"Mayor's Night Out": An Opportunity
to Speak Out for Boyd Hill

Yes, city and county budgets are tight, but the cuts in staff at Boyd Hill Nature Preserve in St. Petersburg seem to have been made with a particularly blunt instrument, and without any public input whatsoever. St. Petersburg residents in District 1 will have an opportunity to have face-to-face access with the mayor, council members and city staff on a one-on-one basis this Thursday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. at the J.W. Cate Center at 5801 22nd Avenue N. If Boyd Hill is to be a "preserve," it needs sensitive environmental management and educational programming, beyond somebody to mow the grass, empty the trash barrels, and clean the restrooms. While personnel reduction may be inevitable, there are rangers at Boyd Hill who have been effective educators and environmental custodians and can continue to be, and every effort should be made to retain their considerable talents.

Gulf Restoration Network's Joe Murphy
to Speak at Tampa Bay Sierra Club Meeting

From Tampa Bay Sierra Club:

The battle lines are drawn. Coastal oil drilling is dirty, dangerous and ugly. It’s a threat not only to our coastal environment, but to Florida’s tourism and economy. 2010 will be a year of crucial action in the fight against offshore drilling.

Tampa Bay Sierra Club Feb.10 General Meeting

PROGRAM: The Gulf War Continues : Off-Shore Drilling vs Coastal Communities

SPEAKER: Joe Murphy from Gulf Restoration Network will present a powerful visual presentation and update us on recent developments, where we stand now and what to expect in 2010 at the state and federal levels on the issue of offshore drilling in the Gulf. He’ll also let us know what we can do to take action against this threat.

WHEN: 7 pm Wed. Feb. 10, 2010. 6: 30 pm social time and new member orientation

WHERE: Hilton Garden Inn, 1700 E. 9th Ave., Ybor City (769-9267) Free parking in hotel lot

Plan to attend this informational meeting, then head to the beach for the Feb. 13 Hands Across the Sand statewide offshore drilling protest!

Sierra Club meetings are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Marcia Biggs at 727-797-6261

Camping with Us Next Month? Please Register Online

If you signed up to go on the March field trip to Torreya State Park and Apalachicola Bluffs & Ravines Preserve near Tallahassee, we'd appreciate it if you'd visit our website and RSVP for the trip online. The RSVP form will ask you for information about your car pool preferences, contact information, and itinerary, which will help us with the logistics of getting 25 people organized!