Birding 101

 

Saturday, May 30 from 7:30 to 10 a.m. at The Nature Place

Bird watching is one of the most popular pastimes in the United States, with approximately 96 million adult participants. The benefits of bird watching extend beyond simple enjoyment. Numerous studies have documented the health benefits of exposure to nature, particularly birds. Birdsong has been shown to be an especially effective tonic for personal well-being.

This fun course is designed to introduce bird watching fundamentals to interested adults. The morning will include a brief lecture on birdwatching basics followed by a two-hour birding hike in the La Crosse Marsh with local bird experts.

Registration is required.  No experience is necessary, but curiosity and a sense of awe are welcome. Bring binoculars if you have them; a limited number of binoculars will be available.

Presenter Bio:

Craig began working in natural resource conservation when gas was 96 cents per gallon. Now retired, much of his career focused on migratory bird conservation. He is a co-founder and President of Driftless Birds, an organization dedicated to accelerating bird conservation in the Driftless Area. When not watching birds in Wisconsin, he often leads bird watching tours in Latin America.

May 29-31 Paddles and Premieres

Celebrate paddling and have a “reel” good time with a special film showing at the Rivoli Theatre, local paddle excursions, scenic trails, and more. As the Midwest’s premier paddle destination, the La Crosse Region is making waves—don’t miss your chance to ride along!

Activities include paddling at Pettibone Park, Lake Neshonic, and Goose Island; kayak safety courses; a paddling film fest and more.

See the full schedule at https://explorelacrosse.com/paddles-premieres/

May newsletter

 

MAY 15 at 5:30 P.M. CRSC ACTION GATHERING     Join CRSC friends and members as we learn about an important environmental issue and then take meaningful action together. All are welcome - you don’t need to be a Sierra Club member to participate. RSVP (optional) by calling 608-315-2693 or at https://forms.gle/34yPvEL5putiuUtR7 to help us know how much pizza to have on hand. Please enter at the back door. BYO non-alcoholic beverage.

CHAPTER ACTION HOUR - RTAS     Tuesday, May 26 at 6 p.m. Online
Wisconsin transit advocates want to pass Regional Transit Authority (RTA) legislation in the upcoming legislative cycle so Wisconsin cities can have transit systems that work for residents. Come hear from Dave Steele with MobiliSE Wisconsin about how and why you should be a champion for RTAs. This issue is important for Coulee Region Group members who have been frustrated by the struggle to retain our Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit. RTAs provide funding and administrative solutions for regional transit systems. Learn more and RSVP here: https://tinyurl.com/wisc-rtas-may26 

REGULATING DATA CENTERS      On Friday, April 17, the Action gathering group met at the UU Fellowship for our monthly Action Gathering. The group continued to learn about data centers, but this time focused on regulation, local and statewide. 

Our guest speaker, via phone, was the La Crosse County Board Chair, Tina Tryggestad. She answered prepared questions then those from participants. She said La Crosse County has not taken a position or any action on data centers. A plan for a study committee is expected to come before the Board soon. She know of no planned data center in La Crosse County. However, the county doesn‘t have jurisdiction over land use within municipalities and wouldn’t know if data centers were proposed there.

Our region may be attractive to data centers because we have a lot of underground water, and most data centers require water to cool their equipment. Local governments can’t "zone" groundwater nor regulate it.

The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) is a regulatory authority that was primarily established by the 1907 Public Utilities Law, making Wisconsin one of the first states to regulate public utilities. The PSC has  three members chosen by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate. They serve staggered six-year terms. The Wisconsin commissioners are Chairperson Summer Strand, Commissioner Kristy Nieto and Commissioner Marcus Hawkins. 

Wisconsin utilities have recruited data centers and proposed building new fossil gas plants for the centers’ enormous energy demands while proposing special, low rates which will affect everyone’s electricity rates.

After hearing from Tina, we visited the PSC website: https://psc.wi.gov where  we learned how to file a comment online by clicking on Public Comment, then clicking on File A Comment Online. More about the state chapter’s work on data centers, including ongoing actions we all can take, can be found at https://www.sierraclub.org/wisconsin/datacenteraction

It is only through educating concerned citizens that the Wisconsin PSC might begin to hear more feedback from an average consumer than the big energy utilities. [Info from Colleen Gnabasik and Kathy Allen.] 

APRIL REPORT     A Climate Collage Craft Night was held at UW-La Crosse on April 21 where information about Line 5 was shared and discussed.

Eleven CRSC members met on Saturday, April 25 to do our first highway clean-up of the year along the club’s section of River Valley Drive. The next club clean-up will be in July. 

CRSC tabled at the La Crosse Earth Fair on April 26 in La Crosse. Our display highlighted our recent work–action hours, environmental education grants and the high school stewardship award, and advocacy for renewable energy, clean transportation, stopping Line 5, and connecting with allies and like-minded groups in the area. In addition, some CRSC members participated in the Drive Electric Earth Month (DEEM) “Ask Me About My EV” event at the Earth Fair, handing out literature and talking with visitors about their EV experience. The Sierra Club is a national DEEM sponsor as part of its Clean Transportation for All campaign.

CRSC donated money toward children’s activities at the May 2 Coon Creek Community Watershed Council’s Coon Creek Confluence event in Chaseburg.

COULEE REGION YOUTH - KNOWLES-NELSON STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM     by Aditi Muduganti, Grade 12, Onalaska High School

Since its creation in 1989, the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program has protected more than 650,000 acres of public land in Wisconsin. It has helped preserve forests, rivers, wildlife habitats, and trail systems while also expanding access to outdoor recreation across the state. The program has received strong bipartisan support over the years, and recent polling shows that 93% of Wisconsin voters support it.

Even with that level of public backing, the program's future remains uncertain because it lacks permanent, stable funding. Without continued support, there is concern that future land protection projects and access improvements could be delayed or halted. This would especially affect landlocked public areas that communities rely on for recreation and connection to nature.

At the Wisconsin Conservation Congress Spring Hearing on April 13 at Irvin Pertzsch Elementary School in Onalaska, Aditi Muduganti submitted a proposal supporting continued and permanent funding for the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. The proposal emphasized the importance of protecting and keeping Wisconsin’s public lands accessible, especially for future generations in the Coulee Region and across the state.

It also highlighted how the program supports more than just land conservation. It improves access to public spaces, protects natural resources, and maintains habitats important to wildlife and water quality. These are things that directly affect local communities, especially in areas where outdoor access is a big part of daily life.

The proposal called for long-term funding so that conservation efforts do not depend on short-term decisions year by year. For residents of the Coulee Region, the program represents something simple but important: keeping Wisconsin’s land open, protected, and available for everyone, not just now, but in the future, too.

MORE MAY EVENTS:

• 5/ 5: National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Relatives 5K Run, 11 to 2 at Burns Park, La Crosse https://www.fspa.org/event/mmiw-r-5k
• 5/ 8, 12, 20: Garlic Mustard removal, 9 am. Various locations. https://www.mississippivalleyconservancy.org/events
• 5/ 9: River Clean Up. 8 a.m. Various landings in the La Crosse area. https://rivercleanuplacrosse.com/register/
• 5/ 9: Hike at Eureka Maple Woods State Natural Area. 9 am. Email friendsoftheblufflands@gmail.com for details.
• 5/ 9: Migratory Bird Hike at Sugar Creek Bluff. 7 am. Register ahead: https://www.mississippivalleyconservancy.org/events/2026-birding
• 5/11: Bobcats Return to the Driftless. 10 am. La Crosse Public Library. https://tinyurl.com/driftlessbobcats
• 5/13: Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro. 6:30 pm. Lunda Center, BRF https://tinyurl.com/brf-mtkili
• 5/14: Indigenous Film Series. 5 pm at the Rivoli, La Crosse. https://tinyurl.com/rivoliindigimovies
• 5/16: Clean up at Trempealeau Lakes. 9 am. https://tinyurl.com/tremplake516
• 5/20:  The Wonders of the Pantanal Wetland of Brazil. 7 pm The Nature Place. https://tinyurl.com/couleebirds526
• 5/21: An Evening with Joy Harjo - Inhabiting Home on Earth. 7 pm. Madison & Online. https://www.wisconsinacademy.org/evenings/finding-home-evening-joy-harjo
• 5/21: Land Protection Options for Landowners. 5 pm. Phoenix Ctr, Richland Center. https://tinyurl.com/richlandsafeland
• 5/27: Green Thumbs - Tree Planters. 4 pm. Hanson Park, Viroqua. https://tinyurl.com/viroquatrees
• 5/27: Citizens Climate Lobby meeting at 6:30 p.m. 401 West Ave. S., La Crosse and online. Email info@lacrosseccl.org. 

April Newsletter

 

 

APRIL 17 AT 5:30 P.M. - ACTION GATHERING - DATA CENTERS - PART 2     Join CRSC friends and members as we learn about an important environmental issue and then take meaningful action together. All are welcome - you don’t need to be a Sierra Club member to participate. This month, we’ll continue learning about data centers and what we can do about them. In addition to energy and water use, what other issues surround data centers and the drive to build so many of them so quickly? RSVP (optional) by calling 608-315-2693 or at https://forms.gle/34yPvEL5putiuUtR7 to help us know how much pizza to have on hand. Please enter at the back door. BYO non-alcoholic beverage.

