March, 2008

This calendar covers an extended period of time. Changes happen. If we are informed of new events or changes, they will be posted here and designated Changed. But we don't always get notified so please call number listed before driving to an event.

Saturday, Mar 1 - Fort Worth Vegetarian Society dinner, 7 pm. Spiral Diner, 1314 W Magnolia at 6th, Fort Worth. No reservation necessay; look for FWVS sign.

Saturday, Mar 1 - Free tour: Net Zero Energy Home, Frisco, 5357 Beacon Hill. 1-4 pm. Tour and watch video of a home with NO utility bills. 

Sat-Sun, Mar 1 - 2 Car Camp and Day Hike at the Isle du Bois unit of Lake Ray Roberts State Park near Denton. This park is about a 1 hour north of Dallas and Fort Worth, with a lake and nice hiking trails. Plan to arrive by noon on Saturday. We will hike on Sat afternoon and Sunday morning on trails in the state park and camp Saturday evening in the Hawthorne campground. To reserve your place, contact leader: Martha Ohlson, e-mail mjohlson@sbcglobal.net. Co-leader: Claudia Blalock. Trip limited to 12 persons.

Sunday, Mar 2 - Sustainable Sunday Lunch. Thai plant-based buffet at Thai Jasmine, (817) 283-8228, 3104 Harwood at Hwy 121, SW corner, Bedford. This all-you-can-eat buffet is served from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. $9 for adults, $5 for children. Separate Sierra Singles table. Organizer: Terry Jensen 

Sunday, Mar 2 - Dayhike Lake Ray Roberts. Hike 6 miles at a leisurely pace on the trail that goes north from Lantana Lodge, near Pilot Point, TX. Meet at 10:00 am in the parking lot of Lantana Lodge. To get there, take US 380 to US 377. Follow US 377 north to the town of Pilot Point. From there follow the brown signs towards Jordan Park. The turn-off to Lantana Lodge is just past the Jordan Park equestrian parking lot, to the right. Hiking boots highly recommended. Bring at least one liter of water. Optional lunch at the lodge restaurant after the hike. Leader: Martha Ohlson 972-727-5778(H) or 214-282-6982(C) 

Saturday, Mar 8 - Tarrant Coalition for Environmental Awareness (TCEA) meets from 1 - 2:30 pm. Community room of Healthy Approach Market, 817 399-9100, 5100 State Hwy 121, Colleyville, between Glade and Hall-Johnson Roads.

Saturday, Mar 8 - Cleanup White Rock Lake. Walk and talk while helping to pick up trash and recyclables at the Sierra Club's adopted section of White Rock Lake Park. Meet at 8:15 AM at the Love of the Lake office on the Northeast corner of Garland Rd. and Buckner Blvd. Look for a crowd of people drinking free juice and coffee. Gloves, trash bags, etc. provided. Our area includes one of the wonderful prairie restoration areas, so there are always birds and wildflowers to enjoy. The lake and your karma will thank you. Brunch afterwards. Leader: Carol Nash 214-824-0244(H)

Saturday, Mar 8 - Black Vegetarian Society of Dallas Vegetarian 101 class at Martin Luther King, Jr. Library, 2922 Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd, Dallas. 11:30 am -1:30 pm. Free.

Saturday, Mar 8 - Animal Connection of Texas meeting. 11 am. Center for Community Cooperation, 2900 Live Oak Street, Dallas. 214 373-7867. Free.

Saturday, Mar 8 - Dayhike Grapevine Lake, Hike about 5 miles on a dirt trail along the north shore of Grapevine Lake. No reservations required, just show up. No pets allowed. Take spare shoes for after the hike in case the trail is muddy. Take snacks and water. Meet at 9:30am at Rockledge Park in Grapevine in the parking lot near the restrooms on the northern part of the park. This is at the end of Park Rd. Three. Hike is cancelled if it’s raining in Grapevine. Directions: From Hwy 121, exit at Bass Pro Road and go west. Turn left (southwest) on Hwy 26 toward Grapevine. Drive about ¼ mile to Fairway Drive and turn right (north). Continue to drive across the dam and past the spillway. Turn left on the first driveway after the spillway to Rockledge Park. At the park, veer right to Park Rd. Three, and drive to the north parking lot. Leaders: Marcos Jorge 972-394-2546(H) and Claudia Blalock 817-924-6242(H) or 817-307-4808(C) 

