February 2010 

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 or google a group's website before driving to an event.

Remember, too, this is a month of bad weather so events do get changed.

Tue, Feb 2 - Young Sierrans dinner/happy hour at the Old Monk. Arrive anytime after 6:00p for happy hour. Please RSVP by noon on 2/2 to the Pingg invitation or the youngsierrans@dallassierraclub.org email address so we have a rough estimate for seating. All 20s/30s welcome; you don’t have to be a Young Sierran or Sierra Club member to attend. 2847 North Henderson Ave, 75206 - Ph: (214) 821-1880

Thu, Feb 4 - NCTCA meeting. Dr. Al Armandariz, newly appointed EPA Region VI Director, speaks at Hotel Trinity Inn and Suites, Interstate 30 and Beach, in Fort Worth. 6:30 pm. Free. North Central Texas Communities Alliance is a coalition working on local, state, and national levels for positive solutions to the problems related to natural gas drilling and pipelines.

Thu, Feb 4 - North Texas chapter of Native Plant Society meets at 7 pm at Fort Worth Botanic Garden, located off University Drive west of downtown at 3220 Botanic Garden Boulevard. From Interstate 30, exit north on University Drive; the Botanic Garden begins immediately on the west side of the street.  Free

Sat, Feb 6 - Fort Worth Vegetarian Society monthly dinner at Spiral Diner, 6:30 pm. 1314 W Magnolia at 6th, Fort Worth. No reservation necessary; look for FWVS sign. Event is free except for cost of your food and beverage.

Sat, Feb 6 -  SPCA of Texas’ Pet Grief recovery program for those grieving the loss of a beloved companion animal. Meet at 1 pm at the conference room at SPCA of Texas, 2400 Lone Star Drive, Dallas. Free.

Sat, Feb 6 - Sierra Club hike 10K (6 miles) on the Lake Ray Roberts Greenbelt Corridor. This is an easy trail running along side the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. No reservations required, just show up. Please,no pets. Bring water and a snack. Meet at 9:00 AM at the Hwy 380 Trailhead Park. Admission to the park is $5.00 per person or free with a Texas State Parks Pass. There will be an optional lunch afterwards. The Park is on US Hwy 380 2.1 miles west of Hwy 377 or 2.8 miles east of Loop 288 in Denton. Hwy 380 can be reached from Central Expwy,Preston Rd., or the Tollway. Bring extra shoes in case the trail is muddy. The trip will be canceled if it is raining at the trailhead. Leader: Mark Adams 972-658-1281(C)

Sun, Feb 7 - Sustainable Sunday: Vegan Buffet every first Sunday at Papaya Garden, 1201 W. Airport Frwy #100, 817 684-9378, Euless on the corner of Airport Fwy (Hwy 183) and Industrial (FM157 also known as Collins in Arlington). Thai, plant-based, and all-you-can-eat buffet is served from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. There are several groups here including DFW Veg Ed and Sierra Club, Larger restaurant means more room for families and other groups  Ask for Terry at the door to meet/converse with an interesting group of people. Or sit with your friends and family . Organizer: Terry Jensen 817 545-0140 or 972 251-1532. 

Sun, Feb 7 Sierra Singles Super Bowl Party at 5 pm. Paul Heller's house in Farmers Branch. The address is 13806 Wooded Creek Dr, Farmers Branch, TX, 75244. Please bring some munchies to share and your beverage of choice. Organizers: Ginger Bradley 469-223-7902(C) and Paul Heller 972-620-1703(H) 

Mon, Feb 8 - Dallas Audubon Society meets at 7 pm. Auditorium of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children at 2222 Welborn St., Dallas, SE corner of Oak Lawn Ave. and Maple Av.

Tue, Feb 9 - Dallas Sierra Club Meeting, 7 pm; come early for food. Speaker Amir Omar is a City Councilman for the City of Richardson and the Council liaison to Richardson's Environmental Advisory Commission. The Sierra Club meets at The Center for Spiritual Living, near the northwest corner of Inwood and Spring Valley in north Dallas. From the Tollway and Spring Valley Road, go west past Inwood Road and the train tracks. Take the next right (north) on International Parkway (called Arborview on older maps). When the road bends to the right, look for the entrance way and Sierra Club signs. 

