Founded in 1986, The Sierra Club Turtle Coast Group encompasses 80 miles of Florida's Atlantic Coast from Titusville to Vero Beach. More than 1,500 Sierra Club members live within the Brevard and Indian River County boundaries of the Turtle Coast Group.

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Turtle Coast Group Meetings

Next Meeting in Brevard County:
(We meet at one of three places - see below to learn which one and click here for directions to:
Hester Wagner Center
Friendship Fellowship Unitarian Universalist Center
FSEC)
Time: 7:00 p.m. (6:30pm social time)
Date: Thursday, Feb 25, 2010
Location: Friendship Fellowship Unitarian Universalist Center
Program: Carbon Emission Reduction with Alfonso Vazquez, Closewaters Energy and Carbon Management Former VP of AgCert Services USA, Mr. Vazquez founded AgCert's TurboGreen Division, leading 20 million annual tons of Kyoto Protocol Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) carbon emission reduction in industry and a dozen countries in the Americas, Africa and Asia. A leading Kyoto public corporation, AgCert had 95 emission reduction projects across 700 international sites, all registered under CDM and including methane capture and renewables such as landfill and large-scale agriculture biodigesters. Now leading Closewaters LLC, Vazquez is active in large-scale forestry and industrial carbon emission reduction project developments in Mexico, Peru and the Caribbean. This experience gives him unique insight into the interaction of citizens, government, business and science in bringing forward successful carbon emission reduction. An avid hiker, biker, sailor and kayaker, Vazquez also owns and operates KayakGuide.com, a popular global directory of Places to Paddle(tm).

Next meeting in Indian River County
Time: 7:00pm (6:30pm social time)
Date: Tuesday, Feb 16, 2010
Location: Indian River County Library - 1001 Sebastian Blvd. (C.R. 512) Sebastian (directions)
Program:Red-cockaded Woodpecker Recovery at the St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park with Sam McGee, Biologist, and Charlie Corbeil, Florida Master Naturalist and superb amateur photographer. The red-cockaded woodpecker population has declined 97% since European settlement, primarily due to harvesting and destruction of pine forests in the Southeastern United States. In 1973, the federal government listed the species as Endangered. McGee and Corbeil will discuss the characteristcs of this unusual woodpecker and review the work they're doing to recover the species at the park. There are less than 2 dozen publicly managed properties in the country where people are performing similar recovery steps to save this bird. Yet evidence suggests that extinction may be averted, and the credit for this success goes to the biologists and volunteers who have devoted countless hours of difficult work to the recover of red-cockaded woodpeckers.

Contacts in Indian River County:
- Lynn Walsh lwalsh@irclibrary.org, 772-589-1355
- Sonja Fromang sj442@aol.com, 772-589-7001

Turtle Coast Group, Sierra Club Outings

Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010 - TWO (2) OUTINGS

(1) MOSQUITO LAGOON-OAK HILL CANOE KAYAK OUTING - Oak Hill is a historic community in southern Volusia County. Numerous islands are present nearby. We will paddle a loop trail that will include the waters where Native Americans gathered shellfish for thousands of years. We will likely be accompanied by bottlenose dolphins. Weather permitting, a wide variety of bird species will be easy to see. We will paddle by Seminole Rest, a historic site operated by the National Park Service, to observe historic houses and shell mounds built by Native Americans between 2000 BC and 1565 AD. We will meet at 9:00am, be on the water for about three hours (including an island visit or two), and will lunch at Goodrich's Restaurant, a nearby waterfront seafood restaurant with a deck over the lagoon. Following lunch, a visit to Seminole Rest could fill your day.

Vince Lamb will serve as Sierra Club Outing Leader. Jim Durocher of Space Coast Kayaking will assist and provide rental kayaks for $25 per person. Bring your own kayaks or canoes at no charge. Contributions to Turtle Coast Sierra Club will be appreciated.

Reservation required: please email Vince at vince@turtlecoat.org or call 321-258-5168. To rent a kayak, please send check payable to Space Coast Kayaking to Vince Lamb, 11590 Dragon Point Dr, Merritt Island FL 32952. Single and tandem kayaks available.

(2) KAYAK THE SOUTH PRONG OF ST. SEBASTIAN RIVER - Join the Turtle Coast Sierra Club for a day on the south prong of the river. Come explore and learn why this winding river has been a destination for naturalists since the 1800’s. The South Prong meanders north behind the coastal ridge that separates it from the Indian River. Sluggish stream flow and a wide channel on the lower river provide an easy day of paddling after winding through the narrower upper section. Large oaks hang out from steep but accessible banks overlooking ultra-clear tan waters. This river is one of a few in Florida that has not been altered. It is home to over 120 different species of fish, clouds of migratory birds fill the winter skies and manatees seek refuge from the cold in the deep holes here. This trip is for active people as we will be in the kayaks most of the day and there could be a few carry overs and downed trees to navigate around. Kayaks Etc will provide kayak rentals for $35 per single or $50 for a tandem kayak. Please call 772-202-0220 to reserve a kayak or you can bring your own boat. Personal flotation devices are mandatory on all Sierra Club water outings. Pack a light lunch, water and wear layers of clothing and shoes that can get wet.

Reservation required: Call Kristen at 772-794-9900 or 772-538-1633.

To participate in one of the Sierra Club's outings, you will need to sign a liability waiver. If you would like to read a copy of the waiver prior to the outing, please see www.sierraclub.org/outings/chapter/forms or call 415-977-5630.

Florida Seller of Travel Ref. No. ST37115

SCHOLARSHIPS: Turtle Coast supports an annual service scholarship for young people who would like to conduct a service outing in one of our national parks. Deadline for application is set in the spring. Download most recent application form.

Have you seen a Caracara?

Caracara Sighting Info

CONTACT INFO for Turtle Coast Sierra Club, including Executive Committee

Additional Information for Executive Committee members and aspiring Excom members