> Home > Archived Member Meeting Topics (Fall 2006-Spring 2009)

Archived Member Meeting Topics (Fall 2006-Spring 2009)

Spring 2009 Schedule

Date	Topic
January 12	Environmental Issues and the 2009 Legislative Session - The presentation will focus on legislation proposed for the upcoming Virginia legislative session. Come and learn how you can support conservation issues and participate in the Virginia Conservation Network's Lobby Day on January 19. Presentation will be at the McLean Government Center, 1437 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA. Refreshments and socializing start at 7 PM; presentation follows at 7:30. Questions? Contact Linda Burchfiel at 703-506-4310 or larva@attglobal.net.
February 23	Ansel Adams: A Documentary Film - Join the Great Falls Group of the Sierra Club for this Emmy Award-winning film featuring beautiful scenery from the American West and photographer Ansel Adams. Meeting will be at Lake Anne Community Center, 1609 Washington Plaza N., Reston, VA. Socializing and refreshments start at 7 PM with program at 7:30 PM. Contact is Linda Burchfiel at 703-506-4310 or larva@attglobal.net.
March 16	Get the DIRT Out - Ed Merrifield, a Potomac Riverkeeper, will describe his organization and discuss what it is doing to protect the Potomac. He also will introduce a new Potomac Riverkeepers program that is designed to help address the challenges of development and corresponding sediment pollution. Learn how to evaluate polluted runoff violations on construction sites, report violations, and help ensure that construction sites are not contaminating our rivers and streams. Meeting will be at Lake Anne Community Center, 1609 Washington Plaza N., Reston, VA. Socializing and refreshments start at 7 PM with program at 7:30 PM. Contact is Linda Burchfiel at 703-506-4310 or larva@attglobal.net.
April 21	Join Susan Jewell -  A wildlife biologist and environmental writer, Susan Jewell discusses endangered wildlife in the mid-Atlantic and introduces her latest book, Gators, Gourdheads, and Pufflings: A Biologist Slogs, Climbs, and Wings her Way to Save Wildlife. Books will be available for signing and purchase; part of the proceeds will benefit the Great Falls Group. Meeting will be at the McLean Government Center, 1437 Balls Hill Road, McLean, VA. Socializing and refreshments start at 7 PM with program at 7:30 PM. Questions? Contact Linda Burchfiel at 703-506-4310 or larva@attglobal.net.
May 18	Celebration of Spring - Dr. Stanwyn Shetler, Curator Emeritus for Botany at the Smithsonian Instituion, shares some of the beautiful wildflowers and birds of a Washington-area spring with his colorful and fast-paced slide presentation. Socializing and refreshments start at 7 PM with program at 7:30 PM. Questions? Contact Linda Burchfiel at 703-506-4310 or larva@attglobal.net.
June 15	Replacing Invasive Exotic Plants with Natives -  Claudia Thompson-Deahl, Environmental Resource Manager for Reston Association, will discuss our most problematic plant concerns and native substitutes for them. Expand your planting palette beyond burning bush and barberry to viburnums and blueberry! Meeting will be at Lake Anne Community Center, 1609 Washington Plaza N., Reston, VA. Socializing and refreshments start at 7 PM with program at 7:30 PM. Contact is Linda Burchfiel at 703-506-4310 or larva@attglobal.net.

Fall 2008 Schedule

Date	Topic
July 26	Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship - Enjoy a refreshing and informative day, as well as a potluck picnic lunch, at the beautiful 900-acre Blue Ridge Center for Environmental Stewardship in Loudoun County. Free and open to all. We will begin at 8 AM with a guided bird tour by the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy (LWC), hiking through this varied habitat that is home to more than 150 bird species. A potluck picnic lunch will follow at about 11:30 AM, either outside on picnic tables or inside an open barn, depending on the weather. Starting about 1 PM, you can enjoy LWC's family-oriented butterfly walk, followed at about 2 PM by the farm manager's tour of the seven-acre organic farm (star attractions are eight baby goats!). Is 8 AM too early for you? You can still join us for the potluck picnic lunch and the afternoon activities. Guests are free to roam the trails and enjoy the different habitats, which include wetlands, meadows, rocky outcrops, creeks, seeps and springs. Bring your unused cell phones and empty inkjet cartridges and the Center will recycle them for you in an environmentally-friendly way. More information, such as a bird list and a trail map, can be found on the Center's web site, www.brces.org. Questions? Contact Linda Burchfiel at 703-506-4310 or larva@attglobal.net.
August 9	Sierra Club 101 - Explore how you can get more involved in the Sierra Club, from making a phone call or writing a letter, to leading a campaign or taking a vacation to Bryce Canyon on a Sierra Club service trip. And, learn more about the Sierra Club and its complex web site, Clubhouse. Held from 2:00 - 4:00 PM at the new LEED-designed Oakton Library, 10304 Lynnhaven Place, Oakton, VA , 703-242-4020. Contact is Linda Burchfiel at 703-625-9190.
September 23	Polar Bears and Climate Change - Steve Bruckner, Conservation Chair of the Great Falls Group, will talk about energy and environmental issues on Alaska's North Slope and Arctic Seas. Both areas hold extensive oil and gas resources that energy companies and public officials want to exploit to increase energy supplies. These same regions, however, contain globally significant biological hot spots essential to iconic species (such as Polar Bears and migratory bird species) that are threatened not only by oil and gas activities but also by global warming. Learn about these important public policy issues and the competing interests interested in them. Meeting will be at Lake Anne Community Center in Reston. Contact is Linda Burchfiel at larva@attglobal.net or 703-506-4310.
October 2	2008 Elections and the Environment - Meeting will be at Dolley Madison Library, 1244 Oak Ridge Avenue, McLean, VA. Find out what the elections mean for the environment. The Connolly and Moran campaigns will send representatives; and Judy Feder plans to come in person. Contact is Bob Pearson at 703-690-3071 or bob_pearson@cox.net.
November 17	Cut Home Energy Costs - Meeting will be at Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax, VA. Learn how you can increase the efficiency of your home's appliances and heating/AC system--and cut your bills while you're cutting green house gases. Jason Dispenza, Building Performance Consultant with EDGE Corporation, will separate truth from myth and answer your questions about weatherization, insulation, and electronics. Sierra Club member Ross Shearer will follow with a short presentation about re-insulating his own attic. Contact is Linda Burchfiel at larva@attglobal.net or 703-506-4310.
December 15	Holiday Party at Lake Anne - Party will be at Lake Anne Community Center, 1609 Washington Plaza N, Reston, VA. Socialize with members and guests; enjoy music and a pot luck dinner. To coordinate your pot luck contribution, email Linda Freimark at Linda.Freimark@virginia.sierraclub.org.