EARTH MONTH     SIERRA CLUB BOOK CLUB! Join the Sierra Club Wisconsin to read and discuss great books! WEDNESDAY, April 8 at 6:30 p.m., we’ll  discuss The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer. 
Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. Kimmerer considers the gift economy, Indigenous wisdom. Learn more about it at https://tinyurl.com/wisc26bookclub

HIGHWAY CLEAN-UP  Saturday, April 25 at 9:00 a.m. join fellow CRSC members and friends to help pick up litter along River Valley Drive. We’ll meet at the pumping station just northwest of the Gillette Street stop light. Vests and bags are provided. For more information, please email CRSierraClub@gmail.com or call 608-315-2693.

CLIMATE COLLAGE CRAFT NIGHT - Tuesday, April 21 at 5 p.m. at UW-La Crosse Student Union (East Ave. and La Crosse Street - take the #4 bus!)  Come craft with us at the UW-La Crosse campus! We'll do some collaging in response to the questions "what do you want to protect from climate change?" and "why do you care about climate change?" Celebrate what you want to protect in the world, from lands and waters to the people around you. Drop by to craft and meet fellow Sierrans as well as new people interested in Sierra Club. There will be a presentation on Sierra Club's work, the Line 5 fight, and how people can get involved. All are welcome! Save room for snacks!  RSVP (optional) to help us plan! https://tinyurl.com/wisc-cccn0421

CAN YOU HELP US TABLE on Sunday, April 26 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the LA CROSSE EARTH FAIR at Myrick Park? Please email or call to volunteer!  

EARTH MONTH ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION GRANTS     We are happy to announce five new environmental education grants for Earth Month projects! These annual grants for K-8 programming help local agencies and educators enhance students’ connections with and understanding of the natural world. Along with our annual High School Environmental Stewardship Award, these grants solidify the Coulee Region group’s commitment to the next generation of environmentalists. This year’s recipients are:

• Southern Bluffs Elementary School (La Crosse) - plants and supplies for third grade plants and soil project.
• Logan Middle School (La Crosse) - safety vests and special shirts for students participating in school and neighborhood clean-up and environmental events. 
• The Nature Place (La Crosse) - materials, supplies and prizes for elementary and middle school students’ participation in “The Community Science Game,” an exercise that helps students and families learn about projects they can get involved with.
• Southern Bluffs Elementary School (La Crosse) - help fund a program by the International Owl Center for Earth Week.
• Coulee Region Sparks Leo and Cub Club - help purchase edible shrubs and fruit trees which will be planted by club participants at the REACH Center in La Crosse.

Watch for our next environmental education grant - the High School Environmental Stewardship Award. Learn more about our education work and how you can help support it at https://sierraclub.org/Wisconsin/Coulee/Education

DRIVE ELECTRIC EARTH MONTH     Drive Electric Earth Month is a national campaign to share information about electric vehicles throughout the month of April. In addition to being better for the environment, electric vehicles are more fun to drive, more convenient to fuel and less expensive to operate than gasoline vehicles. 

The Sierra Club is an original national sponsor. Transportation is a major source of air pollution and has the largest, fastest-growing climate emissions in the US. Shifting to pollution-free vehicles, accessible public transit, and making our communities more walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly for all, no matter their zip code, race, income level, age, or any other factor, can have a major impact on greenhouse gas emissions. 

To counter a deliberate, well-funded campaign opposing clean energy and clean transportation, these events can help people learn more about buying and owning an electric vehicle with real EV owners providing facts and answers to questions about range, charging, costs, traveling and more.

Saturday, April 18 - Wisconsin Electric Vehicle Association Ride-n-Drive from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the PDC Movie Theater, 1205 E Prairie Street, in Prairie du Chien. https://driveelectricearthmonth.org/event?eventid=5086

Sunday, April 26 - Ask Me About My EV from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the La Crosse Earth Fair (lower level near trail head). https://driveelectricearthmonth.org/event?eventid=5121 

WISCONSIN CONSERVATION CONGRESS     The Wisconsin Conservation Congress is the only statutory body in the state where citizens elect delegates to advise the Natural Resources Board and the Department of Natural Resources on how to responsibly manage Wisconsin's natural resources for present and future generations. The Congress accomplishes this through open, impartial, broad-ranged actions.

The 2026 Spring Hearing will be held in each county in person on April 13 and online from April 13 to 15. The annual Spring Hearing is an opportunity for the public to provide input on a wide array of natural resources-related proposed rule change questions presented by the DNR and advisory questions presented by the Conservation Congress. 

The public also has the opportunity to provide input on resolutions that members of the public previously submitted online between Jan. 5 and Feb. 9, 2026. New in 2026: The WCC will also consider resolutions submitted during the in-person county spring hearings. Day-of submissions are required to follow the same criteria as a resolution submitted via the Citizen Resolution Submittal Form. Guidance for submitting a resolution is found under the "For Your Information" heading on this page.

Public input received through this process is advisory to Natural Resources Board members, DNR staff and anyone working on these issues.

Learn more about the WCC and Spring Hearings - where they are, how to participate, and where to find the online survey and questionnaire by visiting  https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/about/wcc/springhearing 

ACTION GATHERING - DATA CENTERS by Chris Miller, CRSC Board Member

Together We Can

"When two violins are placed in a room

if a chord on one violin is struck, 

the other violin will sound that same note. 

Know how powerful you are.

Know you can make music in the people around you

just by playing your own strings."

- Andrea Gibson 

The CRSC Action Gathering group met on March 20 at the Unitarian Universalist Church to become educated about the explosion of Hyperscale Data Centers. We want to acknowledge the UU church for welcoming us. 
We welcomed Representative Tara Johnson as a guest speaker. She gave us a detailed history of the attempts at cultivating a law to address Data Centers. None of them have met with success. The legislature has adjourned without voting on the new Data Center Bill: Assembly Bill 840 and Senate Bill 729 - Data Center Accountability Act. More information needs to be obtained about the exact requirements this bill establishes. Tara answered questions from the audience and a lively discussion ensued. 

We signed individual letters to the three Public Service Commissioners detailing our concerns. We also sent thank you notes to Rep. Jill Billings and State Senator Brad Pfaff for sponsoring one of the data center bills. 

At our next session–April 17 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.–we will continue to look at data centers. All are invited.  

Chris Miller presented a power point informing us about the concerns about data centers. You can view it at https://tinyurl.com/crscdatactrppt.
Basic Points: 

• A hyperscale data center is a very large campus housing buildings that hold networked computer servers, serving AI, cloud storage, cryptocurrency. 
• Wisconsin is seeing a data center explosion.
•  Wisconsin is vulnerable to data center encroachment because it lacks a clean energy requirement written into law
• It also lacks an integrated resource planning requirements which would help keep utilities accountable for their long-term energy investments and provide more opportunities for things like stakeholder engagement.
• The state budget established broad sales and use tax exemptions to attract certified data centers that include land, equipment and electricity exemptions.
•  Utility companies have actively recruited these large data centers.
• Last January, President Trump signed an Executive Order encouraging a loosening of economic and environmental regulations to pave the way for hyper-scale data centers.  
• A more recent executive order “seeks to limit the ability of states to regulate artificial intelligence, while attempting to thwart some existing state laws.
• Wisconsin has water and land that these Data Centers need. 

There are many unanswered and worrisome questions, including: 

• What is the demand on local water resources? 
• What is the impact on local electrical capacity?
• What is the ecological impact?
• Who will pay the cost?
• What is the sound and light pollution impact?
• What are actual employment opportunities?
• Will there be local revenues that are recouped?

Problems include 

• Lack of transparency: Use of non-disclosure agreements (NDA’s) with host communities and labeling information such as water usage as a trade secret. 
• Rapid Growth without plans
• Energy Consumption: for example, two proposed facilities will use as much energy as 4.3 million Wisconsin homes in a state with only 2.8 million housing units.
• Water Consumption: Clean potable water is used to cool data centers. The water is not returned to ground, it evaporates. 
• Fossil fuel use: Some companies are using fossil gas which is about 90% methane, and they’ll depend on diesel fuel for backup generators.
• Land Impacts: Large tracts of farmland will be permanently lost with no plans for decommissioning abandoned facilities. 
• Who Pays?: Utilities are building billions of dollars of new generation facilities, transmission lines, and related infrastructure. Data centers could be responsible for over a third of electricity costs by 2050 and these costs are usually socialized or spread out among all the customers.

Solutions include coalition-building, lobbying for sunshine laws or public access to public records and open meetings, and community engagement. Four projects were canceled last year due to local efforts. 

Get yourself educated: read Tool Kit for Hyperscale Data Centers in Wisconsin and learn about local actions at https://cr-sierra.blogspot.com/p/crsc-action-data-centers.html 

MORE APRIL EVENTS:

• 4/ 1: Coon Creek Conservation Club meeting. 6 pm in Coon Valley. https://www.viroquachamber.com/calendar/cccwc-monthly-meeting-7/
• 4/ 1: Solar Connections at The Nature Place. 7 pm https://natureplacelacrosse.org/calendar/enviro-wednesdays-4-2026-02-04-2026-03-04-2026-04-01
• 4/ 1: Spring Into Planting at the Trempealeau Public Library. 5:30 pm. https://tockify.com/trempealeau.library/detail/31/1775082600000
• 4/ 4: Nature Saturday for Families from 9:30 to 11:30 am at The Nature Place. https://tinyurl.com/2026-TNP-NatSat
• 4/ 4: Spring Clothing Swap from 9 to noon at The Nature Place. https://natureplacelacrosse.org/calendar/2nd-annual-spring-clothing-swap/
• 4/ 6, 13, 20, 27: Help the Black River Falls Public Library go SOLAR! https://www.blackrivercountry.net/event/help-the-black-river-falls-public-library-go-solar/2026-04-06/
• 4/ 7: FILM - Meet Me at the Creek - Environmental Justice Through an Indigenous Lens 4 pm UWL Student Union. https://www.uwlax.edu/events/?e=34219
• 4/ 8: Ecological Challenges of the Upper Mississippi River from 11:30 to 1 at Stoney Creek Inn, Onalaska AND online. Register: https://tinyurl.com/laxlwv-040826
• 4/ 8: Protecting Our Common Waters - Justice, Resilience & Collective Power at 3:30 pm. Cleary Alumni and Friends Center, UWL. https://www.uwlax.edu/events/?e=34088
• 4/ 8: Seed Planting Workshop at Lunda Center in Black River Falls at 4:30 pm  https://www.blackrivercountry.net/event/seed-planting-workshop-lunda-community-center/
• 4/11: Garden Talk & Seed Swap from 10 to noon at the La Crosse Public Library. https://www.lacrosselibrary.org/event/gardening-talk-seed-swap-45078
• 4/11: 1st Annual Knap-In & Artifact Show at Jackson County Historical Society. 10 to 4. https://www.blackrivercountry.net/event/1st-annual-knap-in-artifact-show-and-meet/
• 4/11: Windmills for Water Pumping workshop. 9 to 12:30. Readstown. https://www.viroquachamber.com/calendar/windmills-for-water-pumping-with-jon-passi/
• 4/14: Citizen Action Gubernatorial Candidate Forum 6 p.m. Online https://tinyurl.com/CA-wigovforum
• 4/15: Coulee Audubon - Pantanal Wetland in Brazil with Pat Wilson at The Nature Place at 7 pm. https://www.couleeaudubon.org/html/events.html
• 4/16: Book talk - The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger at 5:30 pm at Lunda Center, Black River Falls.  https://www.blackrivercountry.net/event/the-william-kent-krueger-talk-lunda-theater/
• 4/17: Tap into SOLAR at Hillsboro Brewing. 4 pm. https://tinyurl.com/hillsborosolarbrew
• 4/17-26: Sustainability Institute Green Goose Chase. Register on your own or with a team starting March 30: https://www.sustaininstitute.com/greengoosechase
• 4/18-25: Earth Week at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. http://kvr.state.wi.us/Events/Calendar
• 4/18: Clean-Up at Mississippi Valley Conservancy from 9 to noon. https://www.mississippivalleyconservancy.org/events/clean-la-crosse-river-conservancy-la-crosse-county
• 4/25: Driftless Dialog - Nature and Poetry with current Wisconsin Poet Laureate Brenda Cárdenas from 1:30 to 3 pm at Kickapoo Valley Reserve. http://kvr.state.wi.us/Events/Calendar
• 4/25: La Crosse Citizens Climate Lobby monthly meeting 6:30 pm 401 West Av S and online. info@lacrosseccl.org. 
• 4/26: Guided La Crosse River Marsh Hike from 11 to noon. https://www.mississippivalleyconservancy.org/events/guided-marsh-hike-myrick-park-la-crosse
• 4/28: Garlic Mustard Removal in Crawford County from 9 to noon. https://www.mississippivalleyconservancy.org/events/garlic-mustard-removal-plum-creek-conservation-area-crawford-county

  

 

March Newsletter

 

MARCH 20 AT 5:30 P.M. ACTION GATHERING - DATA CENTERS     Join CRSC friends and members as we learn about an important environmental issue and then take meaningful action together. All are welcome - you don’t need to be a Sierra Club member to participate.
This month's topic will be data centers - what are the potential impacts in Wisconsin? What regulation is being proposed? What can we do to protect our communities? RSVP (optional) by calling 608-315-2693 or at https://forms.gle/34yPvEL5putiuUtR7 to help us know how much pizza to have on hand. Please enter at the back door. BYO non-alcoholic beverage.

(NOT) TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE      Climate scientist and communicator Katharine Hayhoe notes in her blog, Talking Climate, that “climate hushing,” the lack of or deliberate blocking of discussion of the climate crisis, is becoming a dangerous global issue. She quotes Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, “When leaders don’t talk about something, enthusiasm falls among voters.”

In a joint statement issued in late 2025, the German Meteorological Society and the German Physical Society warned that, “Global warming has entered a phase of acceleration. By around 2050, warming could even reach 3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels … Climate model results indicate that warming of up to 5 degrees Celsius is likely by the end of the century. This can only be prevented by a fundamental shift in human behavior.” 

A February 6 Mother Jones article (There May Be No Turning Back This Climate Crisis) explains, “The reason for the escalation is that the climate system is in a pincer grip. First, emissions of planet-warming gases remain stubbornly high, and second, natural carbon sinks are weakening. The result is an accelerating rise in atmospheric concentrations of CO2—2024 saw the biggest jump ever.”

