What we’re about
The Sierra Club is a national organization dedicated to Explore, Enjoy, and Protect the planet. Locally, our NE Group participates in outdoor adventures and environmental education, and we lobby our local and state government for pro-environmental legislation.
We invite you to Join the Sierra Club and help us Save the Planet!
You can join for as little as $15 a year!
As a special thank you, we'll send you a free gift as well as these exciting Members-only benefits:
- One-year subscription to Sierra magazine
- Worldwide Members-only outdoor trips
- Automatic membership in your local Chapter
- Discounts on Sierra Club calendars, books, and other merchandise
We will begin conducting outings again after July 4, 2021.
For much more info about us, see:
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Hike Tomahawk Park / City Nature Challenge 20248419 San Ardo Dr, Jacksonville, FL
This outing is part of the 2024 City Nature Challenge. You are welcome to join us for the hike without participating in the wildlife documentation.
The city nature challenge is an annual international event gathering people and communities from all over the world in a friendly competition through use of the iNaturalist app. During the annual challenge, people from all over the world will explore nature in their neighborhood and cities to find and document wildlife. If you wish to participate, please download the iNaturalist app on your phone prior to the event. We will provide instructions for using the app for the Challenge prior to, and at the outing.
The Goals of City Nature Challenge are to
● Connect people in urban/metro areas to their local nature,
● Connect people to each other in an effort to build community in person & online around local nature,
● Collect urban biodiversity data available to use for science, management, and conservation,
● Grow volunteer biodiversity documentation globally
● Have fun through some friendly competition
NOTE: You are required to sign our Participation Agreement to participate in Sierra Club outings. To save time the day of the hike, we encourage you to sign the agreement online ahead of time at: https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=7013q000002IRL6AAO A paper copy/QR Code will also be available at the outing.We’ll meet at Tomahawk Park and take a short hike, which is a little over a mile, along Goodbys Creek. The trail is flat. Most of the grounds are in a natural state with mature growth of oak, pine, and maple trees and a creek that extends through the middle of the tract to Goodbys Creek. The trail is not wheelchair accessible. No pets please. Children capable of walking at an adult pace are welcome, but must be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Please arrive 15 minutes in advance of the hike at Alejandro Garces Camp Tomahawk Park.
Bring sunscreen, insect repellent, and water.* No pets please. Kids capable of an adult pace are welcome.
The address to Alejandro Garces Camp Tomahawk Park is: 8419 San Ardo Dr, Jacksonville FL 32217
Cancellation Policy: Event will be held rain or shine, but may be canceled if weather threatens safety such as in the case of lightning or high winds in the forecast. Also, if the heat index is forecast to be over 103, then the outing will be canceled. Participants are advised to check Meetup for current status before traveling to the event. Events may need to be canceled at short notice.
* Help the environment by following these tips:
● Bring your water in a reusable container instead of a single-use plastic bottle
● Use sunscreen free of oxybenzone and octinoxate. These chemicals are extremely harmful to coral reefs, as well as being hormone disruptors in humans.Sierra Club maintains a safe space agreement between participants, leaders, volunteers, and staff. We want to support everyone in exploring, enjoying, and protecting our natural environment, and hateful and dangerous behavior will not be tolerated. We don’t want to deny participation in these outdoor programs and we will always say no to racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, impairment, and disruption. We request that all participants cooperate with the outing leader's direction to ensure a safe and enjoyable outing for everyone.
- Sierra Social and Symposium 20247152 Lone Star Rd, Jacksonville, FL
Right in the heart of Jacksonville sits Tree Hill Nature Center, a nature preserve, boasting 50 acres of unspoiled nature, trails to explore and wildlife exhibits.
Saturday, May 4 at 10:00am the Sierra Club of Northeast Florida (SCNEF) will host a panel discussion of environmental issues being addressed by your Sierra Club group and how they relate to you.
We will have refreshments, lots of good socializing and a hike afterwards for those who are interested. Don’t forget to visit the museum and especially the goats who always need a good pet.Please register at: https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=7013q000002IHRoAAO
Issues your Sierra Club is covering:
Renew Jacksonville Campaign- Logan Cross, Chair of NEFL Sierra’s Executive Committee will speak to our mission to reduce Jacksonville’s carbon emissions and contribution to global warming by getting the City of Jacksonville and JEA to commit to 100% renewable energy by 2050.. https://renewjax.org/
Political-Legislative Issues- Larry Zwain, member of the SCNEF Sierra Executive Committee and its Political-Legislative Team, will identify political and legislative issues being addressed by the SCNEF, the relevance of these things for you, and how you can assist.
