Austin Sierra Club Outings

Service Project - Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie NF

Sat, Aug 15 · 12:30 PM CDT

Swift Creek Campground, Baker Lake Road, Concrete, WA, US

*** RSVP ON MEETUP ALONE DOES NOT RESERVE A SPOT ON THE TRIP***
This project is the second of two consecutive weeks in Washington state. The first week is at Olympic National Park. You are welcome to do one or both.

We will be based at Swift Creek Campground, in overflow space reserved for our group. No hookups, and no charge for camping on days off.

Swift Creek Campground is tucked into a mixed-conifer forest at the edge of Baker Lake, halfway up the lake's eastern shore. On a clear day, Mt. Baker dominates the skyline — a perpetually snow-capped active volcano rising to 10,781 feet, mantled with glaciers.
GPS coordinates:

• 48.72855° N
• −121.65745° W

The campground has a small beach, a boat ramp, a 20-slip dock, potable water, and vault toilets. Swimming, kayaking, fishing, and hiking are all steps from your tent.

Wildlife in the area includes black bears, mountain goats, and bald eagles — and August is prime time for the Baker Lake sockeye salmon run, one of the most spectacular in the North Cascades. On days off, North Cascades National Park is within easy reach.

The work will be a combination of basic carpentry, trail brushing, and trail tread work — rebuilding multiple trails, bridges, and boardwalks, many of which run along the Baker Lake Trail on the eastern shore of the lake. There are photos attached illustrating the type of rehabilitation that is needed.

We will have to ride in Jon Boats to get to our worksite. No Lifeguard on Duty.

In 1843 a small eruption of Mt. Baker caused a forest fire, and you can still see the burned snags of virgin cedar trees that once dominated the area.

A small number of participants will need to be comfortable operating a Jon boat. Anyone operating or riding in the Jon boat will be required to wear a personal flotation device at all times. Washington state law.

Dinner Duty
We keep dinner simple: every team cooks one night only. The cooking team brings and prepares dinner, handles dish patrol, and washes the pots and pans — then enjoys the other evenings free.

Geologist's hammers are the one tool I ask everyone to bring. They are endlessly useful.

No experience necessary for most tasks. If you have carpentry skills, please mention them when you RSVP.

***

To Sign Up

1. RSVP on Meetup — The event may show as full, but sign up anyway! There is usually plenty of turnover.
2. Wait for approval from Trip Leaders, who may reach out for more details. Volunteering in a rugged wilderness area takes real preparation, and we want to make sure this trip is the right fit for you.
3. Send your contact info — name, cell number, and email address — to stanpeyton@gmail.com.
4. Complete the Medical Form at https://tinyurl.com/SCMedicalForm2021 and email it to stanpeyton@gmail.com, or mail it to the address below.
5. Read the Participation Agreement and complete Page 1 at https://tinyurl.com/SCSignUpSheet2020, then email or mail it as well.
6. Mail forms to: Stan Peyton 8408 Hanbridge Lane Austin, TX 78736

⚠️ Important: Paperwork must be received within ten days of signing up, or you will be removed from the trip. Please only sign up if you are serious about attending.

***

What to Bring
Camping Essentials

• Tent and sleeping gear
• Sleeping pad or kneeling pad
• Flashlight or headlamp
• Earplugs

Food & Kitchen

• All breakfasts, lunches, and snacks for the trip
• Dinner ingredients for the night your team cooks
• Plate, bowl, and silverware
• Dish towel
• Containers for leftovers
• Water bottle

Work Gear

• Work gloves
• Long pants
• Hat
• Geologist's hammer (yes, really!)
• Trail tools, if you already own them

Health & Safety

• Personal prescriptions and first aid kit
• Sunscreen
• Tweezers

Triangle Evening Walk (+ ice cream)

Sun, Aug 16 · 7:15 PM CDT

Triangle Commons Park, 4660 Triangle Avenue, Austin, TX, US

Join us for a 4 mile easy-paced, shady urban walk, starting at Triangle Commons Park and taking us thru Hyde Park, Sparky Park, and Hemphill Park, with an ice cream stop at the end. Bring cash / card.

OK to bring a well-behaved pet on leash. If problems arise, you and your pet will need to depart from the group.

Participants must sign a Liability Waiver at the trailhead. You may view the waiver document: https://tinyurl.com/SCSignUpSheet2020.

If not already a member, we encourage you to join the Sierra Club (in addition to the Meetup group) and help protect the environment and our democracy.

August General Meeting -- Increasing Voter Turnout: What the Research Shows

Wed, Aug 19 · 6:30 PM CDT

Mosaic Workshop, 729 Airport, Austin, TX, US

Join us at our monthly General Meeting at the Mosaic Workshop in East Austin for socializing, networking, and engagement on environmental topics of local interest. Doors open at 6:30 for light snacks and conversation. Club updates and program starts at 7pm.

