Sierra Club Holiday Party Draws Crowd, Spotlights State Environmental Issues

The Sierra Club Adventure Coast Group held its annual holiday party on December 4 at the Historic Brooksville Woman's Club, 131 South Main Street in Brooksville. The evening began with a social at 6 30 pm, followed by a 7 pm presentation and concluded at 8 pm. The public event asked for a suggested donation of ten dollars and invited attendees to contribute a plate or beverage to the holiday buffet.

Craig Pittman served as the guest speaker, addressing the audience on the state s history, people, politics, environment, animals, current events and aspects of odd local culture. Pittman is a native Floridian, a bestselling author, a podcaster and an award winning journalist. His books include Oh, Florida, How America s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country and Cat Tale, The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther. He was named a Florida Literary Legend in 2020 and received the national Sierra Club Rachel Carson Award in 2022. He lives in St. Petersburg with his wife and two children.

Held both in person and with remote participation available by prior registration via Zoom, the event brought together residents, Sierra Club members and community stakeholders. For Hernando County residents, the gathering functioned as a local forum where reporting on state level environmental issues intersected with community concerns about land use, wildlife habitat and local policy decisions. Conversations prompted by the presentation are likely to inform advocacy and voter engagement as regional debates over conservation and development continue.

Beyond the immediate presentation, the meeting highlighted the role of civic organizations in providing accessible information and convening public discussion. Events like this offer a practical channel for residents to hear from experienced journalists and authors, to ask questions and to connect with advocacy groups that monitor policy at the county and state level. For local officials and community leaders, attendance and follow up engagement signal constituent priorities on environmental stewardship and preservation of native species.