In the UK, ITV News has seen a “classified government intelligence report which appears to show some of the most worrying potential impacts of our loss of nature weren't disclosed to the public.” The study was to have been released in late 2025 but only a summary came out, after public pressure, in January 2026. View their report at https://tinyurl.com/26ukclimatereport

Unfortunately, the EPA is rolling back and ending climate action programs and policies, as detailed in this February 15 Sierra Club magazine article: Environmental Groups Vow to Stop Trump’s EPA From Revoking the Endangerment Finding. The Sierra Club, the Environmental Defense Fund, and other environmental groups are preparing to take legal action. 

The Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts (WICCI) has released its 2026 Assessment Report which offers a five-year update on how Wisconsin's climate has continued to change. “Wisconsin continues to experience significant climate change impacts, including rising temperatures, increased precipitation, and more frequent extreme weather events. … Additional impacts include the arrival of new pests, infrastructure stress from heavier precipitation and temperature swings, and growing mental health concerns linked to climate uncertainty.” https://uwmadison.app.box.com/s/a4r2o4wpzoqrmogfeud6po3ughu2f9j0

HELP OUT AT THE APRIL 26 EARTH FAIR!  CRSC will table at the La Crosse Earth Fair on    Sunday, April 26. Can you take a shift to help let others know about our club? Or, can you participate in the Ask Me About My EV event at the fair? Call 608-315-2693 or email CRSierraClub@gmail.com.

COULEE REGION YOUTH     by Aditi Muduganti, Grade 12, Onalaska High School

You’re walking down your favorite, everyday La Crosse sidewalk in Riverside Park. People are talking, peaceful mornings galore, and the sounds of the river are flowing through your ears… except, on this particular morning, a group of students isn’t walking here. Instead, they are in front of the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison with Wisconsin Blue Books in hand. This act of engagement must have been done by none other than a group of La Crosse County students.

In conversations with Senator Pfaff and Representative Johnson, the students discussed farming and soil practices common in the Driftless Region and how state policies intersect with agriculture. They also discussed renewable energy projects, including local efforts such as the rooftop solar installation at The Nature Place in Myrick Park and solar panels on county public buildings as part of La Crosse County’s climate planning work.

During the visit, the students met with researchers from the Wisconsin Energy Institute to learn about ongoing energy research being studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During this session, they learned about work connected to air quality research and planning in Kampala, Uganda, where UW-Madison researchers have contributed to developing air quality action plans. They also heard how to optimize roads for bikers… and yes, downtown can get busy enough to make even a squirrel nervous.

The topic of AI data centers was also part of the discussion. Across Wisconsin, multiple data center proposals have raised questions about energy demand. The students listened to Midwest Environmental Advocates as they explained how these facilities are evaluated and how energy planning is addressed.

Back in La Crosse County, these discussions connect to ongoing projects in our own community. Clearwater Farm in Onalaska developed a wetland habitat and education space designed to demonstrate water conservation. In the Coulee Region, solar projects continue to develop nearby, including construction on a solar farm near Lake Hallie intended to provide renewable energy.

Every part of the trip offered the students a chance to hear from those working on environmental and agricultural issues in both regional and global contexts. From the Capitol halls to the labs at the Energy Institute, and even to skies over Uganda, the students carried knowledge and a little bit of awe back to the Coulee Region.

====

Aditi will be the featured speaker at this month’s Enviro-Wednesday, March 4 at 7 p.m. at the Nature Place in La Crosse. She will talk about her work on her sustainable technology book and her Miyawaki forest projects, both of which she did with funding from the Youth Climate Action Fund. She will also discuss sustainability and climate education in schools and how it is so important for the younger generation to be informed. The program is free and open to all. Learn more at https://tinyurl.com/tnpew0426 

