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Sierra Club Crossroads Group
One Earth
One
Chance. |
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Sierra Club Crossroads Group One Earth One
Chance. |
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The Crossroads Group of the Sierra Club serves greater Livingston County in Michigan. Please explore our website using the menu system above or links below to find out more about what are currently doing. Highlights on our site include: Programs Upcoming general programs (meetings): [more
information] Outings Upcoming outings:
[more information] All programs and outings are free and open to
the public. Crossroads Group to Award School Grant to Local Science Teacher The Crossroads Group is very pleased to announce our third annual $1,000 grant to be given to a local Livingston County school project focused on an environmental-, conservation- or wildlife-related subject. We plan on having application information to the schools in the fall to plan for an early 2008 award for the best project. With this grant, we hope to foster knowledge, concern, and a lifelong commitment to our natural heritage. Part of the requirements for projects will be a presentation to the general membership of our group to allow all to participate and see our funds at work in educating the next generation of environmentally aware citizens. To request the grant, entry form or for any questions or comments, please contact Paul Thielking at paul.thielking@michigan.sierraclub.org or 810.588.6077. Our 2006 award went to Pinckney High School, where science teacher Jeff McNally is leading science classes and the Environmental Club in an ongoing study on Honey Creek. This small waterway runs through the school property, and, since spring of 2004, watery quality has been examined as the surrounding area sees changes in such things as development and runoff issues. With the majority of the funds going toward purchasing new equipment, up to 250 students will be involved, with plans to publish results on the school’s website. Congratulations to Jeff and the students of Pinckney High School!
Livingston Natural Features Coalition Update The Crossroads Group conservation committee, at one time, was working, diligently to have a Natural Features Inventory conducted in Livingston County (map). We strongly believed that a good scientific study of existing natural areas would provide local governments and planners tools to strategically plan for development in a way that would not drastically impact and degrade natural areas. Our committee recruited other community organizations to form “The Livingston Natural Features Coalition” (LNFC) for this purpose. We worked along side the County Planning Department, to come up with a base study and mapping system, showing all the larger existing natural areas of the county. The study was not detailed enough to provide much information about the natural area sites and it was based on GPS images from the year 2000. We needed to have a more scientific study conducted by professionals
who could do site After many attempts to persuade the community, we recently had to abandon the project, at least temporarily, for lack of involvement from our local governments. We could have obtained grant money for the project, if we had their support and approval. Although a few township officials were consistently involved in the LNFC, it was difficult to get a consensus from most townships, to start the inventory process. The economy has hit our community, and state, in a way that causes apprehension and hesitation to bring on community projects that need funding. Development has slowed in the county, but we still see a great need to protect and retain our natural areas in the future. The LNFC website is active and we’re waiting for the opportunity to resurrect the project, at a time when we feel the project will be accepted, especially as development booms again. We still have some beautiful natural areas well worth preserving and we hope that the majority of our community agrees that they are integral part of the character of our county. Widening of Charles Orndorf Drive in Brighton Tabled by Dan Minock There was a motion before the Brighton City Council last year to widen Orndorf Drive near the entrance to the Brighton Post Office west to St. Pat’s church drive. The widening was meant to solve the problem caused by occasional backups on westbound Orndorf because of traffic turning into the post office. This $850,000 project would have meant the cutting down of a 250-year-old oak tree on the north side of Orndorf, just east of the post office entrance. On its December 21st meeting, the Council voted to table the motion, and to look at other possible solutions to the left-turn problem, including moving the entrance to the post office to Library Drive. The reason for the tabling motion was that the Council received three written objections to the plan. Thanks to those who wrote objections. Thanks also to Charlene Huget, Director of the Brighton District Library, who alerted the Sierra Club and other environmental groups to the motion. Asked about her reaction to the tabling of the proposal, Charlene said, "I am delighted." But she added that we should watch for a possible reappearance of the plan. In the meantime, those who use the library and the post office can watch the vast old tree as it puts forth new leaves. Call To Action: Brighton as a Cool City What is a Cool City? What Michigan Cities Have Signed the Cool Cities Agreement? How Can You Help? To Volunteer: For More Information About Cool Cities Effort: Why I Belong to the Sierra Club The reason that I support the Sierra Club with my time, my activism and financially is that the Sierra Club is the most effective, grassroots environmental organization on the planet. The Crossroads Group of the Sierra Club is the "environmental conscience" of our local communities. Who else will speak out loudly for the quiet places that each of us cherish? The Sierra Club is an effective leader for environmental education, lobbying, litigation, political action, getting legislation passed and enforced, etc. at the national, state and local levels. The Sierra Club continues to fight for such basic human rights as clean water and clean air while taking on the more complex issues of energy and global climate change. In addition to a lot of hard and challenging work, our members have fun. The Sierra Club offers local, state and national outings for families, members and nonmembers that enjoy outdoor activities and being outdoors. There is a peace and spirituality that comes from being connected to the Great Outdoors and those that haven't experienced it don't always value wilderness or wildness in the same way that we do. I belong to the Sierra Club so we can enjoy, as well as preserve and protect wildlife and wild places for future generations. --Lorne Beatty Newsletters To read the latest articles and newsletters of our Group,
click here. Email Forums To stay informed on what is happening in our group, join our Email Forums. We will send you information via email on what is happen in our group: [please sign up here] Crossroads Group School Grant The Crossroads Group is very pleased to announce a $1,000 grant to be given to a local Livingston County school project focused on an environmental-, conservation- or wildlife-related subject. We plan on having application information to the schools in the fall to plan for an early 2006 award for the best project. With this grant, we hope to foster knowledge, concern, and a lifelong commitment to our natural heritage. Part of the requirements for projects will be a presentation to the general membership of our group to allow all to participate and see our funds at work in educating the next generation of environmentally aware citizens. To request the grant, or for any questions or comments, please contact Paul Thielking. The Sierra Club is a national organization that is a non-profit, member-supported, public interest organization that promotes conservation of the natural environment by educating the public and influencing public policy decisions. Mackinac Chapter is our regional chapter, which covers the state of Michigan. If you have any questions about the Crossroads Group of the Sierra Club, please email rick.pearsall@michigan.sierraclub.org.
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