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The Rio Hondo Group is the regional group for Sierra Club members in parts of Northern Orange County and Southern Los Angeles County (see below for specific communities). We support local hikes and outings, environmental protection and environmental justice, and we host programs that encourage involvement in Club activities to explore, enjoy and protect the wild places of the earth. Join with us to take part in our outings, programs, and actions on issues like Climate Change, Wildlife Habitat Preservation, Public Lands Protection, and Water Conservation.
Rio Hondo Group News
What is the Rio Hondo Group?
The Rio Hondo Group is one of 16 geographic groups of the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club. The Angeles Chapter encompasses both Los Angeles and Orange Counties in Southern California, and the Rio Hondo Group includes the communities of Brea, Diamond Bar, Rowland Heights, Hacienda Heights, Fullerton, La Habra, La Habra Heights, Buena Park, La Mirada, Norwalk, Pico Rivera, Downey, and Whittier.
Because of its proximity to the Puente/Chino Hills, many of the group's conservation activities involve these hills. The group is active in the Puente/Chino Hills Task Force, which is working to preserve the wildlife corridor running from the western edge of the hills in Whittier to the Cleveland National Forest near the 91 Freeway. The group has also been involved in efforts to save West Coyote Hills in Fullerton and sponsors outings in the local area.
General Meetings. Physical meetings were suspended during the pandemic, but are currently in the process of being re-established, so keep posted. There are zoom meetings that take place in the meantime, see below
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.
Group Activities - Rio Hondo Group is active with the local Sierra Club political and conservation committees in addition to our outings and monthly programs. We could use more volunteers who like our activities and would like to help protect our environment. Please join us by contacting an Executive Committee member or attending one of our meetings.
Please Consider Being a Volunteer With the Rio Hondo Group
You can help support our activities, preserve our group, and advance the mission of the Sierra Club at the local level by being an Outings leader, a conservation volunteer, and/or working with the Rio Hondo Group management / executive committee. Groups are the face of the Club at public events and with elected officials. If you would be interested in helping out, in whatever way you prefer, let us know by filling out the form at
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Lo3NbbjK_tV__H5QC7EcrnEcUUU18eCYIqFjPVfhgvk
and we will contact you.
Visit the Rio Hondo Sierra Club Group on Facebook: www.facebook.com/scriohondo
We will keep you up to date on our activities and local issues.
Click the button below to become a member of the Sierra Club!
"Explore, enjoy and protect the planet"
CURRENT ISSUES AND RECENT EVENTS
Rio Hondo Group Excom Meeting
Thursday, Aug 28, 2025
7– 8:30 PM
Online: If you are an SC member please feel free to attend as we discuss Group plans and activities.
To get zoom link, please fill out this form (shouldn't take more than 3 to 4 minutes), and we'll send the link for the meeting.
Gardening for Wildlife: Creating a Welcoming Habitat
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
6:30– 8:30 PM
Norman P. Murray Community Center,
24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo
Learn about how to attract, enjoy and conserve our wonderful butterflies, hummingbirds and other wildlife with native plants.
Ask our speaker, Laurie Menosky, of UC Master Gardeners of Orange County, who will show you how to create a welcoming habitat and discuss the best way to control any unwanted weeds, bugs and other pests. She has been actively involved as a speaker for the Master Gardener Program and has logged over 100 presentations as either a speaker or a host.
“To Bee or Not to Bee.” Our special guest Liberal Artists Professor Lola Madden will ask this question in a uniquely creative presentation . She has taught in New York City, Rome and Los Angeles and has been a gardener as well as an actress for over 50 years. Lola is happy to BEE here to share her observations on the life of bees in OC.
REFRESHMENTS AND DOOR PRIZES PROVIDED BY FARM FRESH TO YOU
Although our home garden patches don’t always thrive (or survive) it’s great having another source of farm-to-my-table fruits and vegetables! And, at least in my backyard vegetable garden, waiting for months while the cucumbers and peas sprout, flower, fruit and ripen teaches me to find other sources for our salad’s ingredients. If organic vegetable growing is not your passion, visit our table hosted by Farm Fresh to You, and taste their yummy organic treats. Then talk with Marcel about their local farm and how to get fresh produce delivered right to your door.
Rio Hondo Group General Meeting: July 24
Designing with Purpose: Creating and Loving Native Plant Gardens
At our July Rio Hondo General meeting at 7pm on July 24, Travis Gramberg and Randi Gunder, California landscape architects and native plant experts, will present on how to successfully establish and maintain a native plant garden, which conserves water, protects wildlife habitat, reduces maintenance expenses, while also creating a beautiful area in your yard.
