UPCOMING EVENTS:
3/8: Outing to Southeast
Missouri - New Madrid Floodway: The group will be trouping to St. John's Bayou,
Big Oak Tree State Park, Donaldson Point Conservation
Area for viewing the area that would be impacted if the $85 million U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers St. John's Basin - New Madrid Floodway Project is completed.
We will visit the frontline and set-back levees, including the infamous 1500 ft
gap in the levee, the New Madrid Floodway, and the St. John's Basin drained by
the St. John's Bayou River/Ditch. For images, visit: http://cstl.semo.edu/journet/EV201-401/Alan-mapsnnotes.htm
[Meet at Cape Public Library at
8:30 a.m. Be aware of the weather, and bring a lunch
on which to picnic. We will meet out-of-town participants at 9:00 a.m. in the
Steak & Shake Parking lot on William near I55, exit I55 at William=Route K,
turn east on William; Steak & Shake will appear very soon on the left.]
3/22: Jack's Fork
Camp & Canoe Trip with Ozark Society.
We
will be camping either at the Akers or the Pulltite
sites, depending on the water levels. [Call Phil Dodson 339-7169 to reserve. More information will
be available closer to the trip]
3/23: World Eagle Day: On this Sunday we will travel to the
World Bird Sanctuary in Eureka, MO. [Meet at Cape Public Library at 8:30 A.M.
Event runs 11:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.
4/4?-6: Jack’s Fork Camp and
Canoe Trip: In
April we will again be joining
the
Ozark Society for some outdoors fun.
This trip, we will be camping either at Bay Creek or Alley Springs. [Call Pat at 243-2287 to reserve. More details later.]
4/12: Little Grand Canyon Wildflower
Hike: Along
with the Ozark Society, we will go trekking in the beautiful Illinois
woods. [Meet at Old St. Vincent Church
(downtown Cape) parking lot at 9:00 a.m. Bring a sack lunch! Call Phil Dodson
339-7169 and let him know you are coming.]
4/26: Earth Day Festival
In
Conjunction with Preserving Our Planet, the Sierra Club will be visiting the
campus of Southeast Missouri State University to celebrate our Earth. Times and
more details will be available soon.
EAGLE DAYS February 8th:
In
past years it has been colder for our Eagle Days outings, but it was still cold
enough. Nonetheless, a stout-hearted group of Sierrans
caravanned southwest to the wetlands of Mingo and Duck Creek. Despite the sun,
warmth was not upon us. We started the day at a program delivered by folks from
the World Bird Sanctuary at Eureka, on I44 just out of St. Louis. In addition
to enjoying the stories of their majestic Golden and Bald eagles, we learned of
a forthcoming World Eagle Day event (see program). We then explored the viewing
sites of the two areas. Although eagles were not as plentiful as they have
been, we did enjoy a few sightings. The high point of the visit was a gaggle of
several thousand snow geese. These birds come in two forms, white and blue, and
both appear in intermixed flocks. The sight of the entire flock taking off and
circling was splendid. One of our number tried to
promote this with a car horn, but members of the feathered gathering were too
busy honking themselves to be disturbed by such a wimpy noise.
We
were pleased to be joined on the excursion by members of the Southeast Missouri
State University Biology Club (of which I am an advisor) - who may well join us
in the future on other programs. -Alan
Journet
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 |
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During the Program presented by the World Bird Sanctuary (See March 23rd Outing), this Bald Eagle was on display |
After the picnic lunch, the non-McDonalds stalwarts posed for a photograph. |
CHAIR’S MESSAGE:
I
discovered a few weeks ago that feeding the birds can go further on up the food
chain. As I was doing the breakfast dishes, a marsh hawk swooped into my back
yard and caught a mourning dove, which she then spent the next hour devouring.
Sometimes we need to be reminded that wildness is everywhere; we just need to
pay attention. Those of us who participated in the Feb. 1 outing to Mingo NWF
and Duck Creek Conservation Area were treated to the sight of tundra swans,
nesting bald eagles, and huge flocks of snow geese. The spectacle of thousands
of geese lifting off from the water was unforgettable. I invite you to come
along on our next outing. Or at least to pay closer attention
to the workings of nature in your back yard.