Thu, Feb 11 - Fort Worth Audubon Society meets 7:30 pm, Research and Education (RES) Bldg, Everett Hall, Room 100, at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (formerly Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine) at 3500 Camp Bowie Boulevard at Montgomery, Fort Worth. 

Thu, Feb 11 - Class by Dr. Dotty Woodson at the Texas AgriLife Center, 17360 Coit Rd, Dallas, Texas 75252 on landscape design for water conservation. Class will be held in the Pavilion Building from 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm. Cost is $10.For more information, please contact Tamaron Hunt at 972.952.9671 or t-hunt@tamu.edu 

Changed Sat,  Feb 13 - Black Vegetarian Society of Texas Vegetarian Cooking Class. $5. Christ the King Assembly of God, Fellowship Hall, 106 N. Lyndalyn Ave., (one blk NE from the corner of Hampton Rd and Beltine), DeSoto, Texas 75115, Please RSVP to Donald Moy [donald.moy@sbcglobal.net]. 11:30 am . 

2nd Sat, Feb 13  - Animal Connection of Texas meeting. 10 am. Center for Community Cooperation, 2900 Live Oak Street, Dallas. 214 373-7867. Free.

Sat, Feb 13 - Sierra Club Beginner Backpacking Class. Topics include: wilderness ethics, outdoor clothing, boots, backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, cookware, food, and preparing for a trip. Instructors are experienced Dallas Sierra Club leaders. There will be time for questions and a hands-on look at outdoor gear. Lunch of backpacking food is included. You will also have the opportunity to learn about, and sign up for, several beginner backpacking trips. The fee is $20 for Sierra Club members and $30 for non-members (cash or check) You can sign up to be a Sierra Club member at the class. No reservations are necessary, just show up. The class will be held at REI, 4515 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, TX 75244 (north side of LBJ between Welch and Midway). The class will start at 10:30 AM and end at about 5:00 PM. Leader: Bob Gates 972-678-1221(H) 

Sat, Feb 13 - White Rock Lake Cleanup. 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. Brunch

Tue, Feb 16 - Texas Outdoor Women's Network (Dallas Chapter) meets at 6 pm for social, 7 pm for speaker followed by signup sheets for upcoming outings.  REI store, 4515 LBJ Freeway,  Dallas, TX 75244. No charge listed.

Wed, Feb 17 - Dallas Sierra Club Outings Committee meets at  7:00 pm at REI, 4515 LBJ Freeway, Farmers Branch, TX 75244 (north side of LBJ between Midway and Welch). All outings leaders, future outings leaders, and interested Sierrans are welcome.

Wed, Feb 17 - Denton Organic Society meeting at 7 pm. Denton Senior Center, 509 N. Bell Av, Denton. 940-382-8551.  

Thu, Feb 18 - Dallas Downriver Club monthly meeting at 7 pm, 3701 N. Buckner Blvd. (just north of IH 30 and south of John West Road) Dallas, 75228 

Wed, Feb 17 -  General Meeting of the Greater Fort Worth Sierra Club, 6:30 PM Brief business meeting followed by speaker. Mr. Brian K. Boerner, CPM, CHMM, Director of Environmental Management Department, City of Fort Worth. Mr. Boerner will be discussing Gas Well Drilling in Fort Worth . What is the City's role? What has been done regarding Air Quality concerns? Location: Fort Worth Botanic Gardens, Moncrief Garden Center, (817)871-7686, 3220 Botanic Garden Boulevard at University, north of I-30, Fort Worth

Sat, Feb 20 - Sierra Club hike at Fort Worth Nature Center. Meet at 8:30 AM at the Hardwicke Interpretative Visitors Center Parking lot at Fort Worth Nature Center. After you enter the refuge pay your entrance fee and follow signs to Hardwicke. The park opens it gates at 8 AM so be there promptly. We will hike a 4-5 mile section of trails. Bring water, snacks, and raingear. Nature Center is located in NW Tarrant County on Lake Worth. Take Highway 199 exit west toward Azle off 820 West on western edge of Fort Worth. For more information on Nature Center, visit http://www.fwnaturecenter.org. In the event of rain, hike is cancelled. No dogs please. Leader: Claudia Blalock 817-924-6242(H) 