The Rio Hondo Group is proud to have participated in the successful Measure PH Campaign which enables the continued preservation of open lands in the Puente Hills area.
California State University Fullerton Sierra Club Group
We are also proud to have taken part in initiating the CSUF Sierra Club Student Group at California State University Fullerton, thanks to a bequest provided by former excom member Shirley Gregg. The SC intern and first President of the student group is Anna Schiebeck.
EARTH DAY TABLING:
On April 12, the Sierra Club Rio Hondo Group had a booth at the L.A. Sanitary District's Earth Day Festival in Whittier. It was a perfect day, and lots of fun, with a large number of people attending the event. Everyone appeared to be in good spirits. We had a significant number of people stop by to ask questions to get information about the club. Some wrote answers on our board to the question "What is the value of protecting Wild Lands" Our booth was next to the Audubon Society booth and they had crayons and coloring papers which we noticed were a tremendous hit among the younger visitors. arts, crafts, food, and entertainment such as dance performances, magicians, live music, and more.
ALSO!! The new California State University Fullerton Sierra Club group has said they would be tabling at the TITAN EARTHDAY FESTIVITIES on Apr. 22, 10am - 2pm. Feel free to drop by and say hi!
MEET AND GREET:
The Rio Hondo Group sponsored a Meet and Greet on May 19, 2024 with Guest Speakers, refreshments, socializing, and catching up on where we are at. Guest speakers included Eric Johnson, Puente-Chino Hills Task Force Chairperson and Sierra Club Outings Leader, who discussed the Puente Hills situation and local Sierra Club outings; Shana Charles, Fullerton City Council person, who discussed local government actions to deal with Climate Change; and Jose Castenada, former Buena Park City Council person, (making a heroic appearance with a fractured foot) to discuss La Habra's and North Orange County conservation efforts.
GENERAL MEETING: THE CONTINUING ISSUES OF THE DIABLO CANYON NUCLEAR POWER PLANT:
On March 28, Guest Speakers Jim Stewart (co-chair of the Sierra Club California Energy-Climate Committee) and Linda Seeley of the San Luis Obispo Mothers For Peace, discussed the current situation with the nuclear plant, the safety concerns and unnecessary risks, and what can be done. The Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant situation has long been a matter of concern for the California Sierra Club, which gave it high priority in last Decembers Capitol Voice publication.
GENERAL MEETING - CLIMATE CHANGE: FINDING COMMON GROUND
On September 28, we had our first General Meeting in quite a while, on zoom!! It was both fun and informative. The topic was:
Leaders of various other Southern California groups active on Climate Change, including Citizens' Climate Lobby, Climate Reality, and Reform and Sustain, joined us to discuss efforts, goals, and opportunities for action and collaboration in our area in the face of the growing threat of Global Climate Change. Check out the Climate-Collective Calendar for climate related events in Orange County.
RIO HONDO AND CLIMATE CHANGE: The Rio Hondo Group recently voted to have a group focus on the issue of Climate Change. If you're also fed up with the dangerous direction our global climate has been taking, with extreme heat waves, unprecedented wildfires, 100 degree ocean waters, and the risks associated with rising sea levels, please contact and join us in efforts to move the needle on what is becoming more and more a crisis situation. Extraordinary Photos of July's Extreme Weather
Upcoming Outings
RIO HONDO, OCSS WEDNESDAY 6:30 PM:
Weekly Conditioning Hike Moderately paced 5-6 mile hike in the lush canyons of the Puente/Whittier Hills. You will get a spectacular 360 view of LA and Orange County lights. 700' gain up along switchbacks and trails with varying routes. NOT A BEGINNER'S HIKE. Wear hiking boots and bring water. Meet at south end of 7th Avenue where street ends and turn right on Orange Grove to park on street. Use 7th Ave. exit off (60 Fwy) Pomona Fwy, go south to Orange Grove. Weekly 6:30 PM O: STEVE FELD PUENTE HILLS CONDITIONING HIKE: Hike Moderate Directions
Other Rio Hondo Outings - listed in the Sierra Club Online Schedule of Activities
All Sierra Club hikes - Schedule of Activities - Angeles Chapter
Also see Puente Hills Preserve Hikers (Whittier, CA) - Meetup
Local Conservation Issues
Attend our monthly meetings to make contact with others participating in political action on environmental and conservation issues supported by the Sierra Club.
Coyote Hills - the last native habitat in northern Orange County. The Coyote Hills task force/Friends of Coyote Hills has been successful in saving much of this area from development and is working on saving the rest. www.coyotehills.org
The Puente-Chino Hills - a world-class natural resource of oak and walnut woodlands and an important wildlife corridor. The Sierra Club's Puente Chino Hills task force is educating and activating the public to help save the remaining critical open space. Saturday hikes by the Puente-Chino Hills Task Force - see their webpage at www.savethewildlifecorridor.org/
Puente Hills Habitat Preservation Authority - administers wilderness and hiking areas in hills north of La Habra and Whittier. www.habitatauthority.org/
Montebello Hills - in the northeast section of Montebello in the western San Gabriel Valley, are the last large area of open space left between the L.A. and Rio Hondo Rivers. These hills neighbor our communities. Montebello Hills Task Force
Environmental/Political Action News
Dozens of scientists find errors in a new Energy Department climate report - npr.org
Scientists give harsh grades to Trump administration work aimed at undoing a key climate finding - AP
Climate change is making Switzerland’s ebbing glaciers look like Swiss cheese - pbs.org
Destroying endangered species' habitat wouldn't count as 'harm' under proposed Trump rule -npr.org
Lethal heat in West Africa is driven by human-caused climate change - npr.org
U.S., European heat waves 'virtually impossible' without climate change, study finds - npr.org
She is trying to get the U.S. to take extreme heat more seriously. Here's how - npr.org
69% Average Decline in Wildlife Populations Since 1970 - WWF
Major Report Warns Climate Change Is Accelerating, Humans Must Cut Emissions Now - npr.org
July Was The Hottest Month In Recorded Human History - npr.org
Energy and Environment - Linda T. Sánchez
Linda represents California’s 38th congressional district. "We are already witnessing the devastating effects of climate change. Expanding carbon-free energy is one of the most important ways to mitigate climate change."
Court orders Shell to slash CO2 emissions in landmark climate ruling - CNN Business
US pledges to dramatically slash greenhouse emissions over next decade - Nature
Researchers say the commitment to roughly halve emissions is a good start to slowing climate change, but fear it still isn’t enough.
EPA dismisses dozens of key science advisers picked under Trump - bostonglobe
Trump Administration Rolled Back More Than 100 Environmental Rules - NYTimes
Ex-governor, 8 former Michigan officials charged in Flint water crisis - nbcnews
Charges stem from "the largest criminal investigation in the history of the state of Michigan," the attorney general says.
Trump, Calling Himself 'No. 1 Environmental President,' Green Washes His Record - NYTimes
E.P.A. Limits States’ Power to Oppose Pipelines and Other Energy Projects - NYTimes
The agency tweaked the rules on how to apply the Clean Water Act, which New York and other states have used to fight fossil-fuel ventures.
Five ways that Trump is undermining environmental protections under the cover of coronavirus - nature.com
While the world focuses on the pandemic, the United States is adopting controversial policies at the EPA.
Trump budget slashes EPA funding, environmental programs - TheHill
President Trump's proposed budget for fiscal 2021 calls for significant reductions to environmental programs at federal agencies.
Trump Administration Weakens Protections for Endangered Species - NYTimes
The changes could clear the way for new mining, oil and gas drilling, and development . . .
Trump's Great Lakes Whoppers - Factcheck.org
Falsely declaring that he has “always” been a supporter of the Great Lakes, President Donald Trump announced that he would fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative with $300 million . . .
Trump Administration Distorts the Facts On Climate Report - Factcheck.org
IPCC says limiting global warming to 1.5 °C will require drastic action - nature.com
Humanity has a limited window in which it can hope to avoid the worst effects of climate change.
6 Trump Administration Climate Claims Exposed As Total Nonsense By Federal Report - huffingtonpost.com
There’s actually no “tremendous disagreement” among federal climate scientists that humans are to blame for accelerated global warming.
Trump pulls United States out of Paris climate agreement - nature.com
Withdrawal from global pact may take almost four years — which could give the winner of the 2020 presidential race the final word.
How scientists reacted to the US leaving the Paris climate agreement - nature.com
Rio Hondo Executive
Committee Members
Chair/Political Chair Mike Bressler
Co-Membership Chair/
Vice Chair/Treasurer/ Margee Hills
Chapter Excom rep.
Conservation Chair/ David Warren
Chapter Cons rep./Co-Membership Chair
Outings Chair / Guy Burnett
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