by Casie Jones
My Grandparents, Wallace and Bertie Lou, were of incredible influence in my life. As I spent many days with them, I absorbed Grandmom and Granddad’s love of the outdoors and their commitment to preserving and embracing the natural world. I played “school” using nature magazines and brochures sent from the Sierra Club and other organizations. I made vibrant artworks using old nature calendars (Sierra Club’s has the biggest pictures!) that would come in the mail by the handful. Thanks to these simple acts, my young mind was stimulated to see the need for teaching others about nature and recognize the importance of caring for the environment.
Grandmom Bertie Lou was a giver. She donated her hard-earned dollar to organizations that she trusted would support the values that she held. Coinciding her passion for nature she wanted to see that preservation of our earth would be strategically supported. She gifted me with similar passions and even more, she gifted me with membership to the Sierra Club. The photo shown here is the first documented Sierra Club hike that I enjoyed. If you look closely you will see the pair of birding binoculars hanging from my neck. This hike through the Sipsey Swamp was an experience of nearby wilderness outside of our home in Northport. I was in nature-kid heaven. This outings experience was about fifteen years ago and I still feel her presence when I connect with nature and other Sierrans.
Today, I continue the legacy of my grandparents by being a financial supporter of the Sierra Club. I also contribute my time and passions by participating in my local group, West Alabama, and serving on the Executive Committee for our Alabama Chapter. Because of my roots within an environmental advocacy group like the Sierra Club I have been able to grow in knowledge and experience and promote stewardship in our upcoming generations of decision-makers.
Wallace and Bertie Lou knew the importance of teaching environmental stewardship to their young granddaughter. They knew that the future of our earth would be in the hands of individuals like me. My Grandmom may have provided a gift membership to me simply as an act of compassion for the earth and her loved one, but she was making an investment for my future. She actually made an investment in me, and our environmental stewardship. I hope that I am able to give that love back to my earth and share it with those around me.
A gift membership to the Sierra Club for someone in your life is an act of love in one of the most unique and important forms. I urge all of the Grandparents, Parents, Aunts and Uncles, Spouses, and Companions-Give the Gift of Love to someone and you will experience the joys of watching them GROW!
