UPCOMING EVENTS
Hiking schedule for the Santa
Margarita Ecological Reserve
(SMER)
DISCLAIMER: The following hikes are not sponsored not administered by the Sierra Club, which has no information about the planning of these activities and makes no representations or warranties about the quality, safety, supervision, or management of such activities. They are published only as a reader service, because they may be of interest to the readers of this publication.
Please RSVP to Beth Cobb at smerdocenthikes@gmail.com
Below are the dates for the upcoming hikes:
Sunday, December 8 Chaparral Hike
Saturday, December 14 Gorge Hike
Sunday, January 12 Highlands Hike
Saturday, January 18 Bird Walk (South Field Station)
Sunday, February 2 Gorge Hike
Saturday, February 8 Short Hike
Sunday, February 23 Chaparral Hike
Saturday, March 7 Highlands Hike
Sunday, March 15 Chaparral Hike
Saturday, March 21 Gorge Hike
Saturday, April 4 Bird Walk (North Field Station)
Saturday, April 11 Highlands Hike
Saturday, April 18 Short Hike
Saturday, May 16 Gorge Hike
Hope to see you out on the trail,
The Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve Docents
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March 12, 10:00 am
Thursday, Education and Outreach Committee
Murrieta Public Library
1 Town Square
Murrieta CA 92562
951-304-2489
CANCELLED
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Time: March 6th, 2020, 3:30 to 5:00 PM
(For high school and college age people only)
41685 Date St
Murrieta CA
Online registration link and more information:
bit.ly/20YCL
This is the first area meeting of Youth Climate Activists.
Meet others who care about our climate and our future, and organize for local climate action. This is a Climate Emergency, and we all deserve a future on a livable planet. Join us!
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March 10 Excom Meeting - 10 am
U.S. Department of The Interior
Bureau of Reclamation Southern
California Area Office (SCAO)
27226 Via Industria, Suite A
Parking in non-numbered spaces
CANCELLED
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March 12 General Meeting
Temecula Public Library
30600 Pauba Rd
Temecula CA
CANCELLED
Doors open at 6:00 pm
Social time: 6:30
Speaker: 7:00
Deadly by Design; San Onofre's (SONGS) permanent nuclear waste dump masquerading as a temporary solution
Don't miss this amazing opportunity to hear from Nina Babiarz and Charles Langley, board members of the non-profit, Public Watchdog. Charles is the founder of this group that exposes regulation failures at virtually every level of government. They are investigating ongoing fraud and corruption at San Onofre.
We are honored to have speakers of this calibre, so don't miss it!
Charles Langley has been a public advocate and energy analyst in Southern California for over 20 years focusing on energy issues that impact the rights and information going out to everyday consumers.
While working for the non-profit the Utility Consumers’ Action Network UCAN, Langley built its membership 12-fold and increased UCAN’s paid newsletter circulation to 33,000 subscribers.
You probably remember and maybe even used Langley’s “Gasoline Project” which tracked local gas prices on-line. Building on the public’s need, it ultimately received up to 33,000 visits a day and spurred a California Attorney General’s investigation of gasoline price gouging.
In 2011, Langley discovered internal documents of confidential complaints that revealed financial improprieties at UCAN. After calling for a ‘full forensic audit’ that was never conducted, Langley became an internal whistleblower.
When San Onofre leaked deadly radiation in January 2012, Langley demanded that UCAN publicly intercede in the San Onofre case. Forbidden from doing so as to not jeopardize UCAN’s revenue as a CA Public Utility Commission (CPUC) paid intervenor, Langley was terminated on June 2, 2013 as a whistleblower, in part for his work on exposing wrongdoing at San Onofre
Since 2013 Langley has worked full time to expose the alleged criminal activity, regulatory fraud, and fraud upon the court that has encompassed San Onofre.
As an investigator and publicist for the law firm of Aguirre & Severson LLP, Langley was instrumental in locating and publicly exposing the secret Warsaw, Poland meeting notes of CPUC President Michal Peevey. Because those notes resulted in a San Onofre decommission settlement without a public hearing, that discovery ultimately resulted in the “early retirements” of both Peevey and a CPUC Judge.
As founder of Public Watchdogs, Langley filed for and received a non-profit tax-exempt status by the IRS and the State of California in March of 2016. Public Watchdogs continues to expose the regulatory failure of virtually every level of government and investigate the ongoing fraud and corruption at San Onofre.
