hot topics" as the EPA's Phase II storm water program, the control of non-point source pollutants and impacts from sprawl.THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2002
July's guest speaker is Kyle Vickers, a Food and Society Policy Fellow in a program sponsored by the Kellogg Foundation which promotes sustainable agriculture, family farms, and community-based food systems. "I am working to communicate an alternative vision for our current food and farming system," Vickers says. "It's a vision that includes environmentally responsible farming, strong rural communities, and thriving family farms. "In many areas of the country, such a vision lives and breathes. Fighting long odds, many farmers and consumers are turning to organic or sustainably produced food, raised by small farmers or family farmers, and sold and distributed outside the current industrial system. "Even in Missouri," Vickers adds, "several groups and many individuals are working in this direction. They are answering the call from consumers for safe healthy food grown in responsible ways." Vickers will discuss some of these efforts in Missouri and elsewhere and share his vision for the future of farming. Along the way, he'll give an update on changes in Missouri and U.S. Farm Policy.THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 2002
We didn't need to look too far for our June speaker, Roger McManus. McManus is Director of the Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development at the Missouri Botanical Garden. The Center promotes conservation and sustainable use of plant resources on a global scale, by working directly with government agencies, non-government organizations, researchers, farmers, and industrialists. Since it serves as a clearinghouse for conservation efforts worldwide, McManus likes to call the Center "MBG International". "The Missouri Botanical Garden has a global reputation for scientific achievement," McManus says. "In today's world, we must recognize that every species we do not internationally protect, we will lose. We all share a concern for the future of the planet-the Earth is not a big place anymore."May 23, 2002 "Songbirds in Decline: Why We Are Losing Them and How We Can Save Them." Yvonne Homeyer discusses the major threats to North American songbirds and solutions to stop the ongoing population declines. Since the 1970s, songbird populations have decreased by over 50%. This decline is the direct result of human activity such as habitat conversion, overuse of pesticides, and collisions with lighted towers and buildings during migration. I will discuss solutions that must be undertaken soon if we are to stop the dramatic population declines of the last 30 years (which are continuing to this day with no end in sight) and steps that can be taken by individuals to help solve the problem. If nothing is done to stop the present causes of bird population declines, we could lose our songbirds.
Yvonne Homeyer is the Conservation Chairperson of the Webster Groves Nature Society. In that capacity she has been active in trying to preserve the land in Ste. Genevieve County where Holcim (Holnam) wants to build the largest cement plant in the U.S. She is also on the steering committee of the Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative, serves as President of the St. Louis Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association and is a director of the Missouri Parks Association.
April 25, 2002 Annual meeting sponsored by the Outings Committee. Bob and Mary Ann Vogt will treat us to their story of backpacking the entire Appalachian trail in 2001. In their six months on the trail, they endured 15 straight days of rain, intense summer heat, and steep, rocky climbs, but also enjoyed spectacular views, made friends, and encountered everything from moose to mice. Also, swap and sell your outdoor gear. There will be tables set up where you can display your goods. Like a yard sale, you mark your merchandise and sell your own stuff. Questions? Contact Ann Eggebrecht 314-725-1560. This meeting will not be at the Missouri Botanical Garden, but will be held at Litzsinger School, just south of St. Louis County Library on Lindbergh, across from Plaza Frontenac.
Mar. 28, 2002 Jean Ponzi is a specialist in recycling with the (green) mind and heart of a generalist. She has worked as Recycling Programs Manager for the Gateway Center for Resource Efficiency (formerly MERP), since 1995; Gateway Center is a division of Missouri Botanical Garden. As the volunteer producer/host of the KDHX-FM radio talk show Earthworms for almost 14 years, she provides "environmental news you can use" to listeners in 25 Missouri and 15 Illinois counties in a lively interview format. Her column Earthworms' Castings has been a regular feature in The Healthy Planet monthly newspaper since 1997. Inspired by her annalid-ical totem - and by the wealth of citizen activists and experts with whom she talks and works - Jean brings a love of inquiry, problem-solving and substantive communication to her professional duties and community service. She has been recognized by the Missouri Coalition for the Environment and the Sierra Club-Ozark Chapter for excellence in environmental communication. Her talk at the March 28th meeting of the Sierra Club-Eastern Missouri Group will include perspectives on media literacy, environmentalism in political action, education and business, and the Garden - liberally laced with recycling propaganda.
Feb. 28, 2002 In a joint meeting of the Sierra Club and Audubon Society, Pam Flowers will offer a slide presentation of her trek by dogsled across the Arctic. Starting her journey on February 14, 1993, she and her 8-dog team retraced Knud Rasmussen's Fifth Thule Expedition along the edge of the continent from Barrow Alaska to Repulse Bay, Northwest Territories. Along the way she endured darkness, isolation, cold, a polar bear encounter, and melting, flooded sea ice. She also enjoyed the hospitality of Inuits in their settlements. Arriving at Repulse Bay on Jan. 9, 1994, Pam Flowers successfully completed the first solo by a woman and first solo by an American across 2500 miles of Arctic America. Pam has spoken at the Smithsonian and the St. Louis Science Center, as well as visited over 400 schools. Pam's book, Alone Across the Arctic, will be available at the meeting: