Nassau County Group
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Nassau County Group |
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Join our Outings and click here to see other Group outings that may be of interest. Tour the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on Jekyll Island (limited
to 20 people). Times still being confirmed; but it is thought that
there will be two tours of approximately 10 people each. Tours of
the Turtle Center probably will begin at at 11:00 and 2:00. Other
Jekyll Island options to fill the day include touring the historic
district and biking on the island (to be coordinated around the
times of the Turtle tour). Ft. Clinch Beach Combing and Clean up
Our Beach combing/clean up at the Fort had 38
participating.
18 Girl Scouts (from 4 Troops), 10 Parents, 10 Other Adults
click pix to enlarge
In partnership with Fort Clinch State Park the Sierra Club will be conducting a beach combing/beach clean-up Outing Saturday 14 November 2009. The Outing will include identification of animal tracks, shells and dune plants along with removing debris from the dune scarp to the waterline. The Outing will start at the Fort at 11:30 a.m. We will meet in front of the Fort Museum. The route will be from the Fort east to the fishing pier. It will be a two to three hour Outing. The Outing is free and open to the public. Park entry fee is waived for participants. Individuals are encouraged to bring a donation of caned food for the Fort food drive. Participants are encouraged to bring water, sunscreen and food. The outing will be conducted by a qualified Sierra Club Outings Leader. Participants will be required to sign a liability waiver. Please RSVP by 12 November 2009 to Len Kreger at 904 432 8389 or Len.Kreger@rocketmail.com
American Beach Bike Outing/Historical Lecture 13 bikers made the trek
Click pic to enlarge
The Sierra Club Nassau Chapter will host a bike outing/Historical Lecture from Fernandina Beach Recreation Center on Atlantic Avenue to American Beach on Saturday 7 November 2009. The trip is will be at a comfortable pace for an approximate 13 mile round trip. The route will include 1.5 miles Egan’s Greenway and 4 miles on Amelia Island Parkway. Amelia Island Parkway provides a good overview of native maritime forests. The remainder of the Outing will be on Fletcher Avenue, Jasmine Street, 1st Street and in the American Beach area. The outing will depart the Recreation Center on Atlantic Avenue at 9:30 am. There will be optional 4 mile round trip from Peters Point Beach. This portion will join the main body at 10:20 am. This is a 4 mile round trip. Highlight of the outing will be a Historical/Culture lecture about American Beach by Marsha Phelts the award wining author of “An American Beach for African Americans.” A second option for those individuals desiring to attend the historical/culture lecture will join the outing at the Nana Dune in American Beach on Ocean Blvd at 11:00 am. Upon completion of the lecture individuals can have lunch on the beach or stop at Gourmet-Gourmet for lunch The outing is Free, and open to the public. Please RSVP by 4 November 2009 to Len Kreger at l.kreger@comcast.net, or 904 432 8389.
Lofton Creek Kayak/Canoe Trip The trip will be an approximate 4 mile round trip departing at 10:00 am from Melton O. Nelson Boat Ramp on A1A. A three to four hour trip. Lofton Creek is a fresh to brackish water creek water with a slight currents. Paddlers will experience a tannic stained water creek with cypress trees high banks with overhanging branches. Wildlife includes birds, turtles and alligators. The trip is open to the public and there are no costs or fees. Participants are required to have their own boats along with USCG approved PFD. Also recommended are water, food (as desired) sun protection, and insect protection. The trip is in calm water and is suitable for beginners with some experience.
October 6, 2009 Senior Fort Clinch Trip:
Contact Len Kreger:
l.kreger@comcast.net
or 432.8389
A trip in partnership with the Nassau County Council on Aging using COA transportation to Fort Clinch State Park. Included will be stops at the new Amelia Island Light House viewing area with a historical lecture along with a conservation brief on tidal salt marches and birds and animals followed by a visit to the Fort Clinch Museum and a view of the Fort.
All areas ADA assessable. Sign up at the Senior Center, 1367 S. 18th Street, Fernandina Beach, Florida.
Okefenokee Sunset/Full Moon Paddle
We had 7 boats and 16 people,
plus Chip and Iona (training staff) in 2 more boats. This
was about right - not easy to keep track after dark of any
more. A BEAUTIFUL night, no bugs, and too few alligators. I
never put on bug spray, heard ONE mosquito, and that was on
the way back in. Chip says that's typical, more in the scrub
onshore than out on the swamp in October. Definitely
something to consider as an annual effort!
