Laura Russello, Clean Water Action

Safer Homes: Protecting your household from toxic chemicals

Did you know that common household items such as pesticides, makeup,
children's toys and furniture can contain chemicals that pose a threat
to you and your family's health? Each day we are exposed to a number
of chemicals, many of which have not been evaluated or tested for
safety. This workshop will teach participants to become informed
consumers when it comes to what goes in their homes and on their
bodies. We will also explore the underlying defects in the national
laws that are supposed to protect the public from toxic chemical
exposure in the first place. Workshop participants will take action
by writing to their lawmakers about phasing out toxic chemicals and
replacing them with safer alternatives." Back to top

Workshop Description:

David Veenstra

Socially Responsible Investing

Are your investments aligned with your values? If you own mutual funds, are you investing in companies that are working against your environmental and other personal values? Please join in a discussion of how your dollars can work in socially responsible investments to change corporate behavior. Back to top

Workshop Descriptions:

Charles St. Charles, Nature Photographer

North American Migrations

This presentation includes material from Alaska to Mexico on migrations of birds, mammals, butterflies and other animals. We talk about different reasons that animals migrate, how they cover great distances, where they come from and where they go, and why timing is so important in some of these migrations. Included in the presentation are snow geese, sand hill cranes, monarch butterflies, horse shoe crabs and shorebirds, eagles and elk. Back to top

Charles St. Charles

The Magic of Monarch Butterflies

This presentation describes all of the steps in the life cycle of the monarch butterfly. The monarchs life cycle includes all of the familiar steps of metamorphosis that are common to insects, but it also includes photos of an amazing part of it's life that is unique to the monarch. Each fall millions of these butterflies migrate to a few select locations in Mexico where they change from being independent animals to animals who survive as part of a colony. Back to top

Workshop Description:

Tom Stanton, Coordinator
Michigan Renewable Energy Program

"Michigan Energy Policy and the 21st Century Energy Plan: From Hell to Paradise(?)"

Is Michigan energy policy poised to awaken from the dark ages of over a decade with no utility-funded energy efficiency programming, no renewable portfolio standard, no precautionary principle for global climate change, peak oil, and on and on? Tom Stanton, coordinator of the Michigan Public Service Commission’s Michigan Renewable Energy Program with over 20 years experience working at the MPSC and nearly 25 years as a Sierra Club member and supporter, will lead a dialogue about Michigan energy policy: history, today, and what may come next… Come ready with your questions and ideas for Michigan’s sustainable energy future. Back to top

Workshop Description:

Anne Wiowode, Michigan Sierra Club Chapter Director

Biodiversity Hike

Enjoy a guided hike through ecosystems from open blowing dunes to old growth forests right in the heart of Camp Miniwanca. Learn about the basics of biodiversity and how to look at wild places to see the interconnections. We'll also talk about issues at the state and federal level that are shaping Michigan's forests and ecosystems today. Back to top

Workshop Description:

Open Canoeing, wind surfing and Kayaking with Camp Staff

Tubing down Stony Creek

High Ropes Course

Take a scenic 15 min. hike through the camp to Stony Lake and take one of the camp canoes or kayaks out for a spin. Ever thought of trying wind surfing? Here's your chance! Back to top

Take a relaxing tube trip down Stony Creek. Start at the Dinning Hall porch (camp staff will meet you) and hike a scenic trail to the "tube house" on camp property. Floating gently to a spot down the hill from the Dining Hall will take about one hour. This is a great way to cool off and see more of the camp's beauty! All ages invited. Back to top

Adults and kids 11 years and older are invited to take part in this extrodiary trust building experience. "I always felt completely safe, but I also had to really stretch myself to meet the goals I set for myself. It was really fun. I learned a lot about how to motivate others on my team and I felt great when they cheered me on. I think I like heights now!." ~Lisa Wickman A parent or guardian must sign a waiver for minors to participate. ALL PARTICIPANTS MUST WEAR SHOES WITH CLOSED TOES. Back to top

Workshop Description:

Sue Kelly

Political Activism 102

Sierra Club is the most effective grassroots environmental organization in the country. Successfully engaging in the politics to further our goals and mission is part of the reason we have acquired this reputation. So why and how do Sierra Club members get involved in politics? It is more fun and fulfilling than you might thing! Come and hear Chapter Political Chair Sue Kelly share thoughts on this critical work. Find out what activities are going on around the state and in your backyard. Back to top

Workshop Description:

Linda Frey

Pay for Your Carbon.....or Not?

Consumers who are concerned about global climate change can purchase
carbon offsets. But what are you really buying? Are offsets a real
solution? How much should you buy? The retail carbon offset market
is in its infancy. Consumers can help by asking about the quality
and reliability of the projects they support with their dollars.
Learn more from Linda Frey, Executive Director,West Michigan Chapter
of the U.S. Green Building Council and a student of the Sustainable
Business Certification program at Aquinas College.

