Past Meeting Programs
January 9, 2007 We begin the new year with presentations by the leaders of the major campaigns of the Georgia Chapter. This is a great opportunity to learn what the Georgia Chapter is doing to protect the environment by the leaders of these efforts. The Committee leaders will present an overview of issues such as Transit, Wildlands, Outings, Water and Energy.
February 13, 2007 Senator Nan Orrock and Senator Vincent Fort will join Sierra Club lobbyist Neill Herring and Legislative Chair Mark Woodall with your 2007 Georgia General Assembly update. In their annual report to the Atlanta Group members, Mark and Neill will detail the status of environmental bills in the legislature, who are the power players that will have an impact, and what are the prospects for the bills we support. They will also recommend actions that each member can take.
March 13, 2007 Valerie Wilson, Executive Director of The Beltline Partnership
, will discuss the progress in bringing to reality the 22 mile loop that will link 45 neighborhoods and increase greenspace, enhanced mobility, economic development and vibrant, live-work-play communities. Ms. Wilson will provide an update of the Beltline Partnership's efforts in funding and acquiring land for the project that will define Atlanta for the next century and beyond.
April 10, 2007 Join us for an educational evening looking at how Georgia can increase energy efficiency and attract renewable energy projects and investment. The Governor's Energy Strategy 2006 recognizes energy efficiency and renewable energy – such as solar, wind and bio-energy – as the highest priority energy resources for development in our state. This evening we will look at ways to make these priorities a reality for Georgians. Come hear Rita Kilpatrick of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy talk about clean energy opportunities for Georgia including state policy opportunities and ways consumers can work together to influence the planning decisions of energy companies including Georgia Power.
May 8, 2007 NO NEW COAL – A Georgia Coalition led by Sierra Club. Speaker: Patty Durand, Chapter Director, Georgia Chapter of Sierra Club. LS Power, a New Jersey energy holding corporation, wants to build a new coal-fired electrical generating plant in Georgia. A coalition of environmental groups is opposing the construction in Early County because of toxic pollutants emitted (mercury, nitrogen oxide, sulfur), green-house gases like carbon dioxide that cause global warming, and it would compete with green alternative energy sources. Find out the WHOLE story - including what you can do.
June 12, 2007 IS THAT A DODO BIRD? –
Common Birds of Georgia by Lisa Hunt, Atlanta Audubon Society. Lisa is an At-Large AAS Board Member (in charge of setting up birding workshops), past Education Director for AAS, and also member of the education and membership committees. Is that a dodo bird on my feeder? Maybe an ostrich I hear singing? Come and hear, and see, and rationalize to figure it out (not likely to be either a dodo or an ostrich). Lisa will show slides of common birds of Georgia so you can see, play bird calls so you can hear, and talk about habitat, migration and other bird characteristics so you can figure out if it really IS a dodo bird at your feeder (or maybe it's an albatross).
July 10, 2007 Annual Picnic - Candler Park, at the corner of McClendon and Candler Park Drive. Bring a food dish to share. The Atlanta Group will provide drinks, utensils, etc - OR be conscientious and bring your own plates and utensils. You may come as early as 6:30 pm. (NOTE LOCATION AND TIME CHANGE)
August 14, 2007 US Congressman Hank Johnson. Get to know this newly elected Congressman while Congress is in recess. Ask and learn about what's affecting the environment at the national level. Be sure to introduce yourself to the Congressman so when you contact him later to lobby about YOUR concern, he will know who you are.
September 11, 2007: Jerry Hightower, Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area ranger. "Discover the Chattahoochee River NRA", the history, grass-roots days creating the park, and where we are now with an overview of the entire park.
October 9, 2007: Regional Action to Improve Liveability (RAIL Campaign) of the Georgia Chapter of the Sierra club. Focus is on the Macon - Atlanta - Athens commuter rail system.
November 13, 2007: Wild Utah: America's Redrock Wilderness is a multi-media slideshow documenting citizen efforts to designate public lands in southern Utah's spectacular canyon country as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. This 20-minute journey through redrock splendor invigorates and motivates viewers to participate in the movement to protect these unique lands. Wild Utah was made possible through the generous donation of photos, music and words from concerned Utahns who wish to pass this heritage onto future generations, including narration by Robert Redford. [ View web slideshow ]
In conjunction with a presentation on the current status of the Utah wilderness movement by Bob Brister, Interregional Outreach Coordinator for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, this inspirational and informational event is a must see for people wishing to become personally involved to make the difference in this tremendous American public lands conservation effort.