Click on pix to enlarge
click here to link to an album by Dave Lott When: Saturday, October 3, 2009 Time: 3 pm to 8:30 pm. We will be paddling and on the water for 4 hours. Moonrise: 6:39 pm Sunset: 7:10 pm Where: Okefenokee Adventures
4159 Suwannee Canal Road, Folkston, GA 31537 http://www.okefenokeeadventures.com/ Price: $35.00 includes canoe rental and 4 hour tour, led by Sierra outings leader Eric Titcomb and Chip Campbell of Okefenokee Adventures. On your own for lodging/camping afterward, if you wish to stay overnight. Because this is a heavily discounted price, there is no discount for bringing your own boat. So, travel light! Join Nassau Sierra and watch the sun set and full moon rise over the haunting Okefenokee Swamp. We will meet at Okefenokee Adventures concession in the National Refuge at Folkston, Ga. at 3:00 pm, tour the interpretive center, pick up our packed picnic dinners at the expanded dining room there (menus provided beforehand), then canoe/kayak out onto the “prairie” or open swamp wetland. We watch the swamp settle in for the evening as birds and other daytime denizens wind down as the night creatures come to life. Paddle back by the light of the full moon, (bring a flashlight for the last ½ mile, although the moonlight should suffice) returning to the dock by 8:30 pm, then choose lodging or camping from several venues nearby, or head home. Limit 15 people, so call early! Bed and Breakfasts: The Inn, The Folkston House The Mizell House 509 W Main Street 802 Kingsland Drive 101 Garden Street Folkston, GA 31537 Folkston, GA 31537 Folkston, GA 31537 (912) 496-6256 (904) 219-4240 (904) 219-4240 (yes, same owner) (888) 509-6246 innkeeper@folkstonhouse.com
Motels: The Western, or, for the intrepid but poor, the Star Motel, next to the truckstop in Folkston. Camping: Okefenokee Pastimes (across the street from the park)(912-496-4472) call to reserve 5:30- 6:30 pm only, or email. Reservations necessary. www.okefenokee.com/okefenokee_pastimes.html Trader's Hill County Park, just down the road. (912)496-3412 $10/tent + $5for electr $20/RV site. No need to reserve in advance (“we had 300 scouts one time.”).
August 29 2009 Great day for 20 boats and 25 paddlers
Click on pix to enlarge EXPLORE SIMPSON CREEK BY KAYAK or CANOE
A guided kayak/canoe trip to Simpson Creek (Little Talbot Island) will be conducted by the Nassau Sierra Club on Saturday, August 29. This trip is open to the public. The three to four hour trip will depart the “Kayak Amelia” concession at Little Talbot State Park at 9 a.m. The trip will be an approximate five mile paddle with a stop for lunch on the sandbar or Bird Island. Paddlers will experience maritime forests, desert-like dunes, undisturbed salt marsh and a variety of wildlife and native and migratory birds. Little Talbot is one of the few remaining underdeveloped barrier islands in Northeast Florida. Participants with their own boats can launch at Kayak Amelia, those without kayaks can rent either single ($30) or tandem ($45). Kayak Amelia will waive the launch fee for this trip and offer renters a 10% discount. This paddle will be in calm water and is suitable for beginners. A personal flotation device is required; they can be rented from Kayak Amelia. Also recommended are sun protection, insect repellent food and drinking water. The trip will be led by Len Kreger, a certified Sierra Outings Leader; please RSVP Len at L.Kreger@comcast.net or by phone at 904 432 8389.
August 14-16 2009 11 made the trip
Click pix to enlarge
July 12 2009 Great trip for a group of 20 strong!
Click pix to enlarge
NASSAU SIERRA TO EXPLORE EGAN’S CREEK BY KAYAK or CANOE An Egan's Creek guided kayak/canoe trip will be held by the Nassau Sierra Club on Sunday, July 12. It is open to the public. The three to four hour Sierra Outing will leave from the county boat ramp north of Pogy Road at 10:45 a.m., one hour before high tide. Should water conditions be too choppy the launch will be moved to 14th Street. (where there is a $5 fee for ramp use). Otherwise there is no cost for the event. This is a short 4 to 5 mile trip traveling south to Atlantic Avenue with the potential to travel up some of the creeks running to the east into Fort Clinch. The goal is to view and experience the plants, animals and birds in a tidal salt marsh. Participants should bring their own kayak or canoe and personal flotation devices (required). Also recommended are sun protection, water, insect repellent and food as desired. The trip is suitable for beginners and above and will be mostly in calm waters with limited wind issues. There will be a comprehensive safety briefing. The trip will be led by Len Kreger, a certified Sierra Outings Leader. Those who will take the trip, or having questions, should contact Kreger at l.kreger@comcast.net or by phone at 904-432-8385.
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Earth Day Group Campout at Ft Clinch
Friday night: 4:00-6:30 pm- participants set up tents in group camping area6:30- begin kitchen setup & preparations for laying out potluck foods for group dinner 7:00 pm- Dinner Served- Potluck 8:30 pm- Storytelling & S‘mores: bring your favorite campfire story to share Saturday:
8:00 am- Group breakfast preparations
8:30 am- Breakfast served Breakfast- eggs and potatoes, biscuits on a stick, cowboy coffee, tea, juice 10:00 am- guided nature walk 12:00 pm- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit -----BREAK CAMP, CLEAN UP-----  Earth Day Tree Planting
(click pix to enlarge) Sierra Club plants two American elms at court house To celebrate Earth Day
As an Earth Day tribute, the Nassau Sierra Club planted two Princeton American Elm trees at the Nassau County Court House Annex in Yulee on Wednesday April 22nd with the assistance of Judge Foster. Ray Roberts, who directed the elm planting project for Nassau Sierra, said the tree planting was chosen as the club’s Earth Day project “to symbolize the importance of trees in our lives and the need to protect them and increase their numbers.” Once the dominant feature in the eastern American landscape the American elm ruled supreme as the shade tree of choice for generations until, in the early 1930s, a fungal infection borne in beetles was introduced into the United wiped out tens of millions of American elm trees over a period of decades. The Princeton American elm had been selected by a wholesale tree grower in New Jersey from a single specimen around 1920 because of its strong horticultural traits and resistance to elm maladies. Cuttings grafted from this tree onto American elm root stock have had a 95% survival rate. This tree is not a hybrid but a true American elm (Ulmus Americana) grown from cuttings from trees descended from the original Princeton elm first selected in 1920. They are produced on their own root. In northeast Florida these large, graceful specimens with their upright, vase-shaped habit are predicted to grow six feet a year during its early development. Eventually, it will grow as tall as 80 to 100 feet.
_____________**_____________ Nassau County Sierra is actively soliciting members who may be interested in training to become an Outings Leader. Volunteer leaders are the backbone of this program and we would like to expand the number of outings that Nassau Sierra is able to offer to our members and our community!Outings PhilosophySierra Club Outings were started in 1901 by Club Founder John Muir. He was convinced that the best way to persuade people to fight to save valuable wild areas was to take them into the wilderness and let them experience for themselves the beauty that needs defending. The Nassau County Sierra Outings Program exists primarily to make participants aware of the natural areas and the resources that the Sierra Club works so hard to preserve. Locally-sponsored outings could be day hikes, flora & fauna-watching trips, conservation-oriented walks, canoe or kayaking tours, over-night camping trips, or other forays into the remaining natural areas of NE Florida. The variety of outings can range as widely as the interests and creativity of Club members. Nassau County Sierra would like to encourage our members to volunteer their time to obtain the Outings Leadership training, and then lead outings on behalf of Nassau Sierra. The requirements are as follows:
Towards
this end, some wonderful opportunities are on the horizon!!!!!!
Carolyn Woods, SOLO Wilderness and Emergency Medicine instructor, from FCCJ Nassau will teach a full weekend of Wilderness First Aid at Crooked River State Park in St. Mary’s, GA. The course runs from 6 pm. on Friday March 27th to 11 am. Sunday March 29th. The cost is $150. We will organize an Outings Leadership Training Course to be given locally once we find out how many members are interested. (Note: Wilderness First Aid is not a pre-requisite to lead outings, but as stated above you must have a current First Aid and CPR certification and this training will offer that opportunity and more).
Sierra Club outings are a great way to find out
about local conservation issues while enjoying the great outdoors!
Spending time in nature helps people to more deeply appreciate why we
are fighting to preserve and protect our environmentally sensitive wild
open spaces. Leading outings allows you to help deepen others’
commitment and appreciation of nature. Please won’t you consider? Contact Julie Ferreira for more information: 904-583-4388. _____________**_____________
Our Yulee Historic Council has annually sponsored a hike to
commemorate John Muir's walk through Nassau County. We would
like to invite all current and former Sierra Club members from
Nassau and Duval Counties to join us for the next commemorative
walk. Due to limits on the size of the group we can handle,
attendance will be by invitation only.
This year the walk will be held on October 11 in Crandall Pasture.
Rayonier's Chief Forester will lead the walk and provide a narrative
about the history of the area and modern timber farming practices.
