Welcome. Tell us a little about yourself

My given name is Arthur Browning; most people who know me call me Art. You might think of this as my swan song to the Houston Sierra Club; I've recently moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, headed for terrain much like the hills and valleys of eastern Tennessee where I grew up. After leaving my first home, I spent seven years at Ohio State University becoming a geologist; as such I have seen quite a bit of our planet. Through a circuitous route, I came to Harris County for work in 1980, half my life ago. It took me a couple of years after retiring in 2015 to realize that I can move on again. I must say, though, I have come to love Houston; it has gotten better, and will keep doing so, through efforts of such people as Sierrans. I plan to return for visits.

Describe the first time you felt a strong affinity for nature?

The first photo I'm sharing is of my mother introducing me to cold waves. It documents one of the first times I felt close to nature. (Is that affinity you see?) I was barely two years old, and my parents started early showing me our big, wonderful world. That continued through my childhood, into my teen years, and beyond. I remember as a Boy Scout backpacking along the Appalachian Trail in the Great Smoky Mountains; the bear that visited one of our campsites impressed immensely! Other family photos - - well. I could go on and on, but you asked about the first time. The second picture is of me last month in southwestern Colorado.

Describe a time  you participated at a Sierra Club event?  What did you do and what motivated you to participate?

Again, I cannot stop at one Sierra Club event I participated in; several come to mind, quite different ones. First comes the time Brandt Mannchen called me to ask if I would be a “party with interest” in a lawsuit that the SC (and other organizations) were filing to try to stop the Grand Parkway from being built through Katy Prairie. My house backed onto Cypress Creek, I am and was a Sierra Club member, and the building that highway through the wetlands would lead to more frequent and sudden flooding of my backyard. Among others. And it has done so, and it will get worse. So it goes, but don't give up.

Then there are the all-too-few outings I've made; work with Evelyn Merz at the soon-to-be-opened Davis Hill State Park, some prairie restoration with Brandt, and one downtown hike led by Frank Blake. I wish I had found time for some canoe outings, and for a beach clean-up, but there's too little time. Some wonder at the time I've spent at meetings instead of on outings. I plan to reverse the ratio in Arkansas. Thank goodness Sierra Club has active groups in both Little Rock and in the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains. It's part of the strength of our organization, that we have active groups in every state of the country.

What kind of activity or activities would you like to see the Houston Sierra Club to do more of and why?

I love seeing monthly socials beginning. These give people who care about nature a chance to bond in ways beyond the informational monthly meetings. Outings are great, too.

Activism is important, too. So, I hope that people will continue to “pop off” at Houston City Council meetings on Tuesday afternoons, and to visit with the mayor and council members. I feel that it's also useful, in another way, to support affinity groups in public protest, such as those done by T.E.J.A.S., 350.org, TCE, Public Citizen, and more. I feel, and I am sure that most if not all of y'all feel, that these are desperate times. A year ago, there was something like “hope” in an administration in Washington, D.C. But now? We must fight even harder! Which brings me to the third photo, of some of us taking part in the People's Climate March this past spring, for Earth Day.

What environmental message do you have for young people?

I am very, very encouraged by environmental and ecological awareness I see in generations coming up. Keep telling everyone that there is no Planet B! There is hope; we can make a difference, by speaking out, in print, in person, and in public. By reducing our consumption, by recycling, by reusing our resources, each doing our little bit, whenever and however we can. And by following the Sierra Club motto: Explore, Enjoy, and Protect the Planet.