December 11, 2007: What's going on with Jekyll Island? At the Sierra Club's annual retreat we enjoyed wonderful walks along the paths and beaches of Jekyll - the state-owned barrier island. Now that hideaway, established by law as a state park for all the people of Georgia, is threatened by developers. Come and see the beauty of Jekyll and the learn about the threat to it, and explore what we can do to protect this irreplaceable resource. Dory Ingram, Sierra Club member, and member of the Initiative to Protect Jekyll Island , will show some georgeous pictures shared by visitors to the island, and describe some frightening scenarios facing Georgia's Jewel.
January 10, 2006 Learn about the western Grizzly Bear and how it's endangered in the western United States. Natalie and Brian Killeen will show a short film and we will taken action after a brief discussion about the grizzly bear.
February 14, 2006 Legislative Issues Round-up with Mark Woodall (Legislative Chair) and Neill Herring (Sierra Club Lobbyist). Join us for an amusing and insightful look under the Gold Dome.
March 14, 2006 Learn how the dirt that leaves construction sites harms our streams and rivers. The Upper Chattahoochee Riverkeeper will demonstrate how we can get the dirt out. Find out about the laws, what best practices to look for in keeping erosion controlled, and how we can take action.
April 11, 2006 Jasen Johns, a project manager with Trees Atlanta, will give an introduction to urban forestry and how trees improve living in the Atlanta area.
May 9, 2006 The Beltline is a visionary transit proposal and parks expansion project which will reduce traffic congestion and air pollution and improve the quality of life for residents of Atlanta.
June 13, 2006 How Bicycles Save the World! Dennis Hoffart, executive director of the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign will explain how we can save the world merely by riding our bicycles. Come one, come all -- Spandex® clothing is optional.
July 11, 2006 [7:00 pm] Annual Picnic. Summer Pot-Luck Picnic at Candler Park (across the street from Epworth UMC). Bring a dish, favorite beverage, your utensils, and a blanket for a more relaxed social meeting. We'll provide some basic drinks, napkins, and ice. There is a nice playground for the kids. All members and non-members throughout the Atlanta metro area (including Cobb and Gwinnett Counties) are invited.
August 8, 2006 City of Atlanta "Green Roof" program. One way the City of Atlanta is improving the environment is by planting a "green roof". The city has essentially built a park on top of a building. The green roof is not only beautiful, but reduces heating and cooling costs, helps reduce the "hot zone" of a city, and has plants to help remove carbon dioxide and reduce water runoff. Come and see how it was done.
September 12, 2006 TBD
October 10, 2006 TBD
November 14, 2006 TBD
December 12, 2006 Holiday Pot-luck Party with our annual Outings slide presentation.
January 11, 2005 Laura Garrison, a trained facilitator, will lead a guided discussion on environmental topics at our meeting. Be ready to become energized talking about protecting our environment with other Sierrans.
February 8, 2005 Legislative Issues Round-up with Mark Woodall (Legislative Chair) and Neill Herring (Sierra Club Lobbyist). Join us for an amusing and insightful look under the Gold Dome.
March 8, 2005 Bill Gould, the Executive Director of the B-Complex (an art gallery on Murphy Avenue in Southwest Atlanta) will invite Sierrans to an art show opening. Artists are producing a show with the environmental theme, "You Can't Fool Mother Nature." Atlanta Group members will get a preview of this April 1st opening and has invited us to their opening and to have the Atlanta Group meet at the B-Complex gallery at our April meeting.
April 12, 2005 You are invited to a special art show at the B-Complex, located at 1272 Murphy Avenue, SW Atlanta. Bill Gould, Executive Director of the B-Complex, will show off a multi-media environmental art exhibit with an environmental theme, "You Can't Fool Mother Nature". Wine and cheese will be available, complements of the Atlanta Group of the Sierra Club.
May 10, 2005 Ryan Gravel with Friends of the Belt Line will present a vision of stringing together a emerald necklace of parks and greenspaces with transportation to improve the livability of the Atlanta area.
June 14, 2005 Bob Fletcher, from the Centennial Group, will give a talk about energy and global warming.
July 12, 2005 Summer Pot-Luck Picnic at Candler Park (across the street from our regular meeting place at Epworth UMC). Bring a dish, favorite beverage, your utensils, and a blanket for a more relaxed social meeting. We'll provide some basic drinks, napkins, and ice. There is a nice playground for the kids to play on. All members and non-members from throughout the Atlanta metro area (including Cobb and Gwinnett Counties) are invited. Picnic starts 30 minutes earlier, at 7:00 pm.
August 9, 2005 We will continue to dialogue on national and local directions that our Sierra Club should take in 2005 and beyond. This meeting focuses on directions and ideas that will be presented at the Sierra Summit 2005 in San Francisco in September.
