Loxahatchee Group Florida Chapter
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Turtle Tracks Newsletter of the Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group Volume 26, No. 1 | February/March 2002 Table of Contents Elaine Usherson General Meetings From the Chair Issues/Contact People Needed Raptor Cage Outing Report Everglades Day/Cypress Tree Planting Public Meetings to Attend Outings

Back Issues August/September 2001 June/July 2001 April/May 2001 October/November 2000 August/September 2000 Newsletter Editor Marcia Karasoff mkarasoff@mindspring.com

She Wouldn't Quit

Many Florida Sierrans fondly knew Elaine Usherson.  It's with sadness that we report her death on December 10, 2001 at 75 years of age.  Yet despite the loss we feel, there is a clear recollection of her determined and committed attitude -- embodied in the tireless work she performed on behalf of the environment.  She exuded this to nearly her last day.  Literally days before she died, she peppered me with questions about various local issues!

And THAT is something we can cherish and from which we can learn.
Elaine loved the Florida wetlands so much that she dedicated the last decade of her life to protecting them.  She was Conservation Chair of the
Loxahatchee Group since 1996.  She routinely spoke at Palm Beach County Commission meetings and served on an advisory committee to the governing board of SFWMD.  She communicated with the Army Corp of Engineers on countless issues. The Treasure Coast and Palm Beach County benefited from her participation in comprehensive plan development. Elaine served on the County Environmentally Sensitive Land Acquisition Committee and drafted the language for a bond referendum to purchase sensitive lands.

Even while ill with cancer, she continued to advise the Lox Group.  Her knowledge of Palm Beach County environmental history, and how it applied to current issues was impressive. "She was emotionally tied to trying to preserve some semblance of what Florida was," said friend Rosa Durando, Conservation Chair of the Audubon Society of the Everglades.  "It was an emotional thing to her.  It wasn't to identify birds... or talk about native plants with their Latin names", Ms. Durando continued. She honestly wanted to preserve Florida's unique beauty for the future.  She was an elegant, gracious lady and at the same
time, was willing to fight doggedly for her beliefs.

The Loxahatchee Group named the environmental scholarship fund in her memory.  This program sends motivated, economically disadvantaged children to environmental camps.  The goal is to instill a respect for nature in young people, while providing an enriching opportunity they would not
ordinarily have.

- Nada L. MacKinney

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General Meetings

The February 19th General Meeting will feature our guest speaker Darden Rice. Darden is a Sierra Club Staff person from our St. Petersburg Office. Darden¹s specialty is Energy Conservation, and Grass Roots Organizing. She is bringing with her to a brand new Toyota Prius.  This is the latest energy efficient hybrid automobile. It operates on both electric and gasoline propulsion. Darden will have this car available at the meeting between 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM for anyone that is interested in a demonstration. Our meeting will start at 7:00 PM,

Our speaker for the March 19th General Meeting Lisa Interlandi.  Lisa
Interlandi is an attorney and the Regional Director of the Environmental and Land Use Law Center's Treasure Coast Office in West Palm Beach, Florida. The ELULC is a not for profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to representing the public interest in environmental and land use matters, and maintains offices in Ft. Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Stuart.  Lisa represents organizational and individual clients in advocacy before
governmental entities, and in litigation on a variety of environmental
issues affecting South Florida, the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee.  Prior to joining the ELULC,  Lisa worked as Assistant General Counsel for the Department of Environmental Protection in Tallahassee.

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From the Easy Chair . . . . . .

"Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or the
present are certain to miss the future." John F. Kennedy, June 1963.

The Loxahatchee Sierra Group contributed to many successes in 2001.
Providing Environmental Camp Scholarships for deserving kids in Delray and Boynton Beach, having the Walton Bridge project abandoned (for now) in St. Lucie, stalling the West Virginia Bridge in Port St. Lucie, and raising concerns about building a reliever road through land purchased by the $100 million voters approved in 1991 for land pre servation were some of our worthwhile projects.  Good job Sierrans!

For the present, as the Loxahatchee Sierra Group Chair for all of two weeks I am getting a crash course and acquiring a respect for the smooth workings of an efficient, dedicated group of volunteers.   I say who will write the thank you notes?  There¹s a volunteer.  Who will write the article for Turtle Tracks?  There¹s a volunteer.  Who will input this information to disc required by the FL Executive Committee? There¹s a volunteer.  And there are the things I don¹t even know need to be done.  Volunteers email that they have taken care of such n such, not worry!  I can see I am truly in an "Easy Chair." Thank you for allowing me to work with such professional volunteers!

Check out the Directory to see the names and positions this group is
fulfilling.  A special welcome to JoAnn Miner who has agreed to undertake the Conservation Chair.  She has big shoes to fill but from her succinct email I can tell she¹s up to the task.  And there are others, particularly the Issues Contact People.  They will be our link to the future.  These are volunteers who have agreed to receive, learn, and decimate information on one environmental issue.  Tackling only one issue cuts the overwhelming environmental barrage down to doable!  We have seven of these activists signed up thus far.  See the list, get involved at this level!

In the near future, February 9 to be precise, is Everglades Day at the
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, and the Cypress Tree Planting project by the Marshall Foundation.  See the article.  Join us for these fun activities.  Be a part of Loxahatchee Sierra Group¹s future.

- Kay Gates

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Issues/Contact People Needed

The Loxahatchee Sierra Group has the following Issues positions open.  If you would like to get on the band wagon and be the contact person for any of these positions please call Kay at (561) 742-9219 or email
johnkay@mindspring.com.  Give phone no. or email where you can be reached.

Air Quality; Corporate Accountability; Genetic Engineering ; Global
Warming/CAFÉ ; International Human Rights/Environment; International
Population; International Trade; Marine ; Mining; National Forests/ECL;
Parks/Refuges; Sprawl; SSC-Student Coalition Liaison; State Forests/Lands; Waste.

