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Richard Louv Helps Launch North Carolina Children and Nature Coalition
Charlotte, NC-On October 14th, Sierra Club's Building Bridges to the Outdoors program joined forces with Sierra Club's Central Piedmont Group to bring best-selling author, Richard Louv, to the stage to inspire action and help launch the newly formed North Carolina Children and Nature Coalition - NC CAN!
Josh Thomas of the local Sierra Club group emceed the event, which was located at Freedom Park in Charlotte, North Carolina. "We are thrilled to be hosting Richard Louv in Charlotte for this event," Josh Thomas said. We can think of no better way to launch our own movement in North Carolina than to start with the gentlemen who kick-started the movement internationally to get our kids outside and active."
Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder gave the keynote address. "North Carolina is a leading state in the children and nature movement," said Louv. "Now NC CAN! will take this state to the next level of leadership - statewide and nationally. With the help of the Sierra Club's Building Bridges to the Outdoors, and other fine programs, North Carolina can show the rest of the country how to engage young people themselves as the 'natural leaders' of the children and nature movement."
Following Louv's inspiring words, the NC CAN! Coalition was formally launched by Kathy Bull from the NC Zoo. Sierra Club's BBTO program is a founding member of the coalition which will help spearhead initiatives across the state to make sure the children of North Carolina do not suffer from Nature Deficit Disorder.
Lauren Agrella, the director of BBTO's North Carolina partner, Muddy Sneakers: The Joy of Learning Outdoors, also shared an on the ground perspective. Lauren described Muddy Sneakers' efforts to connect children from Western North Carolina with the natural world.
Following the speeches, Josh Thomas released a raptor into Freedom Park. Previously injured, the bird had been rehabilitated and the release was coordinated with the launching of NC CAN!
Check out our news page to learn more about the event and Nature Deficit Disorder!
Sierra Club Helps Break the Color Barrier in the Outdoors
Atlanta, GA-Outdoor enthusiasts gathered to attend the first annual Breaking the Color Barrier in the Great American Outdoors conference in Atlanta from September 23rd to the 26th. The three day forum was designed to display the rich history that people of color have with America's most treasured landscapes.
The Sierra Club's Building Bridges to the Outdoors program co-sponsored the conference, representing a diverse contingency of Sierra Club participants, which included members from its Atlanta and California Chapters, as well as staff from the Environmental Justice program and Communications team. Leading the charge were BBTO volunteers Juan Martinez and Bill Vanderberg. Vanderberg, a CBS Early Show award winner for his work as a dean in connecting Crenshaw High School students to the outdoors, offered tips to conference attendees on how he successfully created an eco-club in his predominately African-American school. Meanwhile, Juan, the Lead Coordinator for the Children & Nature Network, served in two panel discussions where he spoke about the need to connect underserved youth to nature.
During one of many significant highlights, Juan moderated a youth panel, sharing the stage with notables such as Bob Stanton, the former Director of the National Parks Association and current Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Department of Interior. Sporting a crisp baseball cap and matching shirt that resonated well with the participating children, Juan spoke passionately about the need for the environmental movement to protect both nature and children from underserved communities-supporting a statement that Mr. Stanton had shared earlier acknowledging the interdependence between nature and humanity.
The Breaking the Color Barrier in the Great American Outdoors conference later awarded Juan an inaugural Looking to the Future Award in recognition of Juan's work building young natural leaders across the country as the Lead Coordinator for the Children & Nature Network and the Lead Volunteer Youth Coordinator for Sierra Club's BBTO program. Fittingly, the conference ended the day before the airing of Ken Burn's National Park series, a documentary which prominently features Shelton Johnson, an African-American Yosemite National Park Ranger, who recently authored the novel Gloryland, published by Sierra Club Books.
Click here to read more on a Sierra Club blog!
Fun in the Rain and Sun:
5th Annual IN Dunes National Lakeshore Outdoor Experience
Question: Wanna do it again?
Answer: Yeah!
Having just ran and stumbled down a 70' sand dune down to the beach, the young man from the Chicago Boys & Girls Club was enthusiastic about climbing back up the dune and plunging back down again, which he did, several times.
The weekend of October 3 and 4, 2009, brought about 65 youth from various Boys & Girls Clubs in Chicago for a weekend of outdoor exploration and education. Braving cold temperatures and occasional rain half of the youth, hiked the Cowles Bog Trail, where Henry Cowles conducted his groundbreaking work that lead to the creation of the science of ecology. While hiking they also engaged in some ecological restoration work by cutting the non-native exotic Oriental Bittersweet vine and squished through the deep mud along a short boardwalk in the bog itself. At least two people left shoes behind, stuck in the mud, when they took a step.
The other half climbed the 123' Mt. Baldy, taking in views of downtown Chicago, just visible on the horizon across Lake Michigan. They also walked through oak savanna and learned how open sand dunes become wooded mountains.