The trail will take us from a large picnic site near the Bells
River, through uplands to a scenic viewpoint on a high bluff and
return and will be approximately 3-4 miles round trip. We will
probably offer a shorter walk for those who do not want to make the
full hike. This area is, without a doubt, the most scenic and
geographically unique in Nassau County.
We will all meet at the John Muir Park in Yulee near the US Post
Office at 9am on October 11. There will be a short
ceremony where Rayonier will convey ownership of several acres
of land for park expansion to the Yulee Historic Council.
Then we will drive in convoy to Crandall for the hike.
Attendees should plan to bring a picnic lunch and beverage and
dress for the hike.
We are doing our final planning now and need your help. Could
you please provide me with either the names and mailing addresses of
individual members (preferred) or a Club mailing address as soon as
possible so Rayonier can mail out formal invitations with RSVP
instructions? I need to build a comprehensive attendee list
ASAP. Please call me if you have any questions. I look
forward to seeing you there, too!
Mike Pikula
904-556-1098
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Please join us for this year’s walk that will take us to the John Muir Ecological Park in Yulee, FL and to some very lovely woods in Nassau County for a light walk and picnic. We are most grateful to Pat Edwards and Stan Longenecker for allowing us to visit their woods. We will meet in Yulee for a brief visit to Nassau County’s newest park, the John Muir Ecological Park, on the 140th anniversary of naturalist John Muir’s famous visit to this site. We will then drive in our cars ten minutes to the Edwards/Longenecker woods, a private hunting preserve that will be ours for the day. We will have an easy two-mile walk through a lovely forest and then return to the John Muir Ecological Park for our picnic lunch. Families, children, and dogs are welcome. This is a joint event of the Yulee Historic Council (that helped develop the Park) and Sierra Club of Northeast Florida. Leaders are Todd Sack, Brian Paradise, Lawrence Piper and Mike Pikula. Where: Meet at 10:00am in Yulee, FL at the John Muir Ecological Park, located on the north side of Highway AIA, 2.4 miles east of Interstate 95 (Exit 373, “Fernandina Beach, Callahan”), approximately 45 minutes from downtown Jacksonville. What to bring: wear long pants, walking shoes, hat, bug repellant, camera, picnic lunch, and plenty of water. Reservations: For safety, we need to know who is coming along. Please call Brian Paradise (904-710-0479), Todd Sack (904-403-6446 or 904-733-6500), or Mike Pikula (491-8673). If lost or questions on Oct 13, call Todd Sack. No fee.
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Join Nassau County Sierra Club for a working outing this Saturday, October 6, at Egan’s Creek Greenway, 9 am at the Atlantic Recreation Center entrance to the park. Wear long pants, bring gloves, sunscreen and bug spray, and a hat if it’s hot. We’ll help remove invasive plants, then move to Jasmine Street entrance, where we’ll take salinity readings and monitor the tree die-off. Call Winifred, 277-4187, if you have any questions.
Here are pics from this morning's (very wet) Public Lands
Celebration. Actually, 4 groups were using the Greenway
this morning, we have pics from our local birding group (with
some brave souls from Duval Audubon), our Sierra Club
celebration, the Our Greenway cleanup, and representative City,
County and State employees! A soggy but good time was had
by all, until it really poured and began to lightning and
thunder. We postponed the salinity study (a superabundance
of fresh water, though), pulled up invasive morning glories, and
spotted anghina, a peregrine falcon, house finches, and a great
number of wading birds! Not to mention 3 alligators.
Bright spot: the rain kept all mosquitoes away! We had a pretty
good turnout for the weather, and considering several
faithful members are taking a course to be Master Naturalists,
and Teen and Jeff Peterson's daughter is getting married today!
Congratulations to the young couple!! I did suggest they
relocate the wedding on the greenway, but considering the
weather, perhaps it is just as well.
click pix to enlarge Nassau County Bird Club
What do we know? -- Georgia's Painted Buntings
Following is the 2009-2010 - Schedule of Field Trips -
Nassau County Bird Club
August 15, 2009 -
Huguenot Park for Fall Migration December 2009 - Audubon Christmas Counts January 9, 2010 - Fort Clinch State Park Fishing Pier February 13, 2010 - Huguenot Park March 6, 2010 - Egan's Creek Greenway - Atlantic Avenue Entrance
April 17, 2010 - Amelia
Island Plantation
Contact Winifred Stephenson for times and details
titcombe@bellsouth.net
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Sierra Club Outings
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Fri-Sun.,
Apr 24-26, 2009: 