Sunday, Mar 8 - Dayhike White Rock Creek Trail. Meet at 9:30 at Moss Park (SE corner of Greenville Ave and Royal Lane). Hike 5-6 miles along paved trail. Bring water. No reservations necessary. Just show up. Optional lunch at local restaurant. Leader: Dale Edelbaum 214-343-6741(H) 

Tuesday, Mar 11 - Meeting Dallas Sierra Club, Food at 6 pm, Meet at 7 pm with Joanie Sanchez. Joanie is the author of "60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Dallas/Fort Worth." Her book covers the best trails the Metroplex has to offer, including popular trails as well as lesser-known paths no guidebook has covered before. This is the essential guide you’ll need for hiking in and around the Dallas / Fort Worth Metroplex. The Center for Spiritual Living, at The Center for Spiritual Living, 4801 Spring Valley, near the northwest corner of Inwood and Spring Valley in north Dallas. It is confusing so see map here: http://texas.sierraclub.org/dallas/meeting.asp

Friday, Mar 14 - Dayhike Texas Buckeye Trail. Meet at the Trailhead at 9 AM. See the Texas Buckeye Blossoms, Learn about the Trinity River and its Hardwood Bottomland Forest. Trail conditions dependant upon weather conditions. Wear appropriate outdoor hiking gear. Guides are Texas Master Naturalist Volunteers –North Texas Chapter. Trailhead is at: 7000 Bexar St, Dallas TX 75215. Mapsco 56L. No reservations are required - just show up. More information is at [www.texasbuckeyetrail.org]. Leader: Jim Flood 972-557-1144(H) 

Saturday, Mar 15 - Dayhike Texas Buckeye Trail. Meet at the Trailhead at 10 AM or 1 PM. See the Texas Buckeye Blossoms, Learn about the Trinity River and its Hardwood Bottomland Forest. Trail conditions dependant upon weather conditions. Wear appropriate outdoor hiking gear. Guides are Texas Master Naturalist Volunteers –North Texas Chapter. Trailhead is at: 7000 Bexar St, Dallas TX 75215. Mapsco 56L. No reservations are required - just show up. More information is at [www.texasbuckeyetrail.org]. Leader: Jim Flood 972-557-1144(H) 

Saturday, Mar 15 - St Patrick's Day Greenville Av Parade. The Dallas Sierra Club will be entering a conservation-themed/SC awareness entry into this year’s parade scheduled for Saturday, March 15th. We’re green; St. Paddy’s is green… BRILLANT! The City of Dallas has agreed to lend us up to a dozen of the blue, recycling containers on wheels that we’ll push around the parade route for use in gathering parade viewer recyclables. We are seeking volunteers to help (wo)man the blue containers (two people per bin) along the parade route or just be part of the parade and walk along with the Sierra Club group. Total volunteer time would be about four hours beginning at 10:00 AM. The parade starts at 11:00 AM near Park Ln. and usually lasts a couple hours, after which, we can hang out to enjoy some of the festivities. To participate, please RSVP by February 28th to Peter at 214.454.6879.

Sunday, Mar 16 - Dayhike Village Creek Historical Park, 2605 Dottie Lynn Expressway, Arlington. Hike 2-miles on concrete trail with 2 rest breaks. Difficulty level is easy. Dogs welcome on 6 foot leash or shorter. Meet at 2:00 PM in the picnic area near the parking lot. Hike cancelled if raining at park. No reservations needed, just show up. Bring water and pick-up bags. Directions: From I-20, exit Green Oaks or Little Road and go north about 5 miles. Park will be shortly after the merge from Hwy 80. From I-30 take the Eastchase exit and go south 1.5 miles. Park entrance will be on the left. Leaders: Bonnie Bowman 817-265-0008(H) or bfbg@tx.rr.com and Claudia Blalock

Sunday, Mar 16 - Dayhike Texas Buckeye Trail. Meet at the Trailhead at 10 AM or 1 PM. See the Texas Buckeye Blossoms, Learn about the Trinity River and its Hardwood Bottomland Forest. Trail conditions dependant upon weather conditions. Wear appropriate outdoor hiking gear. Guides are Texas Master Naturalist Volunteers –North Texas Chapter. Trailhead is at: 7000 Bexar St, Dallas TX 75215. Mapsco 56L. No reservations are required - just show up. More information is at [www.texasbuckeyetrail.org]. Leader: Jim Flood 972-557-1144(H) 

Sunday, Mar 16 - Sustainable Sunday Lunch. Plant-based, all-you-can-eat buffet from 12 noon until 2 pm. Regularly $9, $1 off for Sierra Club. New Start Veg, (972 243-0507) 2330 Royal Lane, ste 900, Dallas 75229. Just west of I-35 on the south side of Royal. Organizers: Terry Jensen and James Bisby 469-371-1938(H) 

Monday, Mar 17 - Meeting Collin County Sierra Club. Meet at 7 pm. Group meets for the first time at the progam room at Haggard Library. Stay tuned for program and details.