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Workshop Description:

Lynn Hershberger

"Felting your way"

Have fun with felting! We will transform fluffy wool into two soft fabric squares. We add some colorful ribbon on the edges and the squares become the sides of a scented sachet pillow.

LynnH is Lynn DT Hershberger of Lansing, Michigan, USA. She considers her artistic medium to be color, whether it be knitting, handpainted fibers, printmaking, polymer clay or embellishing with paints. Check out her website: colorjoy.com

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Workshop Description:

Rebbeca Lassard

"Wings of Wonder"

Come and meet some live raptors and learn about Wings of Wonder!

Wings of Wonder is a non profit charitable organization whose mission includes
* educating the public about wildlife, conservation, ecology, and current environmental issues, with a focus on raptors
* the rehabilitation of sick, injured and orphaned raptors with the goal of releasing healthy individuals back into the wild
*increasing the over-all knowledge of wildlife rehabilitation, regulations, and education methods through fieldwork, networking and research

www.wingsofwonder.org

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Workshop Description:

John Muir lives!

a tribute by Dick Shore

You may know John Muir as John O' the Mountains: writer; glacial geologist; naturalist, father of Yosemite; founder of the Sierra Club; mechanical inventor; world class ambler; architect of the National Park Service and raconteur extraordinair.

Above all these things John Muir remains the archetypal consummate great and gentle soul whose legacy endures as a reminder to us to live in harmony with nature.

Now, imagine John alive today...Dick Shore is his alter ego. Through story and song you can experience the fascinating details of Muir's life, from a Scottish boyhood to the 1,000 mile walk and beyond.

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Workshop Description:

Doug MacCleery

An Overview on the History of Forests in the U.S. and the Lake States: What were they like then, how have they changed?

Climate Change and U.S. Forests: What is happening and what can we do about it?

The focus of this talk is on the relationship between humans and their forests, how this has evolved over the years, the role and influence of American Indians on forests and wildlife, how human influences changed during the Colonial Period, on the influence of Western expansion, how the deteriorating forest and wildlife situation at the end of the 19th century led to the first national environmental movement, on the policies that emerged from that movement to address forest and wildlife depletion, and how the forest and wildlife situation has changed since 1900 in response to those policies and to other factors. The talk will conclude by discussing the current condition of our forests and the most significant factors influencing them including wildfire, urban expansion and climate change.

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Climate change and the role of C02 levels in influencing it have received enormous attention in recent years. Along with fossil fuels emissions, forests globally have a major influence on the atmosphere's C02 balance. Forests, and the myriad ecological processes they support, are sensitive to changes in regional and local temperatures, rainfall/snowfall patterns, species shifts and other effects accompanying climate change. This talk will lay out the history of climate change in North America, including changes over the last several decades, the factors that may be responsible for it, and what we might expect in the future.

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Doug MacCleery is a professional forester who has worked in natural resource management and policy for his entire career. He has Bachelor's and Master's degrees in forestry and resource development from Michigan State University (1961-67). For the past decade, Mr. MacCleery has been seeking to make people more aware of how U.S. forests and grasslands have changed from pre colonial times to the present. Doug's focus on environmental history has been to seek to highlight how the relationship between humans and their forests has evolved over the years and on the lessons this experience provides that are relevant to future forest conservation. He has both written (see below) and lectured extensively on the subject.

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Workshop Description:

Wanda Bloomquist

Have some great ideas about how to make the retreat better? Co-chairs Wanda Bloomquist and Lisa Wickman are anxious to pass the "retreat torch" on for next year! Many hands make light work, so turn up at this planning meeting and help make decisions for the 19th annual Sierra Club Retreat.

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Workshop Description:

Don Persson

Learn the basics of backpacking from an experienced Sierra Club backpacker and leader. Topics that will be discussed are:

- Why backpack?

- Basic equipment requirements and recommendations

- Trip preparation

- Food in the wilderness

- Clothing do's and don'ts

- Trails in Michigan, the U.S., and abroad

- Questions and answers

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Workshop Description:

Anne Woiwode

The Sierra Club uses “all legal means” to promote protection of the environment. Learn how Sierra Club uses litigation to further our purposes and how the Michigan Chapter has used litigation over its forty year history to protect wild places, stop pollution and force agencies to do their duty under the law.

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Workshop Description:

Thomas Enright

Animal Adaptations: Camouflage

Length of program: 45 minutes indoor / 45 minutes for “Thicket Game”

Participants will discover through interactive activities about animal adaptations, with emphasis on camouflage. Discover human made items that mimic animal adaptations. Participants will create an, imaginary or real, animal with special adaptations. The program will end with an outdoor game called the “Thicket Game”

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