The evening brought Dr. James Louderman from the Field Museum and his massive insect collection...dead and alive. There were oohs and aaahhs and some screams as Dr. Louderman let a tarantula walk in their hands, passed around a black widow, and turned on a black light to show how scorpions glow. He also fielded questions like what kind of spider bit Spiderman and what were the bugs in The Mummy (black widow and scarab bettle. Note: neither insect can do what was protrayed in the movies - there are no radioactive mutant black widows and scarab bettles eat dung, not human flesh!).
After dinner, the highlight of the weekend. The night hike, no artificial illumination permitted. One young man almost turned back, admitting a fear of the dark. In the end he did the entire hike, including the solo walk down a trail in the woods. It all ended with a roaring camp fire and smores.
Sunday brought sunny skies and warm temperatures. Sack lunches were packed and the kids switched their destinations, half to Mt. Baldy and half to the Cowles Bog.
At the end of their bus ride back to Chicago, kids from different neighborhoods were saying good-bye to one another, having forged a new bond in nature.
Sierra Club and the North American Association for Environmental Education Present the 2nd Annual Green Youth Leader Award
Portland, OR: On Saturday, October 10, 2009, Sierra Club's Building Bridges to the Outdoors program and the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) presented the 2nd annual Green Youth Leader Award to a young woman for her outstanding leadership in the environmental field. The award was given to eighteen-year old Claudia Corona at the 38th annual NAAEE conference taking place at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland.
Before graduating from the California Academy for Liberal Studies (CALS) Early College High School in Los Angeles, Claudia Corona was the President of her school's environmental club, the Mean Green Team. During her senior year, Claudia led her peers though 500 hours of volunteer service for the environment.
"It is rare for people to feel such deep passion for the world around them at such a young age; Claudia is a true gem," says Jacqueline Ostfeld, Sierra Club's National Youth Representative. "Claudia's time spent outdoors with her environmental club has inspired her passion for the natural world. It is young people like Claudia who will help lead our country towards a greener future."
As President of the Mean Green Team, Claudia worked to expand the school's recycling program, organized outdoor adventures, educated her peers on an array of environmental issues, and expanded the environmental club through active recruitment. The award, along with a $1,000 gift certificate towards a Sierra Club outing was presented during the NAAEE Conference Awards Luncheon.
"I want to share this award with the Mean Green Team, our school's environmental club, because without them, I wouldn't have found my true calling," says Claudia Corona. "Trips with the Mean Green Team, to places like Mono Lake with stunning mountaintop sights, inspired my deep affection for the environment. Outdoor experiences like these filled me with the passion that fueled me to teach others about keeping nature's beauty intact, so that future generations can take care of the Earth and continue to enjoy the magnificence of our natural world."
Claudia Corona was the first in her family to finish high school and go to college. Her parents moved to the United States from Mexico the year before Claudia was born in search of a better education for their children. Claudia is the eldest of three children and has always taken it upon herself to learn as much as possible to ensure her parents' sacrifice was not in vain. Now, Claudia is a freshman at Williams College in Massachusetts.
Claudia was nominated for the Green Youth Leader Award by her high school science teacher, Andrew Stephens, who also leads nature outings for youth through Sierra Club's Inner City Outings (ICO) program. Sierra Club recognizes the power of outdoor experiences to inspire young people, leading them, like Claudia Corona, to become tomorrow's green leaders.
Also, during the conference, BBTO's Jacqueline Ostfeld and Tiffany Saleh gave two presentations about Sierra Club's youth program, assisted last year's Green Youth Leader, Natalie Lucas with a presentation about youth campaigning and tabled in the exhibition hall.
Sierra Club joins Congressman Raúl Grijalva to connect youth with public lands
Washington, DC - On July 22nd, Sierra Club youth took up tools to advocate for the Public Lands Service Corps Act, HR 1612. Introduced by Congressman Raúl Grijalva, H.R. 1612 would clear the trail towards green and service-oriented jobs by expanding opportunities for youth and young adults, particularly those from underserved communities, to get outdoors and make a difference by providing much needed service work on our public lands.
The event took place at the House Triangle, just east of the US Capitol Building on a hot and sticky DC day. Youth from Sierra Club, the Student Conservation Association, and the DC-based Earth Conservation Corps all braved the summer heat to show their support. The lineup included Congressman Grijalva, Sierra Club's National Youth Representative, Jacqueline Ostfeld and representatives from the Student Conservation Association, the Corps Network and the National Parks Conservation Association, all strong advocates for an improved and expanded Public Service Corps.
Congressman Grijalva spoke first. "This bill builds on a long and proud tradition of conservation service on Federal lands," Grijalva said. "Today takes a decisive step forward in finishing work that is desperately needed on our national park lands, forests, wildlife refuges, historic sites and Indian country. It will expand the already established program that employs and trains thousands of young people and helps repair and restore our public lands."
During the event, Jacqueline Ostfeld shared success stories of Sierra Club's partnerships that provide opportunities for young people to get outdoors. She also praised the Congressman for his leadership in connecting young people with our public lands. "Thanks to the leadership of Congressman Grijalva, tens of thousands of young Americans might find meaningful training in natural and cultural resource stewardship and a chance to get outdoors," said Ostfeld. "Passage of this legislation will encourage a new and diverse generation to follow the path towards green and service-oriented careers, and become the next generation of public lands employees and enthusiasts."
