#Volunteer Spotlight : Sierra Club - @SierraClub
When someone conjures up visions of the Chicagoland area, you would think of the lakefront, some famous architecture, the snow and maybe the Cubs. Growing up in the suburbs, my vision of Chicago was a dense city with some parks scattered about. I never realized what a beauty existed in our natural resources.
At one of my first jobs out of college, one of my colleagues mentioned he was doing a habitat restoration project outside the city. If you’ve read my previous blogs, you know...
I’m a sucker for a new adventure so I decided to tag along.
Sure, I helped clean up some trash, plant some flowers and dig some dirt - but that day mother nature gave me a gift of appreciation for the land we live on.
The cleanup was sponsored by Sierra Club and in the bus ride I got to learn more about the Club.
Founded by legendary conservationist John Muir in 1892, the Sierra Club is now the nation's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization -- with three million members and supporters. Their successes range from protecting millions of acres of wilderness to helping pass the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Endangered Species Act. More recently, they've made history by leading the charge to move away from the dirty fossil fuels that cause climate disruption and toward a clean energy economy.
I loved their approach towards conservation and volunteering. On one hand, get dirty- sample water, clean and restore habitats, go on an outing. Very granola.
On the other hand, get smart- education and lobby lawmakers, outreach to schools and kids, and fundraise.
Very un-granola.
I got the chance to meet the core of the Chicago supporters as well as national organizers at a fundraiser. I saw the passion and desire to keep not only the entire earth clean, but to make sure we did our part locally.
I made a pledge that day and became a Lifetime Member.
Although the pledge was financial, it meant so much more to me. It was a promise to pay more attention to policies and politics. It was a vow to do my part to lower my carbon footprint. It was a commitment to working to keep Illinois beautiful - from the shores of Lake Michigan to the prairie lands.