Welcome, tell us about yourself.

Hello, my name is Kristen Schlemmer. I’m a native Houstonian and, apart from sojourns to South America as a kid and again as an adult, I’ve spent my whole life here or near here, having also lived in Austin, New Orleans, San Antonio, and El Paso. I feel fortunate to say that environmentalism is at the center of my everyday life: I practice environmental law with Irvine & Conner PLLC and work with individuals and non-profit organizations to protect endangered species, prevent or recover from flood damage, and promote environmental justice through litigation. Outside of work, I am in the process of being trained as a Texas Master Naturalist and enjoy wandering along the bayous (and wading through post-Harvey sand dunes) with my boyfriend Chris and our dog Birdie.

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

My earliest memories of nature are of the water – swimming in Margarita Island off the coast of Venezuela, ducking monstrous waves at Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro, and paddling around Galveston Bay. A sense of duty toward the environment didn’t strike until the age of 7, when my family moved to the piney woods north of Houston. My best friend and I spent afternoons cleaning trash along the greenbelts and writing President Bush (41) pleas to protect the whales and stop air pollution. I credit my best friend (who, nearly 30 years later, is still my best friend) with instilling me with a care-for-others ethic. Now as an adult, the natural spaces that grab my heart most are the desert ecosystems west of here, stretching from the oasis at Balmorhea State Park to the saguaros of the Sonoran Desert.

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

My mother and I joined the Sierra Club on a hike along Buffalo Bayou. I live in the Sixth Ward, a short jog from the starting point of that particular hike, and my mother and I were curious to see what natural treasures we might see close to home.

What kind of activities would you like to Sierra Club do more of and why?

I am an education junkie and would love to learn more about discrete environmental issues through a reading group. Conveniently, Sierra Club is hosting a reading group from October through January that will focus on climate change. I very much look forward to participating.