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Bob Wheatley passed away Feb. 6. He was 89 years old.
Wheatley was very active in the Sierra Club, serving as chair of the Rio Hondo Section for several years and helping to found the Lower Peaks Committee. He received Chapter Awards in 1981 and 1988 for Outings Service and in 1992 for Special Service.
Angeles Chapter Conservation Chair
On Feb. 25 about 50 members attended the Angeles Chapter's first-ever all-day conservation retreat at the Community Center in El Monte. The program, 'Tricks of the Trade: A Toolbox for Conservation Activists,' was developed by long-time conservation activists Marcia Hanscom and Lynne Plambeck.
Conservation Program Coordinator
As spring arrives, members enjoying their explorations may notice that wild species are also more abundant. In Southern California, there are several common wildlife species we should be aware of during excursions.
Rattlesnakes
Rattlesnakes are the only venomous reptiles native to California. They can be recognized by their broad heads, light colored bodies with brown blotches and the notorious rattle bringing up the rear. Younger rattlesnakes may have a button, rather than a full rattle.
New Books and DVDs Available for Checkout to Angeles Chapter Members
Former Sierra Club executive director Michael McCloskey heads the library's list of new authors. In The Thick of It: My Life in the Sierra Club is the autobiography of the man who followed the controversial David Brower and helped move the organization to the national stage. McCloskey faced and met an unprecedented challenge in replacing a dynamic fighter and taking the club into a strong and forceful future.
On Feb. 23, Orange County's Transportation Corridor Agency voted 12-3 to certify their environmental report on the Foothill-South Toll Road. TCA officially selected an alignment that bisects both San Onofre State Beach (devastating Trestles Surf Beach and the San Mateo Campground) and the Donna O'Neill Land Conservancy.
While disappointing, the vote was not at all surprising.
Conservation Program Coordinator
As nature lovers, we like to enjoy our fruit trees, vegetable gardens, outdoor plants, ornamental ponds, compost piles and bird feeders. Local wildlife also appreciate these attractions, and this can sometimes lead to conflict.
Rodents and black bears are attracted by bird feeders. Raccoons delight in fish ponds and uproot newly-planted landscaping. Compost piles attract digging skunks and rosebushes attract foraging deer and rabbits.
Eco-Friendly Clothing Requires Research, but it's Worth the Clean Conscience
As an environmentalist, I find it hard to enjoy clothes shopping these days. Three words on a label tell me enough about a garment's backstory to make me want to return it to the rack. Was it 'Made in Bangladesh'? Or the Dominican Republic? Maybe Indonesia? That little label tells me my intended impulse buy is hitched to exploited workers and poor environmental practices in the developing world.
Photographers and flower enthusiasts are watching this year's wildflower season with the intensity of Wall Street speculators. Will ongoing drought doom us to months of brown hillsides, or will late rains make for a March miracle?
Last year, ample rains gave us a standout show, with flowers blanketing hillsides throughout our local deserts and mountains.
Not so this winter.
The Angeles Chapter Political Committee under the direction of Chair Susana Reyes has been hard at work. Teams have been preparing questionnaires, interviewing candidates, and presenting information to the Political Committee and the Executive Committee.
Why now? The general election is in November and the primary in June is just months away. In the California electoral system, vicious gerrymandering has made each Assembly and Senate district safe for one party, so that the primary is the real election.
ExComm Meets
The Angeles Chapter Executive Committee will meet Sunday, April 23 at 1pm in the Chapter office. All members are invited to attend.
Photo Competition
Sierra Club Angeles Chapter
617 W. 7th St, Suite 702
Los Angeles, CA 90017
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 10-5 or by appointment