Dave Raney (swimming with a school of juