April 7, 2005
Members of the Sierra Club’s Saguaro Group do more than appreciate the postcard-perfect scenery in Arizona. They educate themselves about it.
Regular outings in pristine outdoor areas carry a lot of weight for these nature lovers.
"It’s just not simply to walk around," said group chairman Louis Lantz, who lives north of Scottsdale in the Tonto Hills area. "It’s to learn about the environment and what issues are going in that particular area."
The Sierra Club’s Grand Canyon Chapter involves thousands of residents statewide through six groups. The relatively new Saguaro Group focuses on folks north of Bell Road.
Lantz met Scottsdale resident Bev Full during a Utah rafting trip, where he first learned about the Sierra Club’s environmental goals. The two eventually helped form the Saguaro Group, and now seek members from north Scottsdale.
"We want to cultivate leaders in this area that will keep the ball rolling," said Full, the group’s secretary.
Some members work on trail building, while other mobilized activists explore political points on measures the group supports.
The group favors passing Cave Creek’s general plan and annexing land east of 24th Street for preservation.
It opposes a Phoenix water bottling company the group contends is putting a strain on Seven Springs during times of drought.
"It’s a big issue, but I don’t know if we can do anything about it," Full said.
The next outing, a moderate hike at the Seven Springs Waterfall Trail, will be April 16. The group meets at 7 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month at Harris Bank, Carefree Highway and Scottsdale Road.
To learn more, visit
www.arizona.sierraclub.org/saguaro or call (480) 488-4581.
