2025
“Global greenhouse emissions will soon flatten or decline—a historic moment driven by China’s surge in renewable energy.” - Turning Point, 21 Nov. 2025, Science (https://www.science.org/content/article/global-carbon-emissions-will-soon-flatten-or-decline)
Sierra Club Mission: To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.
Dec.9-ChapterActionHour
On Tuesday, December 9 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., join the Wisconsin Chapter’s first monthly action hour which will help get you up to speed and take action on environmental legislation in Wisconsin! This action hour will include letter writing on data center accountability, protecting sandhill cranes, or supporting a strong Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program. You do not need to be a Sierra Club member to participate! All are welcome!
Register at https://tinyurl.com/ 2512WISCAction or call the chapter office at (608) 256-0565 for access information.
Dec.14toJan.5-BirdCount
Audubon's 126th Christmas Bird Count will be held from Dec 14, 2025 to January 5, 2026! Feeder counters, people who count birds at their home bird feeder, are invited to participate. A feeder count can be as simple as a single count of the birds that are present at any time on that day (10 minutes will do) or it could be a compilation of multiple counts from different times throughout the day. Any level of time and effort is a big help and greatly appreciated!
To participate, contact Dan as soon as possible at DEJackson2256@gmail.com
CRSC Environmental Education Grant applications now open!
Every year, the Coulee Region Sierra Club offers grants of up to $200 each for environmental education programming for students in grades K through 8. Teachers, schools, and programs that serve students in the eightcounty CRSC area (Crawford, Grant, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, Trempealeau, and Vernon counties) are eligible to apply. The deadline will be January 2, 2026.
CRSC hopes to promote student exploration, protection, and enjoyment of the natural environment.
Projects must:
• Provide hands-on experience for students to learn about and explore the natural environment.
• Promote a world which allows all life forms to live and prosper.
• Show students that they can make a difference in their environment, whether rural or urban.
• Be completed within the school year. A follow-up report will be due upon completion.
Grant recipients will be asked to
• Take pictures and write an article for the CRSC newsletter
• Be open to making a presentation to at a local Sierra Club meeting
• Be accessible to local media if publicity is desired Visit https://sierraclub.org/wisconsin/coulee/education or email CRSierraClub@gmail.com for more information.
More December Events November Report
12/ 2: Nature Movie Night at 6 pm at the Lunda Center, BRF. https://tinyurl.com/BRFNatureFilms
12/ 3: A Marsh Walk: A Trail Progress Report, Trail Plans and Marsh Critters in Winter at 3 pm at The Nature Place, Myrick Park. https://tinyurl.com/1203MarshWalk
12/ 3: Climate One LIVE with Jonathan Foley 8 pm Online. https://tinyurl.com/foleyatcommonwealth
12/ 6: Friends of KVR Holiday Happening from noon to 5 pm at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. https:// kickapoofriends.org/events/holiday-happening/ 12/ 6: Norskedalen Old Fashioned Christmas from 10 to 4. https://tinyurl.com/2025NorskeXmas
12/ 7: Winter Makers’ Market from 11 to 4 at The Nature Place, Myrick Park. https://natureplacelacrosse.org/ calendar/winter-makers-market/ 12/ 9: Data Center Goldrush & Water Demands at 6 pm Online. https://tinyurl.com/WILWVDataCtrs
12/10: Salt Smart workshop, 4 to 6 pm. Black River Beach Center, La Crosse tinyurl.com/1225LaXSaltSmart
12/10: Driftless Dialog: Rediscovering the Night from 5:30 to 7:30 pm at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve. https:// kickapoofriends.org/events/#events-calendar
12/10: Foraging 100% of My Food for a Year at 6 pm, Larson’s General, 509 Main St., La Crosse. https://www. robingreenfield.org/foragingyear/
12/14: The Science of Christmas Trees, 11 to noon at Second Nature at Read’s Creek, Readstown. https:// tinyurl.com/xmastreescience
12/20: Flood Plain Restoration at Kickapoo Bottoms from 9 to noon. https://tinyurl.com/1220fprestore
The CRSC Board will meet online at 6:30 on Dec. 3. The meetings are open. Please call 608-315-2693 or email CRSierraClub@gmail.com for access information.
A small but appreciative group gathered at the People’s Food Co-op on November 6 for a Chapter Awards Watch Party. We welcomed Natalie Heneghan and Kahya Fox of Habitat for Humanity of the Greater La Crosse Area as they accepted this year’s Community Steward Award.