September 13, 2005 Jim Jackson, President of Southern Environmental Consultants, will discuss landfill alternatives and waste-to-energy proposals for the City of Atlanta.
October 11, 2005 The Sierra Club will host a political election forum concerning the upcoming Atlanta City Council elections and the Atlanta Beltline.
November 8, 2005 Deron Burkepile, an ecology graduate student at Georgia Tech, will discuss his marine ecology research at Tech. This research revolves around studying the effects of fish diversity in controlling the health and function of coral reefs. If members are interested, Deron would speak about the state of coral reefs around the world, human impacts on reefs, what we are doing to save them, and what more we could be doing.
December 13, 2005 Holiday Pot-luck Party with our annual Outings slide presentation will be on the Copper Canyon area of northern Mexico by Mark Alexander.
January 13, 2004 Todd Daniel will present a population program for January. Todd will provide information about a study he did in Ecuador regarding family planning programs in the field. Todd will have many great pictures and information to share.
February 10, 2004 Legislative Issues Round-up with Mark Woodall (Legislative Chair) and Neill Herring (Sierra Club Lobbyist). Join us for an amusing and insightful look under the Gold Dome.
March 9, 2004 Herb Bastin will give you ways to save both money and energy at home. Find out practical tips to have a smaller environmental footprint.
April 13, 2004 Kara Cassels of the Florida Panther Society will give a presentation about this endangered species. FPS maintains a goal of reintroduction of the panther into appropriate portions of it historic range, as defined in the Florida Panther Recovery Plan. These endangered big cats, with no voice of their own, need all of us to speak on behalf of their needs.
May 11, 2004 Tom Tomaka will lead a group discussion on the book "Ishmael", written by Daniel Quinn. This book won the Turner Fellowship Award, awarded to a work of fiction, offering positive solutions to global problems. Ishmael is a half ton silverback gorilla. He is a student of ecology, life, freedom, and the human condition. He is also a teacher. He teaches that which all humans need to learn -- must learn -- if our species, and the rest of life on Earth as we know it, is to survive.
June 8, 2004 Jo Jones will present a discussion on the "Sustainability of Atlanta's Water".
July 13, 2004 Summer Pot-Luck Picnic at Candler Park (across the street from our regular meeting place at Epworth UMC). Bring a dish, favorite beverage, your utensils, and a blanket for a more relaxed social meeting. We'll provide some basic drinks, napkins, and ice. There is a nice playground for the kids to play on. All members and non-members from throughout the Atlanta metro area (including Cobb and Gwinnett Counties) are invited. Picnic starts 30 minutes earlier, at 7:00 pm.
August 10, 2004 Dan Friedman, Georgia Chapter transportation issues chair, will be on-hand to give a brief overview of Atlanta area transportation and land-use challenges.
September 14, 2004 Doug Abramson, president of Friends of Piedmont Park, discusses the future of Piedmont Park, in particular, a proposed parking deck championed by the Atlanta Botanical Gardens and Piedmont Park Conservancy. Doug and others have proposed an alternative that promotes accessibility, protects greenspace and utilizes existing parking around Piedmont Park.
October 12, 2004 Kate Smolski, Regional Conservation Organizer, has set up a slide show and will show a 10 minute video with discussion about the Southern Appalachian Forests and what we can do to preserve them. It's an election year and members need to be reminded of the importance of saving our national forests.
November 9, 2004 Reverend Woody Bartlett, a retired priest of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta, and his wife Carol brought Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIP&L) to Atlanta. GIP&L seeks to engage communities of faith as stewards of Creation by promoting energy conservation, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and related sustainable practices. Woody is an engaging conversationalist and experienced speaker and published author. His presentation is a personal illustration in grass-roots activism and in ways of reaching out to others to share a connection to the earth.
December 14, 2004 Holiday Pot-luck Party with good food, prizes and a environmental trivia game.
January 14, 2003 Alan Toney will present an overview of proposed changes to the State's Soil and Water Commission and then present a slide show called "Morgan Falls is 100 years old." In 1902 Georgia Power began construction of Georgia's first Hydroelectric Dam on the Chattahoochee River just below Roswell Georgia. Over the years the lake filled with sediment becoming an 800 acre wetland rich with wildlife. Come explore with us this surprising mixture native and introduced species that flourish in our own back yard.
February 11, 2003 Legislative Issues Round-up with Mark Woodall (Legislative Chair) and Neill Herring (Sierra Club Lobbyist). Join us for an amusing and insightful look under the Gold Dome.