Wednesday, Mar 19 - Meeting Fort Worth Sierra Club. Meet at 7 pm. John Pippin, MD, speaks on "Food and the Environment: The Real Inconvenient Truth." The problem won't be how to drive to work or heat/cool our homes, it will be how to eat in a food system that is entirely oil-based and global. What we eat and the ways we raise our food not only affect the environment but they also contribute vast amounts of greenhouse gases that cause an inconvenient climate change. In short, some foods are sustainable; some foods can not be sustained. Dr. Pippin is retired director of the Cardiovascular Medicine Department at Cooper Clinic in Dallas. His professional background includes leadership positions in medical research, education, and administration. Come early for complimentary food at Botanic Garden, 817 871-7686, 3220 Botanic Garden Boulevard at University, north of I-30, Fort Worth.

Wednesday, Mar 19 - Denton Organic Society meeting at Denton Senior Center, 509 N. Bell Av, Denton. 940-382-8551.

Thursday, Mar 20 - Meeting Arlington Sierra Club. Meet at 2 pm. Organizational meeting for this group. Attend and let us know if you want a discussion group, speakers, videos, or all of the above in this daytime group for the Sierra Club. 2 pm at Tin Cup 817 303-5518, 1025 W Abram St, Arlington 76013.

Tuesday, Mar 25 - Meeting Mid-Suburban Sierra Club. Gary Hogan speaks on "Gas Drilling: Making an Informed Decision" at 7 pm at the Sierra Club's Mid-Suburban meeting in Colleyville. The gas companies are coming to Northeast Tarrant County and Irving/Grand Prairie. They are full of promises of instant riches and few-to-no-problems. Mr. Hogan not only talks to us of the environmental issues associated with gas drilling, he also speaks to us about the life quality problems that are just beginning when you sign on the dotted line. Gas drilling came to Gary Hogan's community in West Fort Worth in 2004. In short, he has been there; done that. Bring your questions for Mr. Hogan to the community room of Healthy Approach Market, 817 399-9100, 5100 State Hwy 121, Colleyville, between Glade and Hall-Johnson Roads from 7 pm to 8:15 pm on the 25th. Contact Terry Jensen at 817 545-0140.

Thursday, Mar 27- Dallas Organic Gardening Club Monthly Meeting. Fretz Recreation Center, Dallas. 7 pm. Free.

Thursday, Mar 27 - Arlington Organic Gardening Club Monthly Meeting. Bob Duncan Community Center Garden Room, 2800 S. Center St. in Arlington. 7 pm

Saturday, Mar 29 - Dayhike Clark Gardens west of Weatherford. Join us for a leisurely stroll through the gardens to enjoy the spring bloom. Walking opportunities span ½ to 5 miles. Meet at the Gardens at 10:00 AM at entrance. Well-behaved dogs on a leash are welcome and this facility is handicap accessible. Bring your family and a friend. Contact Nancy McVean 817 596 5209 or mcvean@cowtown.net if you plan to come so Clark Gardens can plan for a large group. Clark Gardens website: www.clarkgardens.com, 940 682 4856 Directions to gardens: Take I-20 west from Fort Worth to the Mineral Wells exit (Hwy 180), just east of Weatherford. Head west on Hwy 180 for about 13 miles just before the entrance to Lake Mineral Wells State Park, just east of Mineral Wells. Turn right (north) at the bicycle overpass. Look for large sign on right side of Hwy for the gardens. Entrance fee: $7.00 adults, $5.00 for seniors and children under 12 - children under 5 are free. Leaders: Nancy McVean and Marilyn Turnage.

Sunday, Mar 30 - Sierra Singles House Concert and Potluck, 6 pm. This popular event brings touring singer/songwriters to a living room in Farmers Branch. Enjoy some great live music and share a meal with other singles in friendly setting. RSVP's usually required. Watch for details on the Sierra Singles email list a few weeks before the event. Contact: Paul Heller 972-620-1703

Sunday, Apr 6 - Sustainable Sunday Lunch. Thai plant-based buffet at Thai Jasmine, (817) 283-8228, 3104 Harwood at Hwy 121, SW corner, Bedford. This all-you-can-eat buffet is served from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. $9 for adults, $5 for children. Separate Sierra Singles table. Organizer: Terry Jensen