Between whole-hearted chants, I managed to ask the people around me a range of questions. I wanted to learn why these people, from all over, had decided to take action and help this cause. Although most of the participants were from the area, there were many travelers who came from far away to show support. This event taught me that a community in need can voice its opinions powerfully with some outside help. This was my first event with Sierra Club and it was the first of many things that my time at the Sierra Club has taught me.
Soon after this event, I attended a Nitrous Oxide emissions hearing at the Maryland Department of the Environment. I learned from the citizens of Baltimore as they explained how they had been directly affected by coal-fired power plant emissions. They spoke in an open hearing at the Maryland Department of the Environment in hopes that their living conditions would change. They called for clean air. From observing these stories, I learned the power of public narrative.
With our proximity to D.C., a few other interns and I discovered a chance to volunteer with Moms Clean Air Force for their Play-In at Upper Senate Park. We found ourselves in a sea of red shirts, passing out flyers and pinwheels to a few hundred kids and parents. The group had a press conference afterwards with many speakers. We heard the opinions from representatives of many communities who had all experienced effects of pollutants in many different ways. From this event, I learned that uniting many very different communities for a cause makes the push stronger than a bigger group of like-minded people.
Back in the office, I was helping to organize a kayaking trip that would visit a coal plant. Throughout the planning stages, I was given assignments that were new to me. I learned new skills from giving them a try first hand and having someone to help with corrections and with questions that I had. To scout the outing, I was able to go with the outings leader to kayak the route. As we approached the plant, he displayed his knowledge of the birds around us and told me about the time he’s spent traveling. Because of my internship, I had a chance to learn from someone who I normally wouldn’t have gotten a chance to meet.
Later that week, I spent a day in Baltimore at the nation’s largest, free, art festival called Artscape. Placed behind a large tent shaped like an H2O molecule, I spent my day at the Sierra Club tent. We tabled and walked along the crowds to canvass for petition signatures. At this event, I learned how to grab the attention of people passing by and how to keep it for long enough to convince them to help. I learned from my fellow interns, also from my mistakes and successes.
As an intern at the Maryland Chapter Sierra Club, I had the opportunity to learn things that I otherwise wouldn’t have in unexpected ways and places.
Summer 2015 intern Elaina Perry