March 11, 2003 Kate Smolski, Conservation Organizer, will discuss the Sierra Club's National Forest Protection campaign. "Appalachian Treasures at the Crossroads", a slideshow and narrative, highlights this special area at risk and points to one prerequisite for protecting and restoring these natural areas-an end to commercial logging on our National Forests. Through images from Alabama to Virginia along the Appalachian highlands, the slideshow demonstrates the beauty and unique nature of what is a natural heritage and habitat of national significance. The slideshow is followed by a short presentation on the economics of logging our public lands and a chance to take action on the national campaign to End Commercial Logging (ECL) on federal public lands.
April 8, 2003 Tuesday night at the movies - L' Ours (The Bear), 1988. The director of Quest for Fire creates yet another film in nature with almost no human dialogue in this picturesque story of an orphaned bear cub who is adopted by an adult male bear and must avoid hunters. Filmed in Canada.
May 13, 2003 Mary Terry, a Ranger at Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve and Park in DeKalb County will present a short video on Arabia Mountain and discuss the unique ecosystems found there.
June 10, 2003 The Eternal Reefs and Reef Ball
Foundation will present a program for the Metro Atlanta Group at our June
Meeting. Join us to learn how to help restore the world's ocean ecosystems
using artificial reefs or "reef balls." A Reef Ball is a designed artificial
reef used to restore ailing coral reefs and to create new fishing and scuba
diving sites. The original reef ball concept originated with a group of avid
divers from UGA who were troubled by the worsening condition of the seas' and
oceans' natural reef formations. Reef Balls are the only artificial reef that
can be floated and towed behind any size boat!
Eternal Reefs and the Reef
Ball Foundation have been featured in recent segments on the Discovery Channel
and National Geographic Explorer (MSNBC). The foundation is an international
environmental nonprofit group that helps protect natural reef systems through
preservation, technology, and innovative public education opportunities.
Eternal Reefs was developed in partnership with the foundation to help
individuals leave an environmentally positive living legacy after they passed
away. Visit the Reef Ball Foundation at:
www.reefball.org and
Eternal Reefs at: www.eternalreefs.com
July 8, 2003 Summer Pot-Luck Picnic at Candler Park (across the street from our regular meeting place at Epworth UMC). Bring a dish, favorite beverage, your utensils, and a blanket for a more relaxed social meeting. We'll provide some basic drinks, napkins, and ice. There is a nice playground for the kids to play on. All members and non-members from throughout the Atlanta metro area (including Cobb and Gwinnett Counties) are invited. Picnic starts 30 minutes earlier, at 7:00 pm.
August 12, 2003 Atlanta's History: A Perspective from Water Level. Author/explorer Dave Kaufman will share his journey through Atlanta's urban evolution. Mr. Kaufman will draw from his recently completed book, "Peachtree Creek, a Natural and Unnatural History of Atlanta's Watershed" for the presentation. Beginning from the days when Indians and settlers were drawn to the area by its clean water and abundant natural resources, Kaufman profiles the transformation of the urban landscape and its effect on the watershed. He used multiple sources for his research, including a notorious set of canoe trips through the City on Peachtree, Nancy, Clear, and Tanyard Creeks, where he witnessed firsthand the impact of development on the watershed. Kaufman's methodical approach and sometimes humorous treatment of the subject matter create an entertaining opportunity to promote environmental awareness. "Peachtree Creek, a Natural and Unnatural History of Atlanta's Watershed" is available to Sierra Club members at a prepublication discount through August 1, 2003 at: www.hillstreetpress.com/sierra.html
September 9, 2003 Tom Wheatley of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance will show "Redrock Wilderness", a unique multi-media slideshow documenting citizen efforts to designate some public lands as Wilderness in southern Utah's spectacular canyon country and deserts. This 20 minute journey through redrock splendor invigorates and motivates viewers to participate in the movement to protect these unique lands. This inspirational and informational slideshow is a must see for citizens wishing to become personally involved in this tremendous American public lands conservation effort, a model for other efforts to save public lands in the United States.
October 14, 2003 Sharon Bagatel of the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign will show how bicycling can be an effective and enjoyable way to get around Atlanta. The Atlanta Group and the Atlanta Bicycle Campaign will hold an "Effective Cycling" class to allow Atlantans to go "car-free" or safely tour the Atlanta area from the seat of your bike. Learn the how-to's (like negotiating traffic), be safe, get exercise and have fun!
November 11, 2003 Mark Alexander, Wildlands and Wildlife Committee Chair will show his backpacking trip into the Big Ben National Park in southern Texas.