November’s Action Gathering included information about defending clean energy solutions. Even though it is a popular bi-partisan issue, coal and gas corporations are making inroads with big investments in their misinformation campaigns. Ten people participated in the actioncalling Governor Evers to ask to protect clean energy projects in the works and solutions. Evers is co-chair of the U.S. Climate Alliance. Participants also shared what personal small steps individuals could take.
CRSC sent a letter to the La Crosse County Board of Supervisors supporting continued funding for the Scenic Mississippi Regional Transit bus. The SMRT provides vital transportation for southwestern Wisconsin non-drivers and is a powerful tool to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. The Supervisors did vote to restore funding for 2026 to give more time to seek ways to make the system more sustainable.
Two CRSC board members had 15 minute meetings with La Crosse Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey in November to discuss how our club can help the city continue taking strong climate action and working on its comprehensive Climate Action Plan. If you are a CRSC member who lives in the City of La Crosse and would like to participate in a future meeting, please email us at CRSierraClub@gmail.com
Coulee Region Sierra Club Board Election Information and Ballot
Thank you for participating in the democratic process of electing your local Sierra Club representatives! Just enter your member number and then vote for up to four candidates, to begin two-year terms in January 2026. The candidate bios are below. Please complete one ballot per member (both members in a Joint membership may cast ballots).
Your member number is in the email or on the postcard you received notifying you of the election. It can also be found on the label of your Sierra Magazine. Your member number is required so your membership can be verified by the Election Committee.
**AllballotsmustbereceivedbymidnightDec.22,2025.Ifyouaremailingyours,pleasemailitbyDec.15!**
Cathy Van Maren - Cathy is retired and lives in La Crosse but also spends time in Vernon County. She has been the newsletter editor for several years and is active on the CRSC "Ready for 100" team and the state Sierra Club Transit Equity team. She's an "active transportation" (public transit, walking, bicycling) advocate, working with local and state transit advocacy groups and, locally, to push for better transportation/commuter cycling infrastructure, but she also owns an electric car and has worked on several EV education and outreach programs. She also volunteers at city Community Victory Gardens.
Kathy Allen - Kathy lives in La Crosse and was elected to the Coulee Region board in 2018. She has served as the group's chair since January 2020. Kathy was a member of the "Ready for 100" team that worked with the city and county of La Crosse to pass 100% renewable energy transition resolutions. Since 2022, she has volunteered with the Sierra Club Wisconsin Chapter's Beyond Coal to Clean Energy team, campaigning against proposed new fossil gas plants. She is currently serving on the School District of La Crosse's Sustainability Committee, which finalized a Climate Action Plan for the district last spring. In her free time, she enjoys cycling on the Driftless Region's roads and trails.
Larry Sleznikow - Larry has been a Sierra Club member for over a decade. He retired from Western Technical College in 2023 where he was an instructional technologist who helped instructors use technology effectively for their teaching. While employed at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse he was a founding member of UWL’s Joint Committee for Environmental Sustainability. He is a La Crosse City Council member who chairs the city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee that advocates for equitable, carbon-free, alternate transportation options in La Crosse. He is also the leader of the La Crosse chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, an international organization working for effective legislative action on climate change. With three daughters and four grandchildren, Larry is committed to working for a livable, sustainable planet Earth for future generations and all living things.
Ned Gatzke - Ned has lived in rural Monroe County for 45+ years, interacting with a small woodland and prairie landscape. He first joined the Sierra Club in 1974 and has served on the Coulee Region Group board since 2020. He is on the board of Wisconsin Conservation Voters/Voices, has been on the board of The Prairie Enthusiasts (Coulee Region Chapter), and is a citizen participant on the Monroe County Climate Change Task Force. He is currently involved with developing the organizational structure of the new Friends of Little LaCrosse River Watershed group. Ned was present for the first Earth Day in 1970, and his travels throughout North America since then have provided him a larger perspective on environmental issues for people living in other places.
Coulee Region Sierra Club Board Election Ballot
Vote(X)foruptofourpeople.Ifyouvoteonline,pleasedonotusethemail-inballot.
Pleasemailyourballotto: CRSCBoardElection,c/o1815CameronStreet,LaCrosse,WI 54601.
MEMBERNUMBER(REQUIRED): _________________
KathyAllen
NedGatzke
LarrySleznikow
CathyVanMaren