Spring 2008 Schedule

Date	Topic
January 8	Conservation Issues for the 2008 Virginia Legislative Session - Come learn about legislation proposed for the upcoming Virginia Legislative session and find out how you can support conservation issues, including how to participate in the Virginia Conservation Network's lobby day later in January.
February 25	Wild Utah: America's Redrock Wilderness - Jackie Feinberg of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance is the featured speaker.  See this 20-minute multi-media slideshow of spectacular canyon country in southern Utah, with narration by Robert Redford.  Learn about citizen efforts to designate these public lands as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System and the current status of the Utah wilderness movement.  And, find out what you can do to help protect these unique lands.
March 17	Climate Change and the Chesapeake Bay: Challenges, Impacts and the Multiple Benefits of Agricultural Conservation Work - Joe Lerch of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation will speak about how Saving the Bay (with measures such as cost-effective agricultural conservation practices) helps sequester carbon dioxide and, thereby, can mitigate some of the predicted effects of climate change in the Mid-Atlantic region.  These effects range from altered agricultural and forest production to degraded coldwater fisheries, the influx of more invasive plants, and the loss of underwater grasses that support species such as the iconic blue crab.
April 21	The Environment and What You Eat - Diana Artemis, Co-Chair of the Sierra Club National Sustainable Consumption Committee, will speak about the Committee's True Cost of Food Campaign. She will be joined by local farmers Cliff Miller (Mount Vernon Farm) and Hiu Newcomb (Potomac Vegetable Farm) in a discussion of types of sustainable farming.
May 19	Appalachian Treasures - Attend this multi-media presentation about a critical social and environmental justice issue--mountaintop-removal coal mining (MTR) in Central Appalachia. At the heart of this presentation are photos of Appalachia and mining sites, voice recordings from coalfield residents, and traditional Appalachian music. Come and learn about mountaintop-removal coal mining from speaker J. W. Randolph, Appalachian Voices; and find out how you can help stop the destruction of our nation's oldest mountains and the people and culture of Appalachia.
June 17	Sierra Club Outings and You - Marjorie Richman, a Sierra Club national trip leader, will provide background information on Sierra Club trips; and Ray Evert, a Sierra Club local outings leader, will present information about local outings. Five happy campers will then share slides and experiences from their trips, which include a trek through Nepal and a backpack trip to the Navajo Nation in Utah. (Questions? Contact Linda Burchfiel at 703-506-4310 or lava@attglobal.net.)

Fall 2007 Schedule

Date	Topic
September 17	Global Health - Please join Sarah Fairchild, Director of SC's Global Population and Environmental Program, for a presentation about the Club's work to support global health initiatives that ensure healthier communities, help to curb global warming and protect our planet.  Find out what you can do to promote holistic solutions to climate change that advance sustainable development and family planning initiatives worldwide!
October 22	Annual Political Update - Election issues will be discussed.  What will the upcoming election mean for the environment?  Is the environment an issue this year?  How do the candidates differ on environmental issues facing Virginia?  Bring your questions and find out.
November 19	Green Clean - Patricia Hervey, who consults and trains in Green Cleaning & Safety, will address topics such as What is Green and What Agencies are Involved in Setting Standards.  Lisa Wilson, a Health, Nutrition, and Wellness Counselor, will talk not only about conventional cleaners and why they should not be used in the home but also about homemade cleaning solutions.
December 17	Annual Christmas Party - 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM.  Come and enjoy our annual potluck dinner while you talk with fellow Sierra Club members about places you've been to and things you've done this year.  Free and open to the public.  For more information or to help, contact Linda Freimark (telephone 703-222-9240, email linda.freimark@virginia.sierraclub.org).

Fall 2006 Schedule