SIERRA CLUB FLORIDA 

Sierra Club challenged the Volusia County land use plan for Farmton. See our Prevent Sprawl page for more info.  Click on the link to view the Farmton video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=VN84p1xiwes

Seminole Education, Restoration & Volunteer Program Coordinator

Seminole County offers many volunteer opportunities for February and March

Lake Jesup Restoration Project
9:00 am to 12:30 pm
Join the Seminole County Lake Management/Water Quality Program, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, St. Johns Water Management District, Seminole County Sheriff’s Office & Friends of Lake Jesup for the FIRST EVER Lake Jesup Restoration. Work alongside biologists to plant native eelgrass along the sandy marl bed flats shoreline of Lake Jesup by Bird Island. This is a great way to learn about our environment and to make a difference. Volunteers will be transported by airboat to the planting location donated and provided generously by Black Hammock Adventures (www.theblackhammock.com). Meet at Lake Jesup Park, 5951 South Sanford Avenue, Sanford, FL 32773. Please bring yard gloves, hat, sunscreen, old clothes and closed-toed shoes. Plan to get muddy and wet! Call Natalae Almeter, SERV Coordinator at 407-665-2457 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to register.
Saturday, April 28, 2012

Central Florida Landscape & Garden Fair

http://www.lakecountyfl.gov/green_team/central_florida_landscape_and_garden_fair/

  Lake County is hosting a Central Florida Landscape & Garden Fair on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Ferran Park in beautiful Eustis, Florida.

The free fair will provide an opportunity to meet with, and purchase goods from, local merchants that specialize in landscaping, gardening, irrigation, horticulture, fertilizer and more.  Also during the two-day event, special workshops and seminars will be available to help educate fair-goers about best-practices for gardening and landscaping.

The Sierra Club supports redevelopment and infill that utilizes existing infrastructure, helps to preserve rural/natural lands & wildlife, and aids in preventing urban sprawl. If you get a chance, register for the Orange County Redevelopment Conference.

Orange County 2012 Redevelopment Conference

The Planning Division has begun preparations for the Orange County 2012 Redevelopment Conference, which will present expert advice on infill and redevelopment. The conference will be held on January 20, 2012 at the Orange County Convention Center. Sessions will include information about the benefits and challenges of infill and redevelopment, available financial mechanisms, and the County’s efforts in bringing mixed-use development and redevelopment concepts to life. The conference aims to increase public understanding of the process and methods used to achieve sound redevelopment and might be of interest to the members of the development community, financial institutions, and others involved in community development.

Conference registration is NOW OPEN.

2012 Redevelopment Conference PSA

Date: January 20, 2012
Time: 7:30 am - 3:30 pm
Place: Orange County Convention Center, North Building - Room N310
Address: 9400 Universal Blvd, Orlando, FL 32819
Registration Form (PDF) (Limited time offer - see below)

The East Central Florida Regional Planning Council, through funding by 
Seminole County, Florida Office of Greenways and Trails, the U.S. 
Forest Service and the Florida Greenways and Trails Foundation, will 
be expanding our economic impact of trails analysis and study into 
Seminole County.

From September through November 19th, staff and volunteers will be 
conducting face to face surveys at trail heads and along sections of 
the Flagler Trail, Cross Seminole Trail, Seminole Wekiva Trail, and 
the Sanford Riverwalk.

The trail user survey will also be available on line at:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SeminoleTrailUserSurvey

YOU ARE INVITED

The Sierra Club Central Florida Group will be presenting Ms. Barnett with the Sierra Club Indigo Journalist Award for the books and articles Cynthia has written concerning the water crisis  in Florida. Cynthia has been a reporter and editor at newspapers and magazines for twenty-five years. She is senior writer at Florida Trend magazine, where she covers investigative, environmental and business stories.

Blue Revolution: Unmaking America’s Water Crisis

October 5, 2011

An Evening with Cynthia Barnett
 
Book Launch – Reading and Signing
 
Barry University School of Law
 
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
 
6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
 
The Center for Earth Jurisprudence will host the launch of renowned author and environmental journalist Cynthia Barnett’s new book, Blue Revolution: Unmaking America’s Water Crisis on Wednesday, October 5, 2011 from 6-8 p.m. at the Barry Law School, 6441 East Colonial Drive, Orlando.
 
In addition, the Central Florida chapter of the Sierra Club will be honoring Ms. Barnett with their Indigo award for her outstanding advocacy on environmental issues.
 
Please join us to meet with the author for this wonderful evening. Ms. Barnett will  present on the foundations of a water ethic and read seletions of from her new book. Books will be available for purchase and signing during the reception.
 

Thank you to everyone who helped with the Sierra Club press conference in front of Rep. John Mica's office in Maitland on July 21.  We sent a stong and clear message that Florida's want clean water and we support the Federal Clean Water Act.  We told Mica that we want to see the law maintained and not to gut it in Washington.

Photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/64542273@N08/sets/72157627257393834/

Sample Clean Water Letters to the Editor for download (as Word .doc files): 

Sample Clean Water LTEs 4

Sample Clean Water LTEs 5

http://centralfloridasierra.org/
URGENT: FLORIDA BLACK BEAR ALERT
Join the Sierra Club Central Florida Group in voicing your opposition to the
Florida Wildlife Commissions' plan to delist the threatened Florida Black
Bear. Also oppose any future plans for trophy hunting or chasing the Florida
Black Bear. The FWC Commission is meeting in St. Augustine on June 8th at 8:30
am to consider this item on their agenda.  Go to the following link to send Your
message: 
http://myfwc.com/contact/staff-contacts/senior-staff/commissioners/
 
The Florida Black Bear is an important part of Florida's ecosystems. Black
bears need a variety of habitats over a large geographic area. The State of
Florida has no contiguous statewide wildlife corridors to provide for the
long-term protection of this important umbrella species. Florida Bears share
living space with a variety of other protected, threatened and endangered
animals. Habitat fragmentation and habitat loss from urban sprawl is
creating greater human interactions and increased bear mortality. Recent
changes to Florida's growth management regulations potentially prevail over a
meaningful species management plan.

Orlando ICO outing to Juniper Springs National Forest for a hike and swim.

The outing went well.  "The agency representative is a bird watcher and the kids would point out birds for her. One kid even brought a phone to school to show her photos of a bird (cardinal)."