Sturgeon:
Great Jumping Dinosaurs

KENNETH SULAK
RESEARCH BIOLOGIST, US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Thursday, May 1
7:30 pm

University of Florida
Nematology / Entomology Building r. 3118

Enlarge Map

Welcome to The Suwannee - St. Johns Group of the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club. The national Sierra Club was founded by John Muir in 1892. The local group was founded by Ken and Betty Watson and has been active since 1971.

Alachua County is developing a Countywide Waterways Master Plan to ensure that its natural water resources continue to provide recreation in a safe and sustainable way well into the future.

www.AlachuaWaterways.org

May 15 - EXCOM

May 8
Service outing at Cedar Key

June 27 - Folding Party
SSJ Newsletter Folding Party

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SSJ Group Contact Info:
Rob Brinkman
Cell: 352-318-4934
Home: 352-337-1757
RobBrinkman@cox.net

First International Conference on Mining Impacts to the Human and Natural Environments
March 15, 2008 - Best Western Conference Center Punta Gorda, FL
http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/ndemers/Miningconference/mcindex.htm

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Mac Stone’s photography project “The Hidden Heart of Alachua County” will be in residence at the Randy Batista Gallery in downtown Gainesville through May 30. The gallery offers guests an intimate peek into some of Alachua County’s most secluded natural areas, many of which have been acquired by the taxpayer-funded Alachua County Forever(ACF) land preservation program.                                                                                                More>>>

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Saturday, April 26-“Great American Cleanup” Service Outing: Adopt-A-Road Clean Up of Lake Shore Drive and Clean Up of Palm Point Nature Park. Meet at Palm Point Nature Park parking lot at 4 pm for a 2 hour clean up.
For directions, see:
http://www.cityofgainesville.org/no/facilities/ppp.aspx
Please wear sturdy shoes and long pants. Note: you may get muddy/dirty during the clean up of Palm Point Nature Park. DEET-free insect repellent and beverages will be provided. Projected number of people needed is 14 to 18. Please RSVP by contacting Robert Fisher at rcblast1@yahoo.com or (352) 514-7674. Open to the public and please car pool.

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Cypress forests throughout the Gulf region and the southeast are being logged in many cases solely to produce cypress garden mulch. Cypress forests are important habitat for wildlife, provide important storm surge and flood protection, and enhance water quality. In Florida, cypress domes act as natural filters in areas of aquifer recharge providing critical filtration for the water supply. The destruction of such valuable ecosystems for an inherently disposable product must be halted, especially when sustainable mulch alternatives are readily available.

The problem of cypress deforestation has been well-documented in Louisiana and Florida, and the problem can grow beyond those states as the market for mulch expands. In Louisiana, the best science shows that many of the swamps may never grow back once cut, and in Florida, data shows that the trees are being felled faster than they can come back. Data from 2003 indicates that almost half of the cypress cut in Florida is used for mulch production.

http://www.healthygulf.org

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Gainesville Golf and Country received initial approval from the Alachua County Commission to build 176 condos near NW edge of Paynes Praire. The BOCC approved this change to the Alachua County Conprehensive Plan over objections from the Alachua County Growth Management Department and the chief biologist of Paynes Praire, Jim Weimer, and the SSJ Sierra Club.

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INVASIVE EXOTIC SNAIL IN NEWNANS LAKE:   The non-native ISLAND APPLE SNAIL was discovered in Newnans Lake near the Windsor public boat ramp last fall. This is the first discovery of this invasive snail in Alachua County. Eradication of these exotic plant-eating snails is underway by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, St. Johns River Water Management District, anity d the Universof Florida IFAS.  

              

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The consensus of scientists around the world is that human activities are causing an increase in greenhouse gases in the earth's atmosphere resulting in a rise in average global temperature.                     Read more>>