general meeting: 

All Sierra Club events are open to members and visitors alike.   Please join us.

Outings note: The leaders of our trips are serving in a volunteer capacity and assume no responsibility above that of trip organizer. Please respect the wishes of your leader. If you have any medical requirements, it is your responsibility to inform the leader before the trip. While our trip leaders are not paid professionals, they are encouraged to participate in training to increase their skills. All outings officially begin at the trailhead. Leaders cannot assign carpools but may help coordinate ride sharing to conserve energy and to promote camaraderie. Some outings require advance reservations at the destination site as well as from the participant. If you must cancel, inform the leader promptly.

* The events marked with an asterisk are not sponsored by the Sierra Club Houston Group, but are presented here as a courtesy to our members and friends.  The Sierra Club Houston Regional Group makes no representations nor assumes any responsibility for these activities.

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special events:

none scheduled

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classes:

TBD - Outings Leader Training - Dates: Arranged with participants; no cost - Have you enjoyed outings or trips put on by the Houston Sierra Club? Would you like to see more outings offered? If so, have you considered playing a role yourself? We are always looking to maintain and expand our leader pool. We'll soon organize another training session for those interested in being outings leaders or trip coordinators. Our leader training provides participants with the background requirements for leading a Sierra Club outing in the field. This class is a qualification to become an asst. leader or leader on our air/bus trips, or to sponsor local day or weekend outings. The trip coordinator class will cover all the steps involved in planning one of our air/bus trips. The trip coordinators are the ones who decide on a destination and are then responsible for the overall planning and organization. This includes choosing group leaders, making air/bus arrangements, publicizing the trip, etc. (One can assist with trip coordinating without having to lead a group in the field). Besides gaining rewarding personal experience, our group leaders and trip coordinators make an invaluable contribution to the Sierra Club. Their efforts create unique opportunities for others to experience and enjoy the natural world. And some trips serve as a source of revenue for the Houston Group, helping to support local conservation activities. In order to compensate somewhat for their time and energy, group leaders and trip coordinators can receive discounts on the air/bus trips that they lead. If you have interest in either of these classes, contact Frank Blake, frankblake@juno.com or 713-528-2896. Each class is approximately 2 hours long, and dates are coordinated with the interested participants.
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committee meetings:

December 4 (Thu) - Sustainability Subcommittee - At the General Monthly Meeting, 7:00 PM, at the Sustainability table. For more information, contact Cathy Albrecht at  281-585-0856 or calbrecht52@aol.com or Carl Hacker at Carl.S.Hacker@uth.tmc.edu

December 9 (Tue) - Inner City Outings (ICO) - Houston ICO meets the second Tuesday each month at 7 p.m. at George Batten's home.  3646 Aberdeen Way, Houston 77025 (713-665-1505)  Please email raineygib@aol.com or call 281-384-4104 for more information.

December 10 (Wed) - Conservation Committee - second Wednesday of each month,  7:00 PM at the Houston Sierra Club office, 3015 Richmond, 2nd floor. Contact Frank Blake at 713-528-2896 or e-mail frankblake@juno.com.

December 15 (Mon) - Outings Committee - third Monday of each month, 7 p.m. at George Batten's house.  Join us to help plan regional day events, weekend outings, and exciting trips to wilderness areas.  Please contact for directions and to confirm the meeting date. Contact Frank Blake at 713-528-2896 or e-mail frankblake@juno.com .

December (Thu) - Houston Group Executive Committee - 7:00 p.m. at the Citizens Environmental Coalition Building, 3015 Richmond at Eastside St.

For more information on committee activities, click "get involved" on the nav bar.

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social gatherings:

December 4 (Thu) - Join Fellow Sierrans for Dinner Before the Meeting - In addition to our usual refreshments and social time at 7:00 PM prior to the meeting, why not join your fellow Sierrans for dinner at 5:30 PM at the nearby Collina's Italian Cafe at 3835 Richmond? The cafe is located in a strip shopping center about two blocks away from the meeting near the corner of Richmond and Weslayan. Come and meet some people who care about the same things you do.

