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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72"><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Justification for removing invasives and keeping the woods natural for health<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:14.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'>Enjoy the attached <b><span style='color:black'>Sierra Club Natural Places Committee newsletter February 2020</span> <span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p align=center style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;background:white'><b><span style='font-family:"NordicTale Font Decorarive";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p align=center style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Snap ITC";color:black'>NATURAL PLACES NEWS<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p align=center style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;background:white'><o:p> </o:p></p><p align=center style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;background:white'><span style='font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'><img width=138 height=121 style='width:1.4375in;height:1.2604in' id="Picture_x0020_8" src="cid:image016.jpg@01D5D6B4.E2272050"></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'> </span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Cranefly Orchid, Watkins Park, Maryland</span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal'><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:15.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:22.5pt;margin-left:0in;line-height:normal;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:34.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#004987'>Natural Places Committee Starts Newsletter<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:normal;background:white'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#808285'>January 29, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='margin-bottom:15.0pt;text-align:center;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:inherit;color:#191919'><img width=372 height=248 style='width:3.875in;height:2.5833in' id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D5D6B7.6D0EBFA0" alt="NP Cascade Falls"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:15.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#191919'>Please check out the <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/sce/maryland-chapter/Campaigns/Natural%20Places%20newsletter%20Feb%202020.pdf"><b><span style='color:#004987;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'>inaugural issue of Natural Places News</span></b></a>! This newsletter is a publication of the Maryland Sierra Club Natural Places Committee. The purpose of this newsletter is to provide information and access to recent articles, publications, outings, and website resources that promote our mission. Our mission is to explore, enjoy, and protect natural areas in Maryland, and support the Natural Places Committee.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:15.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#191919'>We value native biological diversity of all plants, animals, and fungi, including native flowers, ferns, mushrooms, birds, mussels, butterflies, frogs, and racoons. We value the diverse native habitats, including forests, meadows, wetlands. rivers, mountains, and coastal areas. Our NEXT MEETING will be Saturday, February 15, 2020, immediately after the Merkel outing, at the College Park office of the Maryland Sierra Club, 7338 Baltimore Ave., Suite 102, 2:30pm -4:30pm. Hope you can join us! RSVP <a href="https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=7013q000002Bs5lAAC&mapLinkHref="><b><span style='color:#004987;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'>here for the outing</span></b></a> and <a href="https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=7013q000002BykvAAC&mapLinkHref=https://maps.google.com/maps&daddr=Natural%20Places%20Committee%20meeting@38.980424,-76.939042"><b><span style='color:#004987;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'>here for the meeting</span></b></a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:15.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#191919'>The theme of this issue is Ecopsychology- No one left inside. Did you know that immersion in nature benefits your health? How long does it take to get a dose of nature high enough to make people say they feel healthy and have a strong sense of well-being? Precisely 120 minutes per week. According to <a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/ecopsychology-how-immersion-in-nature-benefits-your-health"><b><span style='color:#004987;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'>Jim Robbins in Yale 360 magazine</span></b></a>, “a growing body of research points to the beneficial effects that exposure to the natural world has on health, reducing stress and promoting healing. Now, policymakers, employers, and healthcare providers are increasingly considering the human need for nature in how they plan and operate” (January 9, 2020). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:15.0pt;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#191919'>To read more about upcoming outings, where to go for local native plant information and other resources on natural places , <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/sites/www.sierraclub.org/files/sce/maryland-chapter/Campaigns/Natural%20Places%20newsletter%20Feb%202020.pdf"><b><span style='color:#004987;border:none windowtext 1.0pt;padding:0in'>read the full newsletter</span></b></a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;line-height:normal;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:inherit;color:#191919'><img border=0 width=302 height=248 style='width:3.1458in;height:2.5833in' id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D5D6B7.6D0EBFA0" alt="orchid at Watkins Park"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p align=center style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>