Miami Group Leader Becomes Chair of the Sierra Club Florida Chapter

Debbie Matthews has been elected Chair of the state-wide Sierra Club organization.
Responsible for Florida conservation, legislative lobbying, and political activities, the Chapter Executive Committee is made up of seven leaders from around the state. Debbie has also volunteered to be the program chair for the Miami Group, responsible for getting speakers for, and planning our general meetings. For more information on the Florida Chapter, go to Florida Sierra Webpage

It is Not Magic

The Miami Group has outings, general meetings, supports ICO and works on environmental issues in South FLorida.
But we can't do it without leaders. We have a seven-member Executive Committee and we need help.
Volunteer your time to keep the club going either on the Executive Committee or assisting them.
Please email miami-chair@florida.sierraclub.org for more information on leadership possibilities.

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Inner City Outings needs help maintaining equipment.

We have trips going out on weekends and we need help when we get back. We need help cleaning and storing
the equipment. We also need someone to help us repair sleeping bags, paddles, cooler, etc.
Be a "welcome home" helper at the end of our trips, or, just pitch in one time to help fix gear.
Send an email to Karen Kerr.

Miami Group Outreach Continues with more Tabling Events

The weather is great and we are outdoors once again, attending various fairs and festivals around town. If you would like to help us out with this--you just speak to people who walk up to the SC table about the club, about living greener, maybe hand them one of our give-aways, hand them information on enviromental issues, and collect their email info.
Contact Val Robbin, Val.Robbin@florida.sierraclub.org

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The Miami Group Puts it to a VOTE for 2013

The members have spoken and the next Sierra Club Miami Group Executive Committee has started to work:

Betsy Grass, Chair – Sierra member since 1980, she has been the Miami Group Treasurer for the past two years as well as the webmaster. She was Group Chair twice before and is looking to start training someone now to take her place.

Jim Teas, Vice-Chair - Sierra member since 1985 and past group chair, Jim has been working on the Environmental Education webpages. Noel Cleland, Secretary and Co-Chair of the Political Committee - Sierra member since 1996. Noel is active with EarthSave Miami where he is newsletter editor and webmaster and writes articles on eating healthy.

Stephen Mahoney, Conservation Chair - Sierra member since 2000, Stephen has served on the ExCom for all that time. He is a professor teaching environmental science at Johnson & Wales University. He was recently elected to the Sierra Club Florida Executive Committee.

Linda Benson, Asst Treasurer and Outings Treasurer – Sierra member since 1993, and she has volunteered to help with finances.

Valerie Robbin,OUtreach Coordinator - Sierra member since xxxx, Val has been working on tabling events for Miami Sierra. She gets the calendar of festivals around Miami and arranges for us to have a table and a staff to reach out to people attending events.

Melinda Fedorko, Member-at-Large – Sierra member since 1983, Melinda was program chair last year and now has moved to work on new member communications.

Sierra Miami is made up of volunteers. Join us at our General Meetings, on our outings, or get in touch with us to find out how you can get involved. Talk to Maria Papazian, miami-enviroed@florida.sierraclub.org, 305-519-0877.

Miami Sierra version of dinner and a movie

   Miami Group tried something new back in August, our version of dinner
   and a movie. The Executive Committee bought some pasta and members
   brought other Italian dishes, and we munched and watched a slide show
   by Betsy Grass on her trip to a Jaguar preserve in Brazil.
   We had a nice crowd for a hot August night.
   And we plan on doing it again in 2013.
   Vegan Dinner in July and Slides of Africa in August.

Miami Sierra Heard About Climbing Mt. Everest from Ian Woodall

   In September the guest speaker for our general meeting was Ian Woodall
   Mr. Woodall, who has climbed Everest multiple times spoke passionately
   about climbing, and his extraordinary effort to bring back the remains
   of some climbers who died on the mountain.

Sierra Club Loves Ron Magill

Sierrans were enthralled by Ron Magill and his photo safari
       to the Okavanga Delta at the general meeting last year.

       Ron is the ultimate animal enthusiast. His blow by blow descriptions
       and second by second photos of lions and leopards
       and cape buffalo and red lechwe (antelope) and wild dogs was intense.
       Thanks Ron! Come back soon.

Turkey Point Expansion Protest

photos by Stephen Malagodi

Miami Sierrans and others take to their kayaks and protest the expansion plan.

On April 30th, a mock emergency evacuation was staged on the shores of Biscayne Bay, to draw attention to the concerns of local citizens and environmental groups about the Turkey Point expansion plans. Save it Now, Glades!, Citizens Allied for Safe Energy, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, SF Wildlands Association and the Sierra Club brought members out with fake emergency gear, protest signs, and watercraft to make their point.

Debbie Matthews Gets Sierra Club Florida Award

The Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club announced in October 2011 that Debbie Matthews was receiving the Palm Leaf Award for outstanding leadership on the state level for the Sierra Club. The Steering Committee for Florida created the Group Advisory Council to support group leaders, keep groups healthy and operating well, and to assist with communicating between groups and the chapter. Debbie volunteered at the beginning to make this a success. She runs monthly conference calls for group chairs and leaders, finds trainers for club tools, holds regional meetings, and gets answers to leaders questions.

Debbie was the Miami Group Chair in 2007-2011.

Betsy Grass Gets National Sierra Club Award

The Miami Group is proud to announce that Betsy Grass is the recipient of the 2010 Sierra Club National Susan Miller Award. Betsy received the award at the National Awards Banquet in San Francisco in September, 2010. Club President Robin Mann presented the award and thanked Betsy for her years of service to the Club.

The Susan Miller Award is bestowed upon volunteers to honor and recognize administrative contributions to groups, chapters and regional entities. Only three are awarded each year.

Betsy took her first camping trip with Sierra Club Miami in 1976 and was hooked. She served as festivals chair, program chair, secretary, outings leader, newsletter editor, ExCom member, delegate to the Florida Chapter, and as Group Chair twice. She also built the first website for the Miami Group. She has served on the Chapter computer committee and directory committee.

Betsy has received numerous group and chapter awards over the years, including the Miami Group's highest award, The Group Medal for Outstanding Service, 1999. When the Florida Chapter was suspended two years ago, Betsy was asked to serve on the Sierra Florida steering committee. This small band of 7 volunteers is responsible for keeping the Sierra Club state-level functions running in Florida and rebuilding the Florida Chapter. She has recently completed that work but has returned to be the Chair of the Miami Group once again.