Ocmulgee Sierra Club - Conservation Group

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  Georgia Chapter  SierraClub.org

We Meet on the 3rd Monday of each month 6:30 at the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences

- January 19, 2004 -

John Kraus and Dan Fischer (right) after John's presentation about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - ANWR.  John showed slides and video from several of his trips there.  He also had slides showing the adulteration of Prudhoe Bay Oil Fields.  You have to see his pictures to fully understand what a treasure ANWR is, and what we might loose forever if we let short term oil interests pervert our public lands.   Some snow can be seen piled up in the doorway behind the blue spruces in the background.   Thanks again to John for bringing such stuning visions from the top of our world to Macon, Ga.  We are truly blessed.  : )

Below we share a late snack after the Sierra Meeting at Bia's on Forsyth Road.

Lee Martin, Susan Hanberry, Tom Scholl and John Kraus

PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW WITH THESE 2004 DATES: General Meetings begin at 6:30pm at the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences, "Planning Suppers" are held at the Blue Plate on Ingleside Avenue January 5 planning supper at the Blue Plate 6:45 January 19  "Arctic National Wildlife Refuge" by John Kraus at the Museum February 2 - planning supper Feb 16  - "City Trees" - Sharon Dolliver with Ga Forestry and Walker Rivers March 2 - planning supper March 15 "Legislative Update" Neil Herring - Sierra lobbyist

-   Oct 20, 2003 - "Ocmulgee Heritage Greenway" Trails and plans, the vision of New Town Macon  was presented by Chris Sheridan who has volunteered several days a week over the past few years to help bring these visions to reality.  Chris reviewed with us the engineering, financial and political hurdles that have been unique to each section of the trail.  The local political climate has slowly evolved to being more supportive.  The engineering problems of crossing creeks and  gullies and the river are very expensive.  We hope construction will begin soon to go South to connect with the trails in the Ocmulgee National Monument.  If TEA funding becomes available, Chris will also be building North to connect to the 200 acre Macon Water Authority property - Old Waterworks Site - that is being converted to Passive Greenspace.   Thank-you Chris.!.!.!. Ocmulgee Heritage Greenway Trail - Construction Chair - Chris Sheridan with Bobby Wallace who has built and placed several unique (and very comfortable) benches on the newest section of trail.  Bobby's benches are made of freeform concrete with inlaid designs of colored glass.  You need to see and sit on one!  From the parking lot at Spring Street Landing, walk north on the Greenway for 1/4 mile to Bobby's bench.  Enjoy! [see promo] [color PFD]

- September 15, 2003 - Kick-off Meeting New Club Banner is unveiled at the Macon Museum of Arts and Sciences.  Holding the banner are: Fred Gunter,  Kathleen Ayerbe, Lee Martin, Susan Hanberry and Robby Gibbs.  Front row:  Lindsay Holliday and Tom Scholl.   * * * * * * * * Program was:   Air Quality in Middle Georgia: Report on the Fall line Air Quality Study by Dr. Michael Chang, Georgia Institute of Technology.  His studies are published online:  http://cure.eas.gatech.edu/faqs/ Fish Advisories in the Ocmulgee River concern Mercury in Largemouth Bass and Flathead Catfish [which also contain PCBs]  Data found at http://www.ganet.org/dnr/environ/gaenviron_files/fishadvs_files/fcg_2000.pdf

Meaning of "Ocmulgee" Ocmulgee is a word from the Mucogee-Creek Peoples who trace their beginings to the "Ocmulgee Old Fields" where they "first sat down" after a long journey  from somewhere North and West of present day Georgia. " Have you ever see a spring where the water would be bubbling up. It looks like a rolling boil of water on the stove. Ocmulgee means that action of the water in a spring as it come to the surface. It in the 'bubbling' of the water. But in order to get a discription of the meaning, non speakers of the language discribed the rolling boil of water as it is being heated." - Joyce Bear (Muscogee Creek)  5-14-03 personal communication.   There are many artesian springs around Macon.  Some of the purest natural water in the world wells up at historic Tuft's Springs.   These springs were once a source on Macon's drinking water.  They are currently owned by Cherokee Brick, Co.

The mission of the Ocmulgee Conservation Group is to have good meetings and fellowship while we educate ourselves and the community about improving the state of our environment. We are a "Welcoming Group" in that we cherish diversity and we do not discriminate against members on the basis of their national origin, sexual orientation, religious preference, nor on either their nerdiness or general weirdness... : )   - -  Lets Roll.!.!.!.

Contacts:

Chair - Lindsay Holliday

Conservation - Susan Hanberry

Ountings - Fred Gunter

Secretary - Margaret Ann Carswell

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