Other open positions: Fund Raising Chair, Posters Announcing
Mtgs./Events; T-shirt Sales/Promotion

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Raptor Cage Outing

I want to share a great Sierra day spent by a group of volunteers who came together to build a raptor cage at Okeeheelee Park.  Some of us came with tools in hand; experienced and inexperienced carpenters and helpers; others with engineering experience and then there were our lunch caterers to provide a break and energy to continue the task.

Okeeheelee Nature preserve management provided us with some tools and the necessary plywood and hardware, etc. to build the cage. Instead of a set of plans for our task, they pointed to another cage and said "build us one like that".  Our fantastic crew went about measuring, cutting and constructing and when the task was done, we stepped back in awe at what a great job they did.  We built a new home for some poor injured raptor.

Thank you to our great leader, Gary Lehnertz, our engineer,  Murray Cossey, very able carpenters,  Marvin Calderon, John Koch, Nada Mackinney and Patrick Salsick; and helpers, Lisa Hanley and Martin Fitzpatrick,  Margie Lehnertz, Norma Cossey and yours truly. Most important, our great catering staff, Kay and John Gates.  Once again, I am pleased to say, I was part of a very special group of "Sierra Volunteers".

- Sheila Calderon

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Everglades Day and Cypress Tree Planting

Its here again!  Everglades Day at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee
National Wildlife Refuge is Saturday, February 9, 2002, 8 am to 4 pm
Location:  U.S. 441, two miles south of Boynton Beach Blvd.

There will be lots of environmental exhibitors plus wild animals, canoe excursions, reptile and nature walks, children¹s activities, photography workshops, music, and much more.  The activities and admission are FREE.  Food and refreshments will be available at a nominal charge.   Call (561) 734-8303 for more details.

The Loxahatchee Sierra Group is sponsoring a booth.  Here¹s your opportunity to volunteer, share your knowledge and passion for the environment.  To sign up for a two hour shift staffing the booth call John or Kay Gates (561) 742-9219  or email johnkay@mindspring.com.

The Arthur R. Marshall Foundation invites you to take part in the 2002
Community Cypress Tree Planting.  This is our opportunity to make a concrete contribution to a small part of the Everglades restoration, to get involved literally on the ground level.

Last year Loxahatchee SIERRA Group turned out in full force for the tree planting.  You were great! You are experts now! So much so the Marshall Foundation is asking you to be team captains for this years planting.  Last year it was impossible to plant all 10,000 trees
on the one day.  This year they are going to spread out the planting.
Here¹s the deal:

Wednesday, February 6, World Wetlands Day ­ area high schools are invited to plant.  Anyone is welcome to join them or observe.

Saturday, February 9, Everglades Day ­ Scout Troops and youth groups are invited to plant.  Lox Sierra Group is asked to be team captains and assist these groups. Senator Bob Graham will be joining the tree planting.

Saturday, February 16, Grassy Waters Preserve Planting ­ everyone is invited and needed to participate.

Please call or email the Marshall Foundation directly to register.  (561)
805-TREE (8733)  plantcypress@aol.com

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Public Meetings to Attend:

CLASC -  Conservation Land Acquisition Selection Committee Meets on the 1st Monday of each month at 1:30 p.m. ERM Building #509 off Belvedere Rd, West Palm Beach.

ERM - Environmental Resource Management Constituency Meeting Meets on last Wednesday of every 2 month at 1:30 p.m. ERM Building #502 off Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach.  Next meeting on January 30, 2002.

NAMAC - Natural Area Management Advisory Committee to Board of County Commissioners.  Meets on 3rd Thursday of each month at 1:30 p.m.  ERM Building  #509 off Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach.

CTF -  Citizen Task Force Meeting date varies.  Meets at Planning and Zoning (on 4th floor) at I-95 and Southern Blvd.

SFWMD - South Florida Water Management District Governing Board: Workshop 2nd Wednesday 9AM, business 2nd Thursday 8:30AM, at 3301 Gun Club Rd. WPB. Call John Koch re. parking, etc. Workshops occasionally move out of town.

WRAC - Water Resources Advisory Commission:  Advisory body to SFWMD.  Usually  1st Thursday 8:30 AM at SFWMD, but dates and locations occasionally change. Call John for details.

ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION COMMITTEE - A group of environmentalists meeting informally, usually at a SFWMD conference room usually during 1st week of the month.  Contact John Marshall at the Marshall Foundation,  (561) 805-TREE (8733).  Not a government meeting, but good for learning issues.

PALM BEACH COUNTY COMMISSION - First and Third Tuesdays, 9:30 AM.  Televised on Cable TV Ch. 20.  We really need someone to monitor the PB County Commissioners, either on TV or in person.  Please contact John Koch or Kay Gates.

Loxahatchee Group Newsletter Folding Party - date to be determined.  Watch the Forum for the date or call Sabrina at (561) 732-4486 after March 15 for date and/or directions (west Boynton). Everyone is welcome.

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For Outings and Other Activities, Please Visit Events

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Turtle Tracks is published bi-monthly by Sierra Club Loxahatchee Group, 619 SW 2nd Avenue, Boynton Beach, FL 33426. The purpose of this newsletter is to inform members about environmental issues and events. Members subscribe through their annual dues. Nonmember subscriptions are available for $12 per year.

Newsletter submissions are welcome. The deadline is the third Tuesday of each month. Email articles to Marcia Karasoff at mkarasoff@mindspring.com (phone 954/525-7198), or deliver Macintosh format 3.5" disc or Zip disc copy to general membership meeting. (Typed hardcopies are also acceptable, but not preferred).