Big Bear Group JOIN THE SIERRA CLUB BIG BEAR GROUP  SIERRA CLUB BIG BEAR GROUP Ryan Florence was selected as Sierra Club – Big Bear Group’s 2014 College Scholarship Award for 2014. Ryan attends the Big Bear High School and has lived in the Big Bear Valley since 3rd grade. From an early age, giving “100% effort” was instilled in him. In high school Ryan excelled in football, wrestling, and track and was Senior Captain in all. Ryan graduated high school in June with a 4.36 GPA, awarding him Big Bear High School Valedictorian status. He has chosen to attend California State University Long Beach in the fall where he will be studying Kinesiology. His long term goal is to earn his Doctorate degree in physical therapy with a specialization in sports medicine. On his off time he enjoys reading, going to movies, and relaxing with friends. Sierra Club Hike Leader February 2015 by Outings Chair, Ed Caliendo  Current Hike Schedule Click Here Introduction to Hiking Click Here for a list of upcoming January and February Sierra Club Big Bear Group Hikes. Click Herefor a list of upcoming March and April Sierra Club Big Bear Group Hikes. Click Here for the 2015 Section B Pacific Crest Trail hike schedule. Click Here for the 2014 Section D Pacific Crest Trail hike schedule. Click Here for the Five Peaks of Big Bear Awards Program and hike schedule Also check out the Mountaintop Hiking Club website for Big Bear Area hikes at: Mountain Top Hiking The 13th annual Xeriscape Garden Tour will take place on Saturday, July 18th. Every year the Sierra Club Big Bear Group hosts the Xeriscape Garden Tour in Big Bear Valley. This year the event will feature a xeriscape demonstration garden and 7 homeowner gardens. Participants can begin the free, self-guided tour anytime between 9 am and noon starting at Eminger's Mountain Nursery located at 41233 Big Bear Blvd.  Click link below for additional information 2015 Xeriscape Garden Tour Information Photos of past tours can be found at Big Bear Xeriscape Garden Tour Photos |
 Sierra Club Mission Statement The Sierra Club's members are more than 750,000 of your friends and neighbors. Inspired by nature, we work together to protect our communities and the planet. The club is America's oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization. Our Mission Statement 1. Explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth. 2. Practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources. 3. Educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment. 4. Use all lawful means to carry out these objectives. 
Good News on Land Protection In the waning days of 2014, two sections of the PCT received new protections through measures designed to protect the landscapes around the trail. In December, Congress expanded the boundaries of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness in Washington. And in October, President Obama designated the San Gabriel Mountain of Southern California as a national monument. Both actions came during the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. It took seven years for Congress to add 22,000 acres to the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. About 68 miles of the PCT cross through the Alpine Lakes, some of the most popular and heavily used miles in the lands managed by the U.S. Forest Service.  The Conservation of the Pebble Plains of Big Bear Since 2009, the Big Bear Group has been heavily involved with the Big Bear Valley Education Trust, the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust, USFS, the Inland Empire Resource Conservation District, and others to protect the Sawmill and Villa Grove Pebble Plains. Recently, the San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust has taken ownership of the 163 acers High Timber Ranch containing the Villa Grove Pebble Plain and will help serve as a buffer to protect the pristine Sawmill Pebble Plain which exists on the U.S. Forest Service Property. About 20,000 years ago, this area was covered by a large lake. As the Ice Age diminished and the climate warmed the lake dried leaving a deep clay deposit in the Big Bear and Holcomb Valley areas. Over time, tiny plants came to the surface. They are called pebble plains due to the layer of quartzite pebbles that are pushed to the surface by frost heave during the winter. The diversity of the pebble plain life has been compared to that of the coral reef and may contain as many as 20 unique species in a square meter. Presently, these tiny one-of-a-kind plants are only found in the Big Bear Valley has been reduced to less than ten-percent of what once existed. In the foreseeable future, it is hoped that a Wildland Park will be established allowing managed public access to the pebble plain. Ed Wallace Conservation Chair  The Skyline Trail is officially opened. On September 27, 2014 the ribbon cutting ceremony was performed. “We completed it in two-years” says Driz Cook, chair of the Big Bear Valley Trails Foundation. The trail is more than 15 miles long stretching from the junction of 2N10 and 2N06 southwest of Bear Mountain Resorts to the 2N10 south of Cedar Lake. The trail can be used by mountain bikers, runners, and hikers. The Skyline Trail conception and construction was a collaborative effort by the Forest Service and the Trails Foundation. The Sierra Club of Big Bear has member representation on the Trails Foundation Committee and participated in the trail design and construction. Environmental Fact Sheets Sierra Club Mountains Group The Climate Project Zero Waste Communities  Compact Flourescent Light Bulb Information SIERRA CLUB RESOURCES: Please click on the link below to view the Sierra Club's position on protecting forest Communities like Big Bear: SIERRA CLUB'S 7-POINT PLAN TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES - Click here There are lots of wonderful things in the Sierra Club store Sierra Club Big Bear Group  Promote Your Page Too |