Welcome to the Santa Margarita Group of the Sierra Club

Sierra Club Santa Margarita Group

Mission Statement

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.

Looking for something off the beaten trail? We recently had the pleasure of having Joel Robinson, the founder of the non-profit Naturalist-for-you organization, speak and show some amazing slides of our beautiful Santa Ana Mountains. HIs organization leads hikes throughout the So Cal area. Check out their website at www.naturalist-for-you.org.

Upcoming Events & Happenings

Our next Monthly Meeting is our annual Holiday Celebration with SOS-Hills!

Join us on Thursday, December 15 at Morgan Hills Clubhouse from 6:30 ~ 8:30 for music, entertainment and lots of good cheer. Wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be served, along with finger foods and desserts. Just bring a smile and a few cans or jars of food as donations to 2 local food pantries.

Please call Jim Mitchell at 951-764-1290 with questions.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Pasadena Tour Group

Environmental group digs in...Californian profile

About Us

The Sierra Club was founded in 1892 and is America's oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization. Inspired by nature, we are 1.3 million of your friends and neighbors, working together to protect our communities and the planet.

The Santa Margarita Group is a part of the San Gorgonio Chapter, serving the Inland Area of Southern California. We started our group in 2008 and are excited for our future.

Topping our list of environmental concerns is Liberty Quarry, a very large quarry mine proposed for the nearby Temecula Foothills. Our opposition to Liberty Quarry is stronger than ever, based on the threat it represents to an important wildlife corridor, the nearby Ecological Reserve and the Santa Margarita River.

When the Santa Margarita Group (at the time not officially a Sierra Club Group) voted to oppose the quarry project over 18 months ago, there was only a handful of organizations that had taken a public stand against Liberty Quarry, first among them was Save Our Southwest Hills and the Endangered Habitat League. Shortly after the Santa Margarita Group joined the opposition, the Executive Committee of the San Gregonio Chapter of the Sierra Club voted to oppose Liberty Quarry. Then followed the San Diego Chapter of the Sierra Club.

In looking forward, the focus of the Liberty Quarry opposition will be directed to Riverside County, first the Riverside County Planning Department that will be dealing with what many believe is a badly flawed Draft Environmental Impact Report, and then the Riverside County Board of Supervisors that will make the final decision whether or not to give Granite Construction a mining permit.