At a time when youth are spending too much time indoors, obesity rates are sky high, and employment rates are on the decline, the Public Lands Service Corps Act provides an opportunity for young Americans to get the tools they need to get outdoors, get healthy and prepare for green jobs in public land stewardship.
Crenshaw High School Eco Club:
Outdoor Experiences Overcome Gang Rivalries
Yosemite National Park: In spring 2009, Crenshaw partnered with rival Dorsey High School to complete a joint WildLink expedition from Sunday, April 5 — Friday, April 10. The trip was unprecedented; not only are Crenshaw and Dorsey bitter athletics rivals, but they also represent rival gangs. Crenshaw High is within the Crips territory, and Dorsey is solidly Bloods. Longstanding feuds have made contact between the two schools rare indeed.
Bill Vanderberg, Dean of Crenshaw High School and Eco Club advisor, challenged youth from both schools to put aside past differences and concentrate on the opportunity they had to connect with nature. He was right; the program was so successful that the students spontaneously decided to rename their program the "Dorshaw" Eco Club — and they will use that name on all future partnership events. "Having to spend a moment with Dorsey was once-in-a-lifetime," said Leo Morazan, former Eco Club president. "It never happened before, and I really never expected to spend time with them because of the rivalry between our schools. But we all got together and worked as a team. Now we are one group- we are Dorshaw."
The WildLink Expedition took the students out of inner-city Los Angeles and into the Yosemite Valley for five days, three of which had them backpacking through Yosemite's backcountry. Monday, they gathered in the old historic Yosemite cemetery to hear Shelton Johnson speak about the history of the Buffalo Soldiers in the park while wearing a uniform circa 1900. Tuesday, the students hiked through the backcountry to Hetch Hetchy through increasingly chilly weather, enduring the last miles in pouring rain.
They awoke the next morning to find themselves surrounded by 4-6 inches of snow- a truly memorable sight for all. Junior Danielle Babb had a particularly transformative experience. After struggling through the first hike and ending the night in tears because she had never been so tired and cold, Danielle described her Yosemite experience: "It's gorgeous and so big! Everyday is something new. At home everything is same old, same old. But out there, everything is big blue sky and no smog."
The power of groups like the Eco Club to affect participating youth cannot be overemphasized. Each of the students on the WildLink Expedition reconnected with nature and the outdoors on an individual level in a way that will stay with them for many years. But they also connected with each other, forming a bond that spans old rivalries and long-standing fears to create a new and hopeful group of young people. An article about their experiences will appear in the July/August issue of Sierra Magazine.
Celebrate Diversity in the Outdoors School Tour and Public Event
Winona LaDuke signs mural at Franklin High School. During the last three weeks of March 2009, Sierra Club's Building Bridges to the Outdoors project partnered with the YMCA of Greater Seattle and Passages Northwest to bring Subhankar Banerjee, Winona LaDuke and the New Wilderness Project on a tour of Seattle middle and high schools to role model the diversity of people working in the outdoors and in the environmental field to inner city youth.
Winona LaDuke is the Founding Director of the White Earth Land Recovery Project and co-chair of the Women's Indigenous Network. Subhankar Banerjee is a noted photographer-educator-activist. The New Wilderness Project is an educational program that uses multimedia performance art to raise awareness about diversity, leadership, community service and the environment.
The Celebrate Diversity in the Outdoors school tour visited six Seattle schools with LaDuke, Banerjee and the New Wilderness Project. LaDuke, Banerjee and the New Wilderness Project shared their unique stories and photographs with students and encouraged participation in the environmental movement among diverse communities. Along the tour was Shorewood, Franklin and West Seattle High Schools and Roosevelt, Madison and Alternative School #1 Middle Schools. Hundreds of students showed up for each of the assemblies armed with great questions about how they could protect the environment. Subhankar Banerjee told students that the best thing they could do was take their friends on a hike. YMCA and Passages NW offered scholarship opportunities to students to participate in summer camping expeditions.
Subhankar Banerjee shares his photograph of a polar bear eating another polar bear in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
On March 18, 2009, a public event was held at Rainier Beach High School where we heard from a YMCA volunteer, a Passages Northwest Alum, BBTO's own Martin LeBlanc, Winona LaDuke and Subhankar Banerjee about their experiences with the outdoors and as advocates for the environment. A number of local organizations with a mission to reconnect youth with the outdoors were also in attendance.
Powershift '09
Washington DC: In February 2009, Juan Martinez, Building Bridges to the Outdoors, Volunteer Youth coordinator, spoke before a gathering of over 10,000 leaders from across the country and the world at Powershift '09. Juan took the podium to introduce Secretary of Interior, Ken Salazar. He also had the opportunity to speak informally, back-stage, with other leaders including Majora Carter, Van Jones, and Billy Parish, about the importance of connecting all youth with nature and the work we are doing.
Adding Juan's voice and the voices and vision of other up-and-coming leaders is essential to getting the word out to youth and youth leaders from all sectors who are working to improve the lives and the health of the next generation.