Sat, Feb 20 - White Rock Lake Hike with Sierra Club. Meet at the Stone Tables at White Rock Lake near Lake Highlands Drive and Buckner Blvd. The hike will start at 9:00am. We’ll walk 9 miles in about 3 hrs on a paved path. This is an ideal way to test your legs for the upcoming spring backpack trips. Bring water and snacks. No reservations necessary. Please, no pets. Optional lunch at local restaurant. Leader: Marcos Jorge 972-394-2546(H) 

Sun, Feb 21 - All-vegan, all-you-can-eat buffet from 12 noon until 2 pm. Regularly $9, $1 off for Sierra Club, Dallas Vegetarian Lunch Group and DFW Vegetarian Education Network members.. New Start Veg, (972 243-0507) 2330 Royal Lane, ste 900, Dallas 75229. Just west of I-35 on the south side of Royal. Call for info:  James Bisby 469-371-1938

Sun, Feb 21 - Dallas Trekkers group walks at White Rock Lake at 8 m. Meet at Doctors Hospital, 9330 Poppy Drive, Dallas.  972-489-3072 for more information. Small charge.

Tue, Feb 23 - Tarrant County Interfaith Environmental Alliance meets at 7 pm at Unity Church of Fort Worth, 5051 Trail Lake Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76133

Thu, Feb 25 -  Dallas Organic Gardening Club Monthly Meeting. Fretz Recreation Center, Dallas. 7 pm. Free.

Thu, Feb 25 - Arlington Organic Gardening Club Monthly Meeting. Bob Duncan Community Center Garden Room, 2800 S. Center St. in Arlington. 7 pm. Free.

Sat, Feb 27 - Sierra Club bike ride around White Rock Lake. Meet at 9:30 AM at the Stone Tables near Lake Highlands Drive and Buckner Blvd. This will be a leisurely trip of 9 miles in about 1-1/2 hours. Any bike and any body is welcome. All participants in Sierra Club bike rides must wear an approved helmet. The trip will be canceled if it is raining at White Rock Lake. Optional brunch afterwards. Leader: Mark Adams 972-658-1281(C) 

Sun, Feb 28 - Black Vegetarian Society of Dallas luncheon at 1:30 pm at Spiral Diner, 1101 N. Beckley. Dallas, TX 75203. 214-948-4747. 

Mon, Mar 1 - Fort Worth Bicycling Association meetings are held on the first Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, Building #2, room 2-100. Park in lot A and enter the lower level. Look for the yellow FWBA signs. 

Thu, Mar 4 - North Texas chapter of Native Plant Society meets at 7 pm at Fort Worth Botanic Garden, located off University Drive west of downtown at 3220 Botanic Garden Boulevard. From Interstate 30, exit north on University Drive; the Botanic Garden begins immediately on the west side of the street.  Free

Sat, Mar 6 - Fort Worth Vegetarian Society monthly dinner at Spiral Diner, 6:30 pm. 1314 W Magnolia at 6th, Fort Worth. No reservation necessary; look for FWVS sign. Event is free except for cost of your food and beverage.

Sat, Mar 6 -  SPCA of Texas’ Pet Grief recovery program for those grieving the loss of a beloved companion animal. Meet at 1 pm at the conference room at SPCA of Texas, 2400 Lone Star Drive, Dallas. Free.

Sun, Mar 7 - Sustainable Sunday: Vegan Buffet every first Sunday at Papaya Garden, 1201 W. Airport Frwy #100, 817 684-9378, Euless on the corner of Airport Fwy (Hwy 183) and Industrial (FM157 also known as Collins in Arlington). Thai, plant-based, and all-you-can-eat buffet is served from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm. Larger restaurant, more room, good food. Ask for Terry at the door to meet/converse with an interesting group of people. Or sit with your friends and family. Organizer: Terry Jensen 817 545-0140 or 972 251-1532.