Ongoing:  every Saturday - Sierra Walkers - Clear Lake Area - We meet every Saturday at 7:30 a.m. across the street from the Nassau Bay Post Office on Upper Bay Road, just south of NASA Rd. One. After a 3-mile walk, we have breakfast at a nearby deli. Some just come for breakfast. Join us! For information, call Richard or Betty Armstrong at 281-333-5693.

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outdoor events:

service projects

December 6 (Sat) - Marysee Prairie Work Day - First Saturdays. - The Marysee Prairie is one of the last remnants of tallgrass prairie in the Big Thicket region. Come assist the Big Thicket Association in this ongoing effort to revive and maintain the native grasses and wildflowers on this site near Batson, Texas. Work tasks vary by month, but usually involve removal of tallow seedlings, and controlling the regrowth of woody species. Tools and gloves provided. For more info, contact Susan Schinke atsruth@consolidated.net or 936-829- 5204, or Frank Blake at frankblake@juno.com or 713-528-2896.

Hiking and Trail Maintenance on the Lone Star Hiking Tail - Hurricane Ike has done significant damage to Sam Houston National Forest including the Double Lake Recreation Area, the west side of Lake Conroe, and areas where the Lone Star Hiking Trail goes.  The U.S. Forest Service has closed Sam Houston National Forest and the Lone Star Hiking Trail to the public.  The Forest Service anticipates it will open the forest in October.  In the meantime, if you are interested in working on the Lone Star Hiking Trail, removing branches and trees, please call Jane Prentiss 713-201-5755 or email me at lshttrailboss@yahoo.com.  Hopefully, we can conduct trail maintenance at our regularly scheduled trail maintenance hike on October 18th or October 25th.

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Day Trips

December 6 (Sat) - Attention Paddlers! Extend a Helping Paddle - We have traditionally scheduled a Sierra Club canoe/kayak outing for the first weekend in December, most often to our east in Chambers County. Even though the widespread devastation caused there by Hurricane Ike has made it difficult to coordinate with local residents and officials, we have tentatively set Saturday, December 6, as the date for a service outing to Chambers County. If possible, we will tie this to one of the locations we have explored in previous paddling trips. Please put this date on your calendar, and watch the club’s web site and next month’s Bayou Banner for details as they develop. You can also contact Tom Douglas at baymail@sbcglobal.net or (713) 869-6026. If you would like to review some of the post-storm aerial photos for yourself, these are

December 7 (Sun) - Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge - Brazoria NWR is a terminus of the Central Flyway for many North American waterfowl. In winter, snow geese, pintail, teal, gadwall, and mottled ducks frequently fill the many ponds and sloughs. Sandhill cranes, white pelican, and caracaras are also frequently seen. On this outing we’ll have an opportunity to examine what impacts Hurricane Ike has had on this portion of the coast. The refuge has several hiking trails, viewing platforms, and wildlife viewing opportunities on an auto tour. Time allowing, we may also visit a nearby location, such as Lake Jackson’s Wilderness Park or Chocolate Bayou. We'll meet at 9am and the outing will last until approximately 4pm. For meeting point and other details, contact Frank Blake, frankblake@juno.com or 713-528-2896.

December 13 (Sat) - Downtown Hike/Holiday Lights - Take in the holiday season's sights and decorations on this walk in downtown Houston. Some of the spots we'll visit include the ice skating rink at Discovery Green, the new Houston Pavilions complex, and the lights at Macy's and City Hall. We'll meet in Hermann Park and ride the Main Street rail to downtown. We'll get a bite to eat, and explore the downtown sites by foot. The outing will begin at 4pm and last until approximately 9pm. For further details, contact Frank Blake at frankblake@juno.com or 713-528-2896.