-Robert Zeller, Chair
CONSERVATION REPORT:
St. John's Basin / New
Madrid Floodway Project:
Since the last newsletter when I reported that Missouri's Department of Natural
Resources had slowed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers down a little in their
project to close the engineered 1500 ft gap in the Mississippi River frontline
levee at New Madrid by refusing Water
Quality
Certification, the corps has embarked on an appeal to the Missouri Clean Water
Commission to overturn the decision. Although this was followed by moves to
close the DNR Clean Water Certification unit, this was averted at the last
minute and the state water protection unit is still in operation. The
Environmental Defense Fund, which has long maintained a keen interest in and
concern about this project, has elected to file as a defendant intervener with
DNR in the appeal in order to support DNR and try to ensure that critical
issues are adequately addressed. In response to a request
from ED, at its last meeting the Ozark Chapter Conservation Committee
recommended to the chapter Executive Committee that we join ED in this role.
We are planning so to do.
On March 8th we (Trail of Tears Group) will be taking a trip down to the New
Madrid Floodway, Big Oak Tree State Park, and the levee system to review the
area being addressed by this project (see Programs).
Iraq War:
The National Sierra Club has adopted a position with respect to this
confrontation that urges nations to cooperate through U.N. Security Council
resolutions and endorses the inspections process. The Sierra position also
underlines the need to develop alternative energy sources to reduce our
dependency on foreign oil and minimize the politically destabilizing impact
that our profligate oil consumption has on oil-producing regions. For further
details, visit:
“http://ohio.sierraclub.org/northeast/newsletter/2003_0102.pdf”
Many local Sierrans have been informally cooperating
with the Southeast Missouri
Coalition for Peace and Justice in an attempt to slow U.S. military
action that could spark a social and environmental catastrophe in the mid-east. Since most environmental
issues are fundamentally also issues of social justice, it is the hope of the
Coalition that beyond this issue, our organizations might find common ground
for future cooperation and collaboration. Anyone who is interested in the
Coalition group's activities should contact Sierra Club member Bob Polack at “rpolack@semo.edu”
-Alan
Journet, Conservation Officer
TREASURER’S REPORT:
The
Trail of Tears bank account as of February 18 stands at about $1200. Our
calendar sales were relatively successful, netting just over $200. We were
still a bit on the negative side for the past year though, and some of us are
pondering a 'Trail of Tears yard sale' this spring. In addition it's not too
early to look ahead to the fair in St. Louis in July, when a few of us
traditionally spend a day squeezing lemons for a share of the proceeds.
Once
again this year we have made a modest donation to the Southeast Missouri
Regional Science Fair, believing it to be a good investment in environmental
education for the future.
-Brian
Alworth, Treasurer
Website:
For
more pictures of local club outings, along with more information concerning
upcoming events, environmental issues, and the Sierra Club, visit: “http://missouri.sierraclub.org/trailoftears/”
EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE:
Chair: Robert
Zeller 402
N. Frederick, Cape Girardeau 334-9965
rzeller@semo.edu
Vice Chair: Tom Draper 1730 East Jackson Blvd, Jackson 243-5476
draper@ldd.net
Secretary: Frank Dietiker
121 Green Acres Cape Girardeau 334-5798
frank@clas.net
Treasurer:
Brian Alworth 2444 Glenridge St,
Cape Girardeau 334-7978
bstorm@clas.net
Committee Chairs:
Publicity: Gloria Kiehne 308 Kate St., Jackson 243-5084
Chapter Statewide Delegate
& Fundraising:
Brian Alworth 2444 Glenridge
St, Cape Girardeau 334-7978
bstorm@clas.net
Membership & Education:
Kathy Conway
2812 Oakshire Circle, Cape Girardeau 651-4182
Outings: Bill Mallonee &
Shiela Pardee 336 Lemming Lane, Jackson 243-2594
william_c_mallonee@hotmail.com;
shielapardee@hotmail.com
Conservation:
Alan
Journet 2812 Oakshire Circle, Cape
Girardeau 651-4182
ajournet@semo.edu
Newsletter: Kristin Smith 258 Edgewood Rd, Jackson 243-6431
