Friday, January 31, 2025

February newsletter

 


The Coulee Region Sierra Club joins other local and regional organizations in celebrating Transit Equity Days to highlight the importance of good public transportation as a civil right to ensure everyone has access to a full life.

In Wisconsin, the Department of Transportation estimates 31 percent of residents are non-drivers. In the City of La Crosse, up to 40 percent of residents ages 15 and older are non-driver. There are areas of the Coulee Region with similarly high numbers of probable non-drivers. Lack of good public transportation limits access to education, jobs, health care, services, social enrichment, and more. Even where public transit is available, slow service and spotty coverage make travel harder and more time-consuming.

The Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit, a public-private public transportation partnership, will participate by offering FREE FARES on Wednesday, February 5 for riders with a Transit Equity Days flyer (printed out or shown on a phone). The fares for this service which connects Tomah, Viroqua, and Prairie du Chien with La Crosse, are normally $5 per ride (less with a pass).
Learn more about Transit Equity Days in the La Crosse area at https://tinyurl.com/TEDLaCrosse-2025 and about the national Transit Equity Day movement at https://www.labor4sustainability.org/transportation/transit-equity-2025/

FEBRUARY 15 - WISCONSIN TRANSIT SUMMIT      Join fellow transportation advocates on Saturday, February 15 for an impactful summit on multi-modal transportation! Are you passionate about creating a sustainable and connected future for Wisconsin? At this transformative summit where we will build relationships, strategize for legislative success, and plan for action to have an impact at upcoming lobby days and budget hearings. This summit is a unique opportunity to make a tangible impact on Wisconsin's transportation future. Don't miss out on the chance to be part of this important conversation and drive meaningful change. Learn more and register at https://tinyurl.com/25CMRTSummit

COMMUNITY TRAIL FARM     Thank you Josh Hein for speaking with us about the new Community Trail Farm being developed by the Outdoor Recreation Alliance. Josh told us a bit about ORA and its work building and maintaining trails for biking and hiking, the 277 acre farm, and plans for a community education and recreation facility. It’s a major undertaking that will take time; having connections with like-minded individuals and groups will help. View the program at https://youtu.be/XrXiqi0NbLg

CRSC BOARD UPDATE     Board member Avery Van Gaard has decided to resign her CRSC position due to expanding school, work, and life commitments.  We thank Avery for her seven years of service on the board.

Club member Dr. Chris Miller has been approved by the board to take over the open seat. Chris is interested in collaborating with other individuals and environmental organizations to increase our influence and our creative potential in our area. As a primary care doctor for 34 years. she is very aware of the promotion of health through connecting others with  the natural world and is interested in exploring the prescription of more green time by health care providers. In her personal life, Chris has worked to lessen plastic use, remove toxic products from her home, cook with whole foods, garden, compost, and create pollinator habitats. Welcome Chris and thanks!

ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION GRANTS     Congratulations to the following Coulee Region educators who will receive CRSC  Environmental Education Grants for the spring 2025 semester! We look forward to reporting on these projects this fall.

  • Chelsey Myhre Foster at the Knutson Memorial Library in Coon Valley for the After School Club which will help bring educational speakers and service learning opportunities to participants in grades K-8.
  • Amanda Ray, Northside Elementary School, La Crosse for a cave tour field trip for third grade students.
  • Liz Ramsay, Longfellow Middle School, La Crosse, to start a school-wide juice and milk carton recycling program run by seventh grade students.
  • Scott Linssen at La Crosse Central High School for a school fly fishing class.

ALDO LEOPOLD CELEBRATION     The celebration of Aldo Leopold started in Lodi in 2000 as a community group reading of A Sand County Almanac. The reading became an annual event, and "Leopold Weekend" became an official state event in 2004. Since then, many communities host programs about Aldo Leopold and his ideas, and the Aldo Leopold Foundation hosts online programs as well. 

In La Crosse, Aldo Leopold celebrations will kick off with a February 27 7 p.m. program at Viterbo University, hosted by the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership, celebrating the centennial of the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge. A 50-minute stage production of A Visit from Will Dilg will be followed by a discussion and audience Q&A. Learn more at https://www.viterbo.edu/db-reinhart-institute-ethics-leadership/visit-will-dilg

On March 1, a 9 a.m. program at the Nature Place in Myrick Park will look at “Water Ways in the Driftless: Leopold's Land (and Water) Ethics in a time of Deluge,” followed by more displays and programs and ending with an afternoon at the ORA Community Trail Farm. See https://www.viterbo.edu/db-reinhart-institute-ethics-leadership/aldo-leopold-celebration for more.

The Aldo Leopold Foundation will present three online speakers from March 4-6, including Margaret Renki, Camille Dungy, and Amy Tan. Get more information and register for the links at https://www.crowdcast.io/c/leopold-week2025

CLIMATE ACTION HOURS     More than 12,000 Sierra Club members signed up for the first monthly online program to lean about and understand what’s at stake for our future. Climate Action Hours are a place for concerned and overwhelmed people to make sense of what the Trump administration is throwing at us and take meaningful action together. In one hour a month, you'll get the key updates you need to know and take collective action to resist the Trump administration and their corporate polluter allies. These interactive gatherings will take place virtually, so you can join from wherever you live and take action alongside thousands of other Sierra Club advocates. Actions will change month to month, and might include calling your federal representatives or other decision makers, sharing your views on social media, writing a letter to the editor, practicing storytelling, and more. View past programs and register for the next Climate Action Hour, Wednesday February 26 at 5 p.m. Central time, at https://tinyurl.com/SCClimateHour25

BACKYARD BIRD COUNT     Join the world in connecting to birds February 14–17, 2025. In as little as 15 minutes identify and count birds, then submit your counts. Learn more at https://www.birdcount.org/ 

KNOWLES-NELSON LOBBY DAY     Knowles-Nelson Lobby Day, a chance to advocate for our environment, will take place in Madison on March 12.  Hosted by Team Knowles-Nelson, Lobby Day will kick off at the Wisconsin Masonic Center with a morning of advocacy programming to prepare you for meetings with your legislators. The team will provide materials and key talking points about the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. Then, you’ll head to the Capitol for pre-scheduled meetings with legislators and their staff. As meetings wrap up, we’ll reconvene with an informal networking session to debrief and connect with fellow advocates.

All are welcome and encouraged to participate in this important day for our state’s future. Together, we will make a difference in shaping conservation policy.  
Learn more at https://knowlesnelson.org/lobbyday/  

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