Sierra Club Annual Luncheon Saturday, September 22 The annual luncheon of the Iowa Chapter of the Sierra Club will be at the Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center at Toddville on September 22. The activities start at 11:00. The cost will be $30 per person. RSVPs are due September 18th to Pam Mackey Taylor, 118 3rd Ave SE, Suite 326, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401 or by phone to 319-366-2428. The schedule is 11:00 mingle, look at displays at the Outdoor Learning Center, silent auction 12:00 lunch. 1:00 awards program and MJ Hatfield will speak on “Defining Wildness, Let’s Take a Closer Look” Afterwards – hiking at Wickiup Hill. A member of the Cedar-Wapsie Group will lead a hike through the woods. For those interested in something less strenuous, there is a boardwalk over a wetland near the Learning center. Evening – For those who are interested in tent camping, Group Site 5 has been reserved at Pinicon Ridge. This is for tents. Dinner will be served. This is being hosted by the Cedar-Wapsie Group. ----- Featured Speaker – MJ Hatfield MJ Hatfield’s interest in plants began in a garden but grew to include the wondrous native plants. She was introduced to oak woodlands when she bought a small farm in 1972. She was introduced to prairie when she rented a house on land that included 45 acres of native prairie. She is working on reconstructing 35 acres of her farm to diverse prairie and managing her oak woodland for the oaks, cutting non-native trees and running fire through the woods. Some time while working with the land, she became aware of the connection between plants and animals, especially insects. Now, she is trying to learn more about the insects associated with native plants. MJ is a retired UPS driver. For 26 years she drove central Iowa observing people and watching the seasons change. She then had the opportunity to be an AmeriCorps volunteer with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Prairie Seed Harvest Team where she worked as a Prairie Specialist. Last year she returned to Iowa State (to use the AmeriCorps education award) to study entomology and ecological restoration. She is also working in Dr. Diane Debinski’s laboratory, sorting insects for the SW Iowa Grazing Project. Her program is “Defining Wildness, Let’s take a closer Look.” - - - - Directions to Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center Wickiup Hill is west of Toddville and northwest of Cedar Rapids. From I-380, take the Toddville/E-34 Exit. Go west. Follow the Wickiup Hill signs through Toddville to Feather Ridge Road. Turn south (left) and go to Morris Hills Road. Turn west (right). Drive about 1.2 miles to the Learning Center. Part of this road will be gravel. - - - - Silent Auction Donations There will be a silent auction at the annual meeting. If you have something you would like to donate, please bring it to the annual meeting. If you would like to drop it off ahead of time, contact Elwood Garlock at 319-364-3919, [log in to unmask] - - - - - Camping on Sept. 22 For those interested in camping the evening of September 22, we have reserved a group tent site #5 at Pinicon Ridge County Park. Each tent space will be $11. A group dinner will be furnished for $5.00 per person. To get to Pinicon Ridge County Park, from Wickiup Hill, go east on Morris Hills Road, then turn north (left) on Feather Ridge Road. Turn right into Toddville. Cross I-380 and continue east on E-34/County Home Road until you meet Highway 13. Turn north (left) and drive to Central City. Follow the directions to Pinicon Ridge. - - - - - Hotels in the area If you plan to stay at a hotel over the weekend, the closest hotels are in Cedar Rapids and Urbana. One suggestion is the Holiday Inn Express, 319-294-9407, 1230 Collins Road NE in Cedar Rapids. Another suggestion is Travel Inn and Suites, 319-378-3948, 2215 Blairs Ferry Road NE in Cedar Rapids. There is a Super 8 at the Urbana exit off I-380, 319-443-8888. - - - - - RSVP Number attending the luncheon: ______ x $30 = ______ Reservation for tent site: ______ x $11 = ______ Reservation for dinner at tent site: ______ x $5 = ______ Amount enclosed: ______ Name: ___________________ Address: ______________________ _______________________ Phone: _____________________ RSVPs by September 18 to Pam Mackey Taylor, 118 3rd Ave SE, Suite 326, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401 or by phone to 319-366-2428. Make checks payable to Sierra Club, Iowa Chapter. ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/