Delta Chapter Retreat - Fall 2016

Exciting news friends!  The Delta Chapter of the Sierra Club will have its Autumn 2016 Retreat in our region again, just across Lake Pontchartrain at beautiful Fontainebleau State Park beginning Friday, October 28.  Hiking, biking, canoeing, camping, camaraderie, and shared learning opportunities abound. Follow this link ---> to the Delta Chapter website to get all the details and register to let our Chapter Conservation Coordinator know you'll be attending. Explore, Enjoy, and Protect!

Saturday, April 9 – Birds and Trees hike at Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge

Saturday, April 9 – Birds and Trees hike at Bayou Sauvage National Wildlife Refuge – 10 am, led by Colleen Morgan. Sign up by contacting Colleen at tcolleen526@gmail.com or call 504-701-1880

Twilight/Nearly Full Moon canoeing/kayaking in the Honey Island Swamp-- Saturday, April 16th

We'll put in on the West Pearl River at the Indian Village Road landing south of Slidell and canoe into Maple Slough and Eagle Slough before taking out at the Hwy 90 landing. Experience the swamp by moonlight! For more info please contact Harvey Stern at hrstern@juno.com or 504-891-7116

Natural History and Geology of Costa Rica by Barry Kohl

New Orleans Group Sierra Club Program, Sunday March 13th, 7pm.

On a recent Sierra Club international outing to southern Costa Rica, Gail
and Barry photographed abundant wildlife including birds, monkeys and the
endangered American crocodile. Costa Rica, with both Caribbean and Pacific
coasts, contains a rich diversity of ecosystems including active volcanoes and
mountains up to 12,500 ft. Twenty-seven national parks have been formed
to protect habitats and encourage ecotourism, which has become a major
industry. Barry will present a slide show on this fascinating and beautiful
country.

Where: Audubon Zoo, Dominion Auditorium. Enter education gate behind the statue of Audubon to far right of main public gate. Parking plentiful and safe. The program is free and open to everyone.
www.louisiana.sierraclub.org/neworleans

When: Refreshments/socializing at 6:30pm Program 7 to 8:30pm.

Tangipahoa River Canoe/Kayak Trip

Tangipahoa River Canoe/Kayak Trip
Paddle  the beautiful Tangipahoa River:  Arcola to Amite-- easy five mile stretch,  good for beginners
When: Sunday, September 26
Must have canoe or kayak (no rental on River)
For rendezvous location and time contact Harvey Stern at 504-891-7116 or hrstern@juno,com

Hike in new Bogue Chitto State Park: Sat, October 9 from 10am – 4pm

The group will meet at Lakeside Shopping Center and carpool to the park an hour and 15 minutes north. The group will have a picnic and then hike the park's trails and, if members are inclined, play on the beach and/or in the Bogue Chitto River. Canoes and kayaks are welcome but hiking boots or sturdy shoes are required. Come help us break in the state's new park!

For information and to sign up, email:
joelle_finley@bellsouth.net

or call Joelle at 504-715-2647.

Lafitte Corridor cleanup Sat. Nov 21

The first Lafitte Corridor cleanup is scheduled for Sat. Nov 21 from 9 to 1. Major Jerrod Spinney of the Criminal Sheriff's office has agreed to trim the area behind the Sojourner Truth Community Center, extending to the police filling station, in advance. They will also take care of the brush removal. We will be meeting at Sojourner Truth Community Center, 2200 Lafitte St, @ 9AM. All needed materials will be provided.

The Sierra Club and the Friends of the Lafitte Corridor are looking for volunteers to assist in activities such as cleaning off sidewalks, trash removal, etc. For more information e-mail Ethan Ellestad at ellestad_ethan@yahoo.com or call 608-417-9052.

Thank you,
Ethan Ellestad
Graduate Assistant,
Friends of Lafitte Corridor

Vance Levesque
Chair New Orleans Group
Sierra Club
837-5105w

Fall Birding at Petite Coquille Island - NOT a Sierra Club outing

NEW ORLEANS – Fort Pike State Historic Site invites you to birding activities Saturday September 5 and Sunday September 6 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at the fort – on the most northeast point of Orleans Parish.

Birding expert Gary Lester of Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries will set up a spotting scope at the fort’s new viewing stand and answer questions. Why do birds migrate? What birds frequent Petite Coquille marsh in the Fall? How do you identify birds on the fly?

Newcomers and birding veterans alike are welcome. If you have them, bring your binoculars. Color handouts provided. Participants will start a Fort Pike Bird List. They will be encouraged to return and see what birds other people have spotted.

Fort Pike was the first of 40 brick-and-mortar fortifications built by President James Monroe in the mid-1800s. These forts stood guard along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, protecting the country from foreign aggression.

Fort Pike State Historic Site, placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, is located on U.S. 90 just south of the Rigolets Bridge. Fort Pike SHS is open every day from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., with special programs on the first and third weekends of the month. For more information and directions, visit www.lastateparks.com

Contact: Sara-Ann Harris
Phone: 504-255-9171

Yummy! Blueberry Picking, Poplarville, MS

When: Saturday, June 27
Event: Blueberry Picking, Poplarville, MS
Where to Meet:  At Audubon Zoo Parking lot, (near main zoo entrance) to car
pool
Meeting Time: 7:30 am

Sierra Contacts:
You must register for all Sierra trips in advance by contacting either:
Vance Levesque 504-529-2089 mrkahuna@juno.com;  or
Barry Kohl at  504-861-8465, bkohl40@cs.com.

Our Third Blueberry Season:

Dig up your favorite recipe for bluberry pie or cobbler.  Join us as we
head over the Louisiana border into Mississippi to pick organically-grown
blueberries at a farm near Poplarville, MS.  We will visit the Tara Blueberry
Farm, hear a brief talk about the farm's organic operation, and then set you
loose to pick to your heart’s content.  The bushes are tall and there is
adequate shade early in the morning.

The weather is likely to be hot.   Please bring sunscreen, plenty of water,
and a hat that will keep you well shaded.  The farm does not recommend
wearing sandals while you are picking.  Also, they provide buckets to pick with,
so you need not worry about bringing your own.  The blueberry bushes are
quite high and offer shade when picking them.  The area is wooded with
blueberry meadows in between - a rather pleasant area of rolling hills.

Finally, the farm only accepts cash or check, so don't plan on using the
plastic!  It is $10 a gallon and it is best if you have the exact amount in
cash.   You may want to bring a cooler to store your blueberries for the trip
home if it is a hot day.

For those coming separately, we'll meet at the farm around 9 am.  We will
pick some blueberries and eat lunch (pack your own lunch and drinks) then
carpool back to New Orleans to arrive back to the parking lot at Audubon Zoo at
about 2pm.

The blueberries run $10 per gallon, so get out that blueberry pie recipe
and clear some space in your freezer. See website at:
http://www.pickaberry.com/

For more information about the farm:
Phone: (601) 403-8272
Tara Blueberry Farm
257 Langnecker Rd,
Poplarville, MS 39470