MORE MARCH EVENTS     

• 3/ 2: Designing Safe Streets for Everyone. 10 am La Crosse Public Library https://tinyurl.com/safestreetslax
• 3/ 3: MVC Firebreak Construction in La Crosse 9 am https://tinyurl.com/mvc030326
• 3/ 3: Driftless Dialogue: Prescribed Fire on Different Habitats at Kickapoo Valley Reserve 5:30 pm http://kvr.state.wi.us/Events/Calendar
• 3/ 3: Conservation on Tap - Collaborative Conservation Through Managed Grazing 6 p.m. The Historic Fortney, Viroqua. https://valleystewardshipnetwork.org/news-and-events/events/
• 3/ 4: Coon Creek Community Watershed meeting - US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Fishers and Farmers Partnership 6 pm Coon Valley Conservation Club https://cooncreekwatershed.org/events/cccwc-march-4th-meeting/
• 3/ 4- 6: WI Land+Water 73rd annual conference, Chula Vista Resort, WI Dells https://wisconsinlandwater.org/conservation/annual-conference
• 3/ 7: Aldo Leopold Day 9 am at The Nature Place, La Crosse.https://tinyurl.com/tnplaxaldo26
• 3/ 7: 2026 Wisconsin State KidWind Challenge & Renewable Energy Expo in Madison https://energy.wisc.edu/events/2026-wisconsin-state-kidwind-challenge-renewable-energy-expo-saturday-march-7
• 3/13: Tracing the Midwest Fur Trade with Archaeological Chemistry 6 pm JavaVino https://www.uwlax.edu/events/?e=34040
• 3/14: Archaeology Artifact Show 10 am to 5 pm. Valley View Mall. https://www.uwlax.edu/events/?e=34070
• 03/18: Antarctic Penguins 7 pm The Nature Place, Myrick Park, La Crosse https://tinyurl.com/tnpbird0326
• 3-/21: MVC Crawford County garlic mustard removal 9 am. https://tinyurl.com/mvc032126
• 3/22: National Wildlife Photo Contest deadline. Learn more: https://www.nwf.org/Magazines/National-Wildlife/Photo-Contest
• Register now for the Wisconsin Climate Action Navigators Regional Gathering, March 25 and 26, hosted in collaboration with Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse Region. Network with organizations in La Crosse who are building community wealth through their work on housing and sustainability. https://tinyurl.com/wican-march26
• 3/28: Mississippi Valley Conservancy Annual Friends Gathering 8:30 am First Congregational Church in La Crosse. https://tinyurl.com/mvc26annual
• 3/28: Walking with Friends at 10 am Meet at Canoe Landing 12, La Farge http://kvr.state.wi.us/Events/Calendar

February Newsletter

 

February 20 at 5:30 p.m. CRSC Action Gathering Join together to make a difference! 401 West Avenue South, La Crosse     Are you looking to get more involved in 2026? Join us 
to learn about an important environmental issue and then take meaningful action together. 
This month we'll be exploring changes you can make at home or in your everyday life to reduce your environmental footprint. All are welcome, whether you're new to environmental activism or a seasoned campaigner! Enter at the back door. RSVP (optional) by calling 608-315-2693 or at https://forms.gle/34yPvEL5putiuUtR7 to help us know how much pizza to have on hand. BYO non-alcoholic beverage and your energy to make change!

FEB. 4 & 6 - TRANSIT EQUITY DAYS     Public transit is the primary means of transportation for one-third or more of Americans. Public transit is often overlooked and usually underfunded, meaning transit riders have longer travel times, harder connections, missing service, and less access to their lives than car drivers. Transit Equity Day, on February 4, Rosa Parks’ birthday, recognizes that transit is a civil right and a key strategy to confront climate change. Sierra Club goals of increasing transportation access and equity, working for cleaner air and water, and taking climate action are all wrapped up in transit equity. Learn more about this issue and how you can be involved at https://tinyurl.com/TED-LaCrosse-2026

DATA CENTERS     The Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC) will decide how much data centers in We Energies & WPS territory will pay for their electricity and infrastructure. We must ensure that Wisconsinites don’t subsidize Big Tech billionaires through higher energy bills. Big data centers could more than double electricity demand. The PSC must take action. 
Learn more at a Feb. 4 6 p.m. webinar about No Discounts for Data Centers and attend the PSC hearings online on Feb. 10 and 24 at 1 or 6 p.m. to give your opinion OR submit written comments by Feb. 17. Learn more about how you can take action at https://tinyurl.com/WISC-PSC210 

SPECIAL EARTH MONTH GRANTS!     The Coulee Region Sierra Club will provide grants of up to $200 each for teachers or others who work with K-8 students to help fund Earth Month projects or lessons! Please apply by February 28 at https://sierraclub.org/Wisconsin/Coulee/Education (use the Environmental Education Grant application). If you have questions, please call 608-315-2693 or email CRSierraClub@gmail.com.

FEB. 13-16 BACKYARD BIRD COUNT     Each February, for four days, the world comes together for the love of birds. People all over the world count as many birds as they can and report them to help scientists better understand global bird populations before one of their annual migrations.Learn how to participate at https://www.birdcount.org

FEBRUARY 17 - SPRING PRIMARY ELECTION DAY if needed. myvote.wi.gov 

COULEE REGION YOUTH CLIMATE ACTION     by Aditi Muduganti, Grade 12, Onalaska High School

As we ring in the new year, students from across La Crosse County are taking a stand for climate action. Currently at Onalaska High School, the lead plaintiff in the Our Children’s Trust case is present.