December 20 (Sat) - December Brings Birding on the Katy Prairie - On Saturday, December 20, 2008, the Houston Sierra Club will enjoy a day of birding on the Katy Prairie. We hope to see many ducks, geese, raptors, songbirds, shorebirds, and with luck, a Bald Eagle.  Bring your daypack, water (at least two quarts), lunch, hiking shoes, cameras, bug repellant, sunscreen, field guides, binoculars, and clothes to fit the weather. We will meet at 7:30 a.m., Rice University, Entrance 13A (off Greenbriar). Look for a blue Plymouth Neon. This Forest Walk is limited to 15 people. Call Brandt Mannchen at 713-664-5962 or email him at brandtshnfbt@juno.com so he can get your name, phone number, and email. Your name will be placed on the waiting list. The information collected will be used to contact you in case the Forest Walk is canceled. 

January 11 (Sun) - San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge - San Bernard NWR, established in 1969, provides quality habitat for a wide variety of bird life, as well as alligators, bobcats, and other species. The 34,679-acre refuge is located in Brazoria and Matagorda counties, 12 miles west of Freeport. The refuge includes coastal prairie, salt marsh with saltwater lakes, shallow freshwater lakes and marshes, intermittent streams and bottomland forest. The auto tours and hiking trails offer visitors an excellent opportunity to view wildlife in a variety of habitats. We will be looking for winter visitors: migrating waterfowl, sandhill cranes, etc. We may also work in a visit to the Wilderness Park in Lake Jackson, or if the weather is less than ideal, the Sea Center or the Brazosport Museum of Natural Science. We'll meet at 9am and the outing will last until approximately 4pm. For meeting point and other details, contact Frank Blake, frankblake@juno.com or 713-528-2896.

January 24, 2009 (Sat) - January Forest Walk Visits Two Unknown Streams - We were washed out by Hurricane Ike in September on this Forest Walk. So on Saturday, January 24, 2009, the Houston Sierra Club will visit two creeks we have not seen in Sam Houston National Forest. We do not know what we will find so this will be a true adventure! We will first visit the upper portion of Winters Bayou, in the Big Woods area in Compartment 84. We will later visit Little Caney Creek in Compartment 99, near Nebletts Creek, and see what this stream looks like. Bring your daypack, water (at least two quarts), lunch, hiking shoes, cameras, bug repellant, sunscreen, field guides, binoculars, and clothes to fit the weather. Long pants are highly recommended! We will meet at 7:30 a.m., Rice University, Entrance 13A (off Greenbriar). Look for a blue Plymouth Neon.  This Forest Walk is limited to 15 people. Call Brandt Mannchen at 713-664-5962 or email him at brandtshnfbt@juno.com so he can get your name, phone number, and email. Your name will be placed on the waiting list. The information collected will be used to contact you in case the Forest Walk is canceled.

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Weekend Trips are also listed on our Outings page

January 23-25, 2009 (Fri-Sun) - Enchanted Rock SNA Camping - Come join us for our annual camping weekend in the beautiful hill country. We will have both backpacking and base camping groups. Both groups will stay in the base camp area Friday night. Saturday morning the backpackers will hike about 2 miles to the primitive camping area. Both groups will hike on Saturday to the top of the rock and then spend the rest of the day exploring the other trails in the park. On Sunday, we usually stop for lunch at one of the local restaurants in Fredericksburg. Everyone is welcome, bring your kids and your well-behaved dogs. (Leaders: Lorraine Gibsonbasecamping & TBD-backpacking) The trip fee is $15/adult and $5/child, which includes camping fees and a small donation to the Houston Sierra Club. For more information or to reserve your spot, contact Lorraine Gibson at 281- 384-4104 or raineygib@aol.com.

March 27-29 (Fri-Sun) - Martin Dies, Jr. State Park - Relish an East Texas Spring weekend outdoors. We should enjoy some early spring blooms and star gazing on this new moon weekend. This is a good trip for beginners as well as experienced campers. Bring your bike, kayak, fishing pole, or just your light hiking shoes as this park on B. A. Steinhagen Lake has a lot to offer including easy hiking trails and flat park roads. A fee of $10/person will cover campsite costs with any remainder going to the club; the small park entry fee will be extra. Contact Rick Rice at rick.rice@sbcglobal.net or 713-680-0585

Longer Trips are listed exclusively on our Outings page

Last updated:  11/27/2008.   Content © 1999-2008 by the Sierra Club.