Threats to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge- Logan Cross will identify and discuss threats to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) (https://www.fws.gov/refuge/okefenokee ). The Okefenokee NWR is a vast swampland and national wilderness area over 353,981 acres in size northwest of Jacksonville. The swamp serves as the headwaters of the Suwannee and St Marys Rivers. It is also home to many threatened and endangered animal species. The integrity of the swamp is threatened by titanium mining adjacent to the swamp boundaries. Logan will identify factors involved in this threat, why it is relevant to you, and how you can assist in the opposition efforts.
Creating Wildlife Habitat in Urban Areas- Lisa Williams, member of the SCNEF Executive Committee and Program Chair, will speak to the importance of combating the loss of habitat for many wildlife species. Though efforts are needed to slow the loss of natural areas due to overdevelopment, this loss can be mitigated by the creation of habitat within urban areas. Lisa will stress the importance of, and strategies for, recruiting homeowners and renters to plant native plants in pots and yards to create wildlife corridors throughout the urban landscape to augment habitat and slow the increasing number of endangered species.
SCNEF Outings Program- Bill Armstrong, SCNEF Outings Leader and former Leader of the Outings Program, will speak about the SCNEF Outings Program. The program provides an array of recreational, educational, and service outings to its members and non-member residents of the region. It also has a unique and growing outings program designed to increase outdoor engagement by current and former members of the military. Bill will speak about the differing outing types, how you can participate, and how you can get more involved.
- Creating a Native Habitat for Birds In Your YardLink visible for attendees
Register Now to RSVP and Receive the Zoom Link: https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=7013q000002HdANAA0
This presentation illustrates a simple step by step process you can use to transform your yard from a dead zone to a thriving native plant habitat for butterflies, bees, and most importantly, birds. It will help you understand
why a native habitat is so important to our future and the simple steps you take to help our native birds.Speaker Bio: Jody Willis is the President and Outreach Director for the Ixia Chapter, Florida Native Plant Society. She was President of Duval Audubon Society and held several board positions in the chapter over the last 20 years. She is also a member of the Florida Wildflower Foundation, and the Herb Society of America. She is an avid gardener and has been cultivating native plants in her yard since she moved to Jacksonville in 1999.
- Active/Former Military Members ONLY - Hike Washington OaksWashington Oaks Gardens State Park, Palm Coast, FL
This is a Sierra Club Military Outdoors event - a joint Sierra Club Northeast Florida and YMCA outing - FOR ACTIVE AND FORMER MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES ONLY.
We'll hike about three miles on beautiful, cool, live oak tree shaded trails at this historic site. Along the way, we'll look for dolphin in the Matanzas River, explore the beautiful gardens, and step on the old, original Rt A1A.
After the hike, we'll have a sandwiches&chips picnic lunch.
Please register and sign your Sierra Club liability waiver now at:
https://tinyurl.com/566rap3uEntry fee: $5 per vehicle (two to eight people), $4 single-occupant vehicle. You will be reimbursed for the parking fee.
Bring bug spray and water. There are plenty of restrooms at the trailhead and along the way. Children are welcome, but no pets.
See a virtual tour of this hike at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhJXsyXlXhsDIRECTIONS: The address is 6400 North Oceanshore Blvd, Palm Coast, FL 32137. Take I-95 south to exit 305. Take Rt 206 east toward Crescent Beach. Turn right on A1A and go south about 10 miles. Washington Oaks is on your right. After entering the park, continue to the stop sign. Turn left and drive about one mile. You'll see a sign for "Picnic Area Parking" and a Sierra Club sign. Park there and we'll meet in the picnic area. The drive takes around an hour from Jax.
The Sierra Club and the YMCA of the USA have launched a national partnership focused on improving the health and well-being of former and current members of the military and their families through outdoor experiences. Studies prove the mental health benefits of participating in outdoor programs.
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NOTE:
Our Military Outdoors Team would like your thoughts on your outings with our program in the past. We'd like to know what you liked, what we could improve, and what we can offer in the future. This helps us design better outings and helps us raise the funds we need to keep giving you and your fellow Veterans more adventures.
Please take a few minutes to share your experience! All of your answers are anonymous. You only have to fill this out one time.
Here is the link to give us your feedback: https://tinyurl.com/3f2jhyas
Thanks, and we hope to see you again soon!
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NOTE: Sierra Club maintains a safe space agreement between participants, leaders, volunteers, and staff. We want to support everyone in exploring, enjoying, and protecting our natural environment, and hateful and dangerous behavior will not be tolerated. We don’t want to deny participation in these outdoor programs and we will always say no to racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, impairment, and disruption. We request that all participants cooperate with the outing leader's direction to ensure a safe and enjoyable outing for everyone.