Nina Babiarz
A winner of the San Diego Business Journal’s ‘Women Who Mean Business’ award in the area of transportation, Nina Babiarz began her career in Pittsburgh as an engineering and construction news reporter for McGraw-Hill during the Three-Mile Island melt down. A government reporter, she learned how to track government money and translate bureaucratic gibberish into plain English. Nina moved to CA in ‘84 to report on the Southern California construction boom, where she quickly became involved in the marketing of alternative energy and advanced transportation technologies, including the automated highway demo for driverless cars, Schwarzenegger’s Hydrogen Highway, and developing training programs for alternative-fuel and electric vehicle repair .
She became engaged in the nuclear waste issue two years ago when she realized that a radiation leak at San Onofre could shut down I-5 and the LOSSAN rail corridor, resulting in devastating economic losses for the entire region.
Nina joined the Board of Public Watchdogs because she firmly believes that a greater public awareness and informed industry leaders are critical to averting an economic nuclear disaster at San Onofre.
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Hike to Maiden Hair Falls Saturday
March 14th 9:00 am
CANCELLED
Hike to Maiden Hair Falls Saturday March 14th 0900
Join me on a 5.5-6 mile moderately difficult hike with 900' of elevation gain/loss. From the desert landscape at the trailhead we will travel past Sycamores, cottonwoods then Palms to Maidenhair Falls a true oasis in the desert. At the falls there is a shallow pool surrounded by layers of Maidenhair fern along with mosses.
The Falls are seasonal. On my visit it was only dripping, but still worth the effort to get there. Hikers will have to scramble over or around some large boulders and throned cacti abound.
Hikers should bring 3 liters of water, lunch and snacks. Please wear comfortable hiking shoes with soles that don't slip. Dress in layers, wear a hat, long pants are a good idea and do not forget the sunscreen.
Directions: From Temecula, take 79 south (Temecula Pkwy) to Warner Springs. Turn left onto San Filipe Rd/S2. Travel about 4 or 5 miles then turn left on S22 (Montezuma Valley Rd.) heading to Borrego Springs. Continue on S22 for about 17 miles. The trail head is on the left .7 miles from the stop sign at Palm Canyon Rd. If you missed the trail head turn around at the stop sign. The trail head is on the right .7 miles up the hill.
To register or if you have questions contact Gary Marsalone email hikesie@gmail.com, rain cancels.
Rain cancels. No passes or permits are required.
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March 14 - Saturday, 9:30 am to 4 pm
Western Science Center, Teen Earth Optimism 2020 Changing the Climate Conversation
CANCELLED
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March 26 Outreach Committee
Earth Day Fair Team Meeting 12:30 pm
Vail Headquarters
32115 Temecula Pkwy
Temecula, CA 92592
CANCELLED
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March 16-19, 2020
30th Annual International Conference
on Soil, Water, Energy, and Air
Double Tree Mission Valley, San Diego, California
Preliminary Program
Achievement Awards 2020
Conference Evaluation Form
CONFERENCE LOCATION:
DOUBLETREE BY HILTON MISSION VALLEY
7450 Hazard Center Drive
San Diego, CA 92108
CANCELLED
March 2020 will mark the thirtieth annual gathering of environmental professionals to the Conference on Soil, Water, Energy, and Air. For the past twenty-nine years, this annual conference has helped to bring the environmental science community closer together by providing a forum to facilitate the exchange of information of technological advances, new scientific achievements, and the effectiveness of standing environmental regulation programs. The International Conference on Soil, Water, Energy, and Air and AEHS Foundation Semi-Annual Meeting offers attendees an opportunity to exchange findings, ideas, and recommendations in a professional setting. The strong and diverse technical program is customized each year to meet the changing needs of the environmental field.
Platform and poster sessions feature research, case studies, and the presentation of new programs. Exhibitions augment the conference program and bring applied technology to attendees. Focused workshops provide attendees with practical information for immediate application. Daily socials provide networking opportunities and discussion.
