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Newsletter, Spring 2020 |
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Outstanding Leadership Deserves a Standing Ovation Rainbow Sierran's Paget Valentzas wins the 2020 Michener Leadership Award! Congratulations Paget! Leadership criteria for the Michener Award includes concern for individual participants; activities skill and knowledge combined with a penchant for sharing them; the ability to forge links between the Club’s activities and its conservation values; the number and variety of outings; the educational content of their outings; and their involvement in recruiting, training, or mentoring new leaders. What does outstanding Sierra Club service look like? Well, take a deep breath…and read the list:
Thanks to Paget’s leadership, Rainbow Sierrans has grown and thrived during recent years. Thank you Paget!!! |
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Conservation Corner Have been noticing how clear the skies have become this last month??? Greenhouse Gas Emissions Predicted to Fall Nearly 8% - Largest Decrease Ever (IEA via NPR) The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports that the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the global energy demand, and in the US, a warmer-than-average winter has further decreased the demand. While the UN reminds us that we need to reduce global emissions by 8% per year for the next decade, this report shows us that we can do this! If we focus on economic relief packages that keep in mind boosting clean energy, we can continue the trend, suggests the IEA. Let this good news move you to improve your own carbon footprint. We’re all in this together. |
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Gear Gyrl with Sylvie Hessini Considerations When Choosing a Tent The good news is there are many options when choosing a tent. More challenging however, may be deciding on the best tent for your many escapades in nature. Will your tent be used primarily for car camping or backpacking? Many tents can fit both activities. Most tents are freestanding, with lightweight poles, stakes and a rainfly. A tent footprint will protect the tent floor from the ground. Tent weight is a consideration if you will be backpacking as you’ll want to go as light as Tent capacity: How many people will consistently share the tent? Any extra capacity needed for friends, dogs or gear? Seasonality: Most popular are the 3-season tents. These are lightweight shelters for spring, summer and fall. Four-season tents are heavier and more robust to withstand snow and sustained foul weather. They have fewer mesh panels and are thus less ventilated. Peak height, floor length and width, doors: Do you prefer being able to stand up when changing clothes and moving about the tent? Are 2 or more people sharing the tent? More than one door is helpful. Consider the tent floor space and height when ascertaining the space you will use. Tent organization and storage: The tent interior has pockets, loops (to hang a light) and maybe a gear loft. The vestibule is outside each door and part of the rainfly. You can store your pack and shoes out of the elements here. Research your options to make an informed decision. Happy Hiking! |
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From the Chairs Hello Dear Rainbow Sierrans, These are incredible times. The moment our world opens up again Rainbow Sierrans will be outside! Right now National Sierra Club has set June 14th as the possible date of when outings may start up again. Of course this date may change as we move forward and we will be updating you all as we gain new information. Here are a few of the things that are tentatively in the works: You can expect to see our weekly e-blast in your inbox again, full of interesting information curated by Paget. One success during this time has been Heather Lamb’s virtual social gatherings listed on Meetup. Yeah Heather! Beth and Anita Your Rainbow Sierrans Governing Chairs
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he San Francisco public school students through the Youth Stewardship Project with San Francisco Recreation and Parks
And besides all of that, Paget has brought inspirational vision, tremendous energy, quick-thinking, decisive action, and sound judgment in alignment with the Sierra Club’s values and policies to these important roles. We also note her steady sense of fairness and treating each individual participant with respect and kindness.
possible. A larger tent may be more comfortable for car camping, however ease of setup should be considered. The larger the tent, the bigger the effort required for setup and tear down. 
July 4th is camping at Lassen
