Sierra Club Northeast Florida Group

Please register and sign your Sierra Club liability waiver now at:
https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po00001AXQLfIAP

Our Presenters: Elizabeth Filippelli, is currently serving as Vice President and Director of Conservation Co-Lead of the Northeast Florida Lights Out Program for The Duval Audubon Society. She is also Program Manager for the Timucuan Parks Foundation. Elizabeth is a passionate conservation leader and advocate working to protect Florida's natural environment and wildlife. Elizabeth's work with Lights Out North Florida (LONF) focuses on building partnerships with City of Jacksonville Leaders including Mayor Donna Deegan, Ashantae Green, Sustainability Manager, Jacksonville Jaguars and major businesses in Downtown Jacksonville to spread awareness of the perils to birds of artificial light pollution.

Cindy Corey is a member of Duval Audubon and the Lead Bird Steward for the Riverside Park Kind Outreach and Rescue Pilot Project. Cindy is a life-long wildlife advocate and volunteers as a Collision Monitor for Lights Out Northeast Florida, surveying the birds that have been killed or injured by hitting the reflective glass in Downtown Jacksonville.

Lisa Williams has been a member of the Sierra Club for decades and served as a member of the SCNEF Executive Committee for 10 years. She is currently the Program Chair, and author of the monthly series, Planting with a Purpose. She is certified as a UF Master Naturalist and has received the state Florida Panther award and the local NEFL Leadership and Service award.

Location of Where to Meet: We will be located at the big open area not far from the playground. This is College and Myra Street entrances. There are benches located around the area but if you may wish to bring a folding chair as the first 15 -30 minutes will be centered around a talk before the walk begins. Look for the Sierra Club sign.

You are required to complete a Participant Agreement. Link to the online registration: https://tinyurl.com/nhz4h4ed

The area's most distinctive characteristics are the seepage slopes and steep ravines that result from a series of naturally eroding seepage streams. These sensitive ecosystems support a wide variety of native aquatic and wetland-dependent species. We'll also get a nice view of Black Creek.

Bring water, bug spray, sunscreen. After the hike, we can go to a local restaurant for lunch.

DIRECTIONS: The address is about 5633 Green Rd · Middleburg, FL. Black Creek Ravines is located east of Middleburg. Take Blanding Blvd/SR21 south to County Road 218. Turn left and go about two miles to Green Rd. Turn left. Take Green Rd past the first parking area. Continue under the power lines on the dirt road to the next parking area. Look for the Sierra Club sign.

Cancellation Policy: Event may be cancelled in case of rain or if weather threatens safety. Check Meetup for current status before traveling to the event. Events may need to be cancelled 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.