December 9, 2003 Holiday Pot-luck Party with our annual slide presentation. Monica and Joe Cook, from Rome, will do a slide show on their recent Etowah River trip (and may have a book published on their travels). This superb slide presentation will mix their interests in the Appalachian Trail, Chattahoochee River, wildflower and their love of photography.
January 8, 2002 Alan Toney will give a slide show tour of the Chattahoochee River and the impacts of development on Atlanta's primary source of drinking water and recreation.
February 12, 2002 Legislative Issues with Mark Woodall (Legislative Chair) and Neill Herring (Sierra Club Lobbyist)
March 12, 2002 Dan Curl, home inspector and design expert, will inform us on environmentally sound designs for homes and buildings. "My career as a home inspector has careened into other topics. Inspired in 1994, I've been studying home design and energy efficiency. The latest brouhaha about the national energy plan underscores, to me at least, the need to create an ethic of conservation in our own lives. Everyday I see homes where simple, low tech improvements can reduce consumption. Perhaps the folks at Sierra Club would like to walk the walk with their own homes. I would love to talk the talk to provide practical assistance to those willing to spend a little time and effort on their own home's efficiency (and comfort)! Interested?"
April 9, 2002 Learn about Inner City Outings with Mike Hammett, Atlanta ICO Volunteer Coordinator. ICO gives kids the opportunity to go hiking and camping and exploring nature that would not otherwise be available.
May 14, 2002 Film-maker Steve Baird will show a video about "Julia Butterfly". This film, "Julia Butterfly", inspired a grandmother in Arkansas to take on a developer. When a developer threatened to build a shopping mall on the site of a Civil War-era grove of oak trees in the booming university town of Fayetteville, grandmother Mary Lightheart, climbed one of the biggest oaks, and sat there. Inspired by former Fayetteville resident Julia "Butterfly" Hill's tree-sit in the great California redwood Luna, Lightheart's action set off a tide of resistance to growth-at-any-cost philosophy. After she was arrested and the developer felled the trees, the Sierra Club's Ozark Headwaters Group and the League of Women Voters sued the city and the developer for violations of the city's tree protection ordinance. In November pro-environment candidates swept the election. The new Council agreed to commit $450,000 toward trails and parks and to strengthen the tree protection ordinance. Fayetteville Arkansas is on a greener path.
June 11, 2002 Nuclear waste will be likely transported to Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Both houses in Congress are debating the final authorization to open the waste depository. Find out about Yucca Mountain with a series of videos.
July 9, 2002 Summer Pot-Luck Picnic at Candler Park (across the street from our regular meeting place at Epworth UMC). Bring a dish, favorite beverage, your utensils, and a blanket for a more relaxed social meeting. We'll provide some basic drinks, napkins, and ice. There is a nice playground for the kids to play on. All members and non-members from throughout the Atlanta metro area (including Cobb and Gwinnett Counties) are invited. Picnic starts 30 minutes earlier, at 7:00 pm.
August 13, 2002 Larry Winslett, Georgia Chapter Conservation Chair, will present a slide show on the special beauty and unique ecosystems found on Stone Mountain.
September 10, 2002 There is a push to build water supply reservoirs in Georgia so we have invited Mary Davis, Ph.D., Ecologist the principal author of the UGA River Basin Science and Policy Center white paper entitled "Reservoirs in Georgia: Meeting Water Supply Needs While Minimizing Impacts" (available at http://www.rivercenter.uga.edu/) Come join us for this discussion on water supply and the environment.
October 8, 2002 We will have a short political
update, then Bob Woodall will present a sensible alternative solution to
Atlanta's Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) problem. Do we really need tunnels? Are
they cost effective? Do tunnels provide the fastest or best solution to the
problem? Come find out some surprising answers!
Molly Ray and Jennifer
Smith will come to make a brief announcement about Vote for Children, a
non-partisan project funded in part by the Sierra Club. The goal of the program
is to increase voter participation and give children new educational
opportunities. Volunteers will be involved locally in Atlanta public elementary
schools to teach kids about the democratic process and encourage more adults to
vote, too.
November 12, 2002 Are old computers toxic waste? Did you know that discarded electronic equipment is the fastest growing solid waste stream in the US? In addition, we are exporting huge quantities of these toxics to poorer, less-industrialized countries where they are processed in operations that are extremely harmful to human health and the environment. Learn how you can make a difference by reducing your share of the problem, educating friends and coworkers about the issues, and by joining with others working to build international support towards finding real solutions to the massive tide of obsolete computer waste generated in the US daily.
December 10, 2002 Holiday Pot-luck Party with our annual Outings slide presentation of the Southeastern U.S. by Chris Adams.