We all want to see environmentally conscious candidates get elected, but what's the best way to support those efforts? For our August gathering, Bob Hendricks, Austin Group Chair, will explain which volunteer activities have been shown to have the greatest impact on voter turnout. Bob will draw on the Analyst Institute's meta-analysis of more than 600 controlled studies, and Yale research summarizing get-out-the-vote (GOTV) campaigns. He'll also discuss how you can choose the volunteer opportunities that best match your interests, skills, and available time.

As a real-world example, Bob will highlight the Texas GOTV Postcard Project, a large-scale volunteer effort that combines handwritten personal messages, social-pressure techniques, voting information, and handwritten addressing to maximize effectiveness.

Every election matters. While casting your own ballot is the single most important step, you can also make a meaningful difference by volunteering in ways that research shows are most effective. Whether you're new to voter outreach or an experienced volunteer, you'll leave with practical insights into how you can have the greatest impact.

Bob Hendricks is Vice Chair of the Texas Sierra Club, Chair of the Austin Sierra Club, and Texas Volunteer Director for Citizens' Climate Lobby. In addition to running GOTV postcard projects, Bob has organized over 100 phone banks, texted over 100,000 voters in text banks, and organized and participated in various block walks.

Documentary: "Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story"

Sun, Aug 23 · 12:30 PM CDT

Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, 1800 Congress Ave, Austin, TX, US

Escape the summer heat and join us for “Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story,” Texas’ first wildlife film, shown on the largest IMAX screen in Texas!

Optional (not part of the official Sierra Club event): After the documentary, join us for a short 10 minute walk to Texas Chili Parlor for a cold drink, snacks, or an early dinner.
If you would like to join us at Texas Chili Parlor, please RSVP separately on the Texas Chili Parlor companion Meetup event page so we may reserve enough space for our group.

• A separate RSVP is required for the companion event in addition to your RSVP for the IMAX documentary.

"Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story" is a visually stunning celebration of what makes Texas unique — its diverse landscapes and remarkable wildlife behavior that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

Told through the eyes of wildlife species ranging from the mysterious blind catfish to the elusive mountain lion, the story follows our ever-changing relationship with the natural world and showcases our ability to destroy, conserve, and recover wildlife and the habitat we mutually depend on.

Narrated by Matthew McConaughey and featuring state-of-the-art cinematography, this family-friendly film journeys from the highest peaks in West Texas, through our aquifers, rivers, and bays, and deep into the Gulf of Mexico.

Deep in the Heart aims to conserve our remaining wild places, to show the connectivity of water and wildlife, and to recognize Texas’ conservation importance on a continental scale.
[Source: https://deepintheheartwildlife.com/]

This family-friendly documentary is in 2D format.

The documentary is 43 minutes in length, showing from 1:00PM to 1:43 PM.

Itinerary:

12:30 PM:
Let's meet just inside the Bullock Museum main rotunda entrance at 12:30 PM; then, we can purchase our tickets at the Ticketing Booth in the museum's lobby.

GETTING THERE: [IMPORTANT]

Enter the Bullock Museum address (1800 N. Congress Ave.) into your GPS, but note that the museum entrance is on the pedestrian-only Capitol Mall and cannot be accessed by car. When your GPS brings you to the museum, continue to nearby streets such as Colorado, 17th, or San Jacinto to look for parking.

Parking can be a challenge in downtown Austin, so plan to arrive early to find parking within a 5–8 minute walk to the museum.
Free metered street parking is typically available on Sundays on San Jacinto and Trinity—several blocks away.

Refer to the Texas Capitol Complex Map to familiarize yourself with the surrounding city streets before your visit.

If you prefer to park onsite at the museum, the Bullock Museum Parking Garage offers only a full-day rate of $15. The garage entrance is shown on the Texas Capitol Complex Map.

Carpooling is encouraged. Comment below if you are interested in carpooling and share your area of town. Carpooling is not arranged by Sierra Club.

PURCHASE IMAX TICKETS:
Purchase tickets in person at the Ticketing Booth in the museum's main rotunda lobby upon arrival for the 1:00 PM showing of Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story.
Ticket prices: Adult (18-64 years) $10, Senior (65+) $9, Youth (4-17) $8.

OR
You may purchase tickets online in advance. Note: Online purchases add a convenience fee.

• If purchasing at the museum, please allow extra time for the ticket line.

Tip: Consider becoming a Bullock Museum Member to get free admission to IMAX documentaries all year long. If you purchase your membership at the Box Office when you arrive, $65 for a year-long single membership, you can get your admission to the Deep in the Heart documentary free that same day. This summer get an additional 10% off. If you parked in the museum's underground parking garage, your parking fee for that day can be deducted from the price of your new membership. You can learn more by calling the Membership Office at (512) 936-4689.

After purchasing tickets, we'll head straight to the IMAX theater and sit together for the 1:00 PM showing.
Note: It can be very cold in the museum and theater, even during the summer, so consider bringing a warm layer for comfort.

1:45 PM: Optional walk to Texas Chili Parlor. Please RSVP separately on the Texas Chili Parlor companion Meetup event page.

If you're not already a member, we encourage you to join the Sierra Club (in addition to the Meetup group) and help protect our environment.