Native Plant Walk at Ivy Creek Natural Area: November 21, 9:00 – 11:30am
Jefferson Chapter member, Nancy Weiss, will lead this forest ecology walk which is an opportunity to learn more about how various tree, shrub, and herbaceous species in Ivy Creek’s forests have changed over time. See how to read the influences of man, geology, weather, fire etc. on the landscape, as we try to imagine how the forest looked 80 years ago. Nancy will also help with tree ID in winter and talk about what is known of how Ivy Creek became a nature center and not housing.
Co-sponsors: Jefferson Chapter, Virginia Native Plant Society, and Ivy Creek Natural Area & Historic River View Farm.
Meet by the kiosk near the parking lot. Free and open to the public.
Volunteer Day at Ivy Creek Natural Area – November 28, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Join us to help protect Ivy Creek Natural Area and Historic River View Farm. We will be working on removing invasive plants, trail maintenance, and landscape restoration.
A landmark victory against the pipeline threatening the Great Lakes
This summer, Michigan’s highest court delivered a landmark victory against the Line 5 oil pipeline threatening the Great Lakes. The ruling blocks Line 5’s Canadian operator, Enbridge, from drilling a massive four-mile tunnel deep beneath the Straights of Mackinac to house the pipeline, stopping the project in its tracks.Earthjustice has been representing the Bay Mills Indian Community of Michigan — an Ojibwe Tribal Nation — in its years long legal fight to shut down the aging pipeline and risky underwater tunnel project.
How does Virginia ensure that every community has a voice in environmental decisions?
The Virginia Council on Environmental Justice (VCEJ) helps bring community perspectives to state leaders and makes recommendations to address the disproportionate impacts of pollution on vulnerable communities. From coal dust pollution in Norfolk’s Lambert’s Point neighborhood to proposed fracked-gas infrastructure and the growing impacts from data centers, the Council hears directly from communities facing environmental challenges across the state. Its public meetings and annual reposts elevate residents’ experiences and bring community concerns to the attention of state agencies.
GET INVOLVED: The Council’s next meeting is scheduled for December 9th in Richmond. Community members can participate in these public meetings, share their experiences during public comment, and submit written comments. Explore our latest blog post to learn how the Council works, some of the issues they examine, and how you can help advance environmental justice in Virginia .
Want to be in the know about local and statewide environmental events?
Sign up for Sierra Club’s email list at jcruickshank4@gmail.com and get a detailed list of all the meetings, seminars, action days, etc going on in our area. Here’s a sample of some of the events:
- The Dirty Dozen (and the native plants to use instead) – Nov. 11
- From the Mountains to the Bay: The Work and Funding of DWR Nov. 12
- Author Talk: “Up on Cove Mountain: Adventure, Tragedy, and a Quest for
- Meaning on the Appalachian Trail” – Nov. 15
- Putting Conservation on the Map. – Nov. 17
- Rally to Stop the NextEra Takeover – Nov. 17
- Join the VCN General Assembly Preview – Dec. 5
- Join a CCAN Meeting with YOUR VA State Senator Deeds – Dec 7th
- Poison Mushrooms and the Claudius Project – Dec. 9
Giant ‘heat storms’ are scorching the Earth. This is the story of the biggest one on record.
Supersized heat waves used to be rare. No longer. A Reuters data-driven examination of global temperatures reveals the emergence of ‘heat storms.’ They now swarm the planet, upending life around the world from Texas to Ivory Coast to Poland.
Dominion’s energy roadmap keeps fossil fuels in the mix, expands solar
Dominion Energy plans to add more than 39 gigawatts of new power generation over the next 20 years as electricity demand surges across Virginia, according to the company’s latest filing with the State Corporation Commission. Over that period, Dominion plans to build more than 21 gigawatts of new solar energy, 3.5 gigawatts of battery storage, 9 gigawatts of natural gas, 3.3 gigawatts of wind, and 2 gigawatts of small modular reactors. A key part of the plan is continued reliance on fossil fuels despite the Virginia Clean Economy Act’s mandate to retire carbon emitting energy sources – namely coal and natural gas.
Read the Virginia Mercury article on Dominion’s energy roadmap
Earth’s Condition Is ‘Serious and Getting Worse’ as Climate Change Intensifies
The report is an avalanche of bad news for the climate, though it does note that carbon-free forms of energy are playing a bigger role in the power grid. The report calls it a sign we’re in the “Age of Electricity.” Despite that, annual greenhouse gas emissions are at record highs. In other words, the world is still smoking a pack a day, even at the risk of losing a lung.“There are some encouraging signs, especially the growth of renewable energy, but they aren’t yet enough to reverse the overall deterioration,” Ripple says. “The climate emergency is not something waiting for us in the future. We are already living through it.”
Read the Wired article on Climate Change
Trump Cuts Slashed $156 Million In Virginia Solar Funding. What’s Next?
An ambitious, federal $7 billion Solar for All program was terminated in July 2025 when Trump signed H.R. 1 into law. Its fate is unclear even after two federal judges, in separate rulings, ordered the money restored in late September. Virginia’s share of Solar for All energy grants was $156 million. However, the commonwealth spent just $730,000 on planning before the new administration cut off the remaining money, according to a state Department of Energy official. Virginia was one of the award recipients nationwide that opted to spend a year, beginning in July 2024, designing a plan for distributing the money before spending the next four years executing it.
Read more from the Virginia Center for Investigative Journalism
One Man’s Opinion:
Virginia should do much more to curb PFAS pollution in our waters Clean water is not simply a resource. It is the foundation of our health, our culture and our identity.For the Chickahominy Indian Tribe, Virginia’s rivers, wetlands and landscapes are living connections to our ancestors and to the generations who will come after us. They sustain fish and wildlife, support our traditions and remind us of a responsibility that has endured for centuries: to care for the lands and waters of Tsenacommacah, our ancestral homelands. That is why the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality should not approve a stormwater permit for Richmond International Airport that allows PFAS pollution to continue without enforceable limits.
Read the Virginia Mercury article on PFAS pollution
Why are toothbrushes made of plastic? Before plastic, people still brushed. What changed?
Once Nylon was invented and thousands of men were required to brush their teeth as part of their service during WWII, the plastic toothbrush made it into the mainstream. The Go Green Post Editor says: I actually use a bamboo toothbrush with a replaceable head and I recommend it without hesitation. Bamboo handle, degradable bristles, compostable heads, and dentist-approved. I’ve composted them in my backyard and simply replace the head when I need a new one. There is zero plastic and replacing the head only cuts down on waste!
Thanks for reading our newsletter and caring about our planet!
Ellie Syverud MFE Co-leader