"The bluffs on the Mississippi River in Wisconsin brought my ancestors to this great state in the 1860s because of its beauty. However, as a result of the climate crisis in Wisconsin, the bluff where my family and I lived became unstable and dangerous, and we were forced to move,” said plaintiff Kaarina D. “Having lived this trauma in my home state was almost unthinkable and is directly linked to climate change. This fight to protect my right to life and liberty, to a stable climate system, and to access and enjoy our waters does not end with my actions, but begins with my state doing its job: protecting my fellow youth plaintiffs.” 

Aditi Muduganti, a fellow student at Onalaska High School, said, “Moving from California, where students with asthma were constantly threatened by poor air quality, we were forced to stay indoors most days, depriving us of our rights. Moving to Wisconsin, I noticed a lack of climate education in schools, which led me to create a Miyawaki Forest that now serves as an outdoor classroom for students at Summit Elementary School and write a sustainable technology children’s book and read it to kids across Wisconsin. It is really amazing to see these students feel inspired, which is why I got involved with the case as well to bring the efforts and impact to the legislative level.”

Students from Onalaska High School have attended meetings with senior policy advisors from Senator Tammy Baldwin’s office and representatives from Congresswoman Gwen Moore’s office.

Plans are also underway for students to visit Madison, Wisconsin, in February to meet with Representative Jill Billings and Midwest Environmental Advocates to discuss climate policy and youth-led initiatives. 

At the La Crosse Citizens Climate Lobby meetings, students are urged to continue emailing their local representatives about climate policy, especially since this winter storm, hitting Wisconsin hard, is a direct effect of climate change.

Additionally, students in Onalaska High School’s Green Council continue their work on weekly recycling, a long-standing tradition that reduces the school’s plastic and bottle waste while promoting environmental awareness among peers.

At the Youth Climate Action Fund Awards, organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies, students were recognized for their dedication to sustainability and their creative approaches to environmental challenges.

Through these efforts, students in La Crosse County are proving that meaningful climate action can start at any age. From school projects and recycling programs to meetings with lawmakers and statewide advocacy, their work shows that youth leadership can drive real change and inspire the community to take action for a sustainable future.  

MORE FEBRUARY EVENTS

• 2/ 4: Friends of La Crosse River Marsh annual meeting. 7 pm at The Nature Place, Myrick Park, La Crosse.
• 2/ 4: Beat the Winter Blues Family Night at Blue Mound Winter Sports Area. 5-8 pm.  https://tinyurl.com/brffamnite 
• 2/ 6: Why Hibernators are Cool. 6 p.m. JavaVino, La Crosse https://www.uwlax.edu/calendar/?e=33840
• 2/ 7: Nature Saturday. 9:30 a.m. The Nature Place.
• 2/ 7: Candlelight Ski/Hike/Snowshoe in Black River State Forest 5:30-8:30 pm https://tinyurl.com/27brfforest
• 2/11: Transportation Options talk. 2:15 pm at McIntosh Library, Viroqua. https://tinyurl.com/mcintosh211
• 2/11: Environmental Impacts of Data Centers webinar. 6:30 p.m. Online. https://www.lwvlacrosse.org/program
• 2/13: Firebreak Construction at Tunnelville Cliffs. 9 am to noon. https://tinyurl.com/mvc-tnlvlfirebrk
• 2/13:  Meet Your Neighbors - Farmers Union. 10 am at McIntosh Library, Viroqua. https://tinyurl.com/mcintosh-farmersunion
• 2/14-21: Jackson in Action Hikes in Lunda Community Park. https://www.blackrivercountry.net/event/jackson-in-action-winter-hike-series-2/2026-02-14/
• 2/17: The Transit Crisis in Wisconsin. 6 pm Online. https://zoom.us/meeting/register/TPiMjbxLS6uxYqrKrl8SPA
• 2/18: From Ivory Towers to Indigenous Territories: Reimagining Land Justice. 7 pm. The Nature Place. https://tinyurl.com/218natplace
  2/21: Invasive Brush Removal - Boscobel Bluffs. 9 am to noon. https://tinyurl.com/mvc-boscbrush
• 2/21: Winter Birds of the Coulee Region. 10 am at McIntosh Library, Viroqua. https://tinyurl.com/mcintosh-221birds
•  2/21: Winter Wanderings Ice Hike at Kickapoo Valley Reserve. Noon to 2 pm http://kvr.state.wi.us/Events/Calendar
• 2/24: Passenger Rail Legislative Day in Madison. https://reg.planetreg.com/E119203128160109
• 2/28: The Trek Guided Ice Hike. 11-3 at Kickapoo Valley Reserve. http://kvr.state.wi.us/Events/Calendar
• 2/28: Citizen Action of Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidate Forum 10 am First Congregational Church, Losey & Main, La Crosse https://tinyurl.com/citactgov 
• 3/ 2: Designing Safe Streets for Everyone. 10 am La Crosse Public Library https://tinyurl.com/safestreetslax  

 

January Action Gathering Canceled

We are canceling our JANUARY Action Gathering but hope you can join us on February 20!