Exhibit Hall Hours for 2020:
Tuesday, March 17th, 9:00am - 7:00pm (5-7pm social)
Wednesday, March 18th, 9:00am - 7:00pm (5-7pm social)
Thursday, March 19th, 9:00am – 12:00pm
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Thursday, April 2 - Earth Day Outreach Committee - Murrieta Pubic Library 10 am
1 Town Square
Murrieta CA 92562
951-304-2489
CANCELLED
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April 4 EARTH DAY FAIR
CANCELLED
11 am to 4 pm
Vail Headquarters
32115 Temecula Parkway
Temecula, CA 92592
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April 16 - Thursday ExCom Meeting - 10 am
Meeting through ZOOM
U.S. Department of The Interior
Bureau of Reclamation Southern
California Area Office (SCAO)
27226 Via Industria, Suite A
Parking in non-numbered spacesExcom
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April 9 General Meeting - CANCELLED
Temecula Public Library
30600 Pauba Rd
Temecula CA
Doors open at 6:00 pm
Social time: 6:30
Speaker: 7:00
subject: Vipers
For your information, our scheduled speaker for this cancelled meeting has provided information about himself and his research. Please read about this outstanding scholar, Dr. Jesus Sigala.**
**We hope we can have him reschedule!**
SUBJECT: VIPERS
Bachelor in Biology from Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes (UAA) and Ph. D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University. Full professor at UAA, Co-Chair of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Viper Specialist Group (VSG) and Member (Candidate) of the National System of Researchers in Mexico. Academic interests include macroecological patterns, natural history and conservation of viperid snakes. Has taught 36 different courses at UA of Aguascalientes, UA of Zacatecas and Cornell University, given 66 professional presentations, published 43 works, and contributed with 85 congress’ abstracts. Has been Vicepresident and President of the Mexican Zoological Society and is a visiting sabbatical profesor in Rulon Clark´s lab at San Diego State University.
My talk was titled, "Mexican vipers with restricted distribution areas: knowledge gaps and conservation" and I was going focus on some projects we have carried out with some vipers endemic to Mexico (mostly non-rattlesnakes) that range from distribution, climate change, diet, conservation and some morphological peculiarities, but I wanted to take advantage of a project that I just started with Rulon, Pablo and Jamie at Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve and would end with a list and photos of the amphibians and reptiles present in the reserve. Maybe in a couple of months I would have more material for this last project and could focus on it as I think that it would be more interesting locally.
With best wishes,
Jesus
Dr. J. Jesús Sigala Rodríguez
-Profesor Investigador y Responsable de la Colección Zoológica de la Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes (CZUAA), http://www.uaa.mx/centros/ccb/deptos/biologia/index.html
-Co-Chair, IUCN's Viper Specialist Group, www.viperspecialistgroup.org
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April 23 - THURSDAY - Outreach Committee
Vail Headquarters
32115 Temecula Pkwy
Temecula, CA 92592
through ZOOM
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April 23, Thursday,
14th Annual Soboba Earth Day
CANCELLED
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April 25 - Saturday, Lake Skinner Earth Day Event - Charity Hagen CANCELLED
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April 25 - Saturday, Extreme Clean Lake Elsinore
CANCELLED
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May 21 THURSDAY - ExCom Meeting - 10 am
U.S. Department of The Interior
Bureau of Reclamation Southern
California Area Office (SCAO)
27226 Via Industria, Suite A
Parking in non-numbered spacesExcom
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May 14 General Meeting
CANCELLED
Temecula Public Library
30600 Pauba Rd
Temecula CA
Doors open at 6:00 pm
Social time: 6:30
Speaker: 7:00
Swiss Researcher - SMER Swiss Researcher Native Plants and Insects
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May 28 Outreach Committee
Vail Headquarters
32115 Temecula Pkwy
Temecula, CA 92592
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June 18 ExCom Meeting - 10 am
U.S. Department of The Interior
Bureau of Reclamation Southern
California Area Office (SCAO)
27226 Via Industria, Suite A
Parking in non-numbered spacesExcom
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June 11 General Meeting
CANCELLED
Temecula Public Library
30600 Pauba Rd
Temecula CA
Doors open at 6:00 pm
Social time: 6:30
Speaker: 7:00
Mountain Lions
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June 14 Sierra Sunday Annual Picnic - Primal Pastures
CANCELLED
Sierra Club pays Primal Pastures $150 for the location and tour; People attending $10/person; includes lunch and tour.
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Hiking schedule for the Santa Margarita
Ecological Reserve (SMER)
11:00 Tour
Please RSVP to Beth Cobb at smerdocenthikes@gmail.com
Below are the dates for the upcoming hikes:
Sunday, October 27 Gorge Hike
Saturday, November 2 Highlands Hike
Saturday, November 16 Bird Walk (South Field Station)
Saturday, November 23 Short Hike
Sunday, December 8 Chaparral Hike
Saturday, December 14 Gorge Hike
Sunday, January 12 Highlands Hike
Saturday, January 18 Bird Walk (South Field Station)
Sunday, February 2 Gorge Hike
Saturday, February 8 Short Hike
Sunday, February 23 Chaparral Hike
Saturday, March 7 Highlands Hike
Sunday, March 15 Chaparral Hike
Saturday, March 21 Gorge Hike
Saturday, April 4 Bird Walk (North Field Station)
Saturday, April 11 Highlands Hike
Saturday, April 18 Short Hike
Saturday, May 16 Gorge Hike
Hope to see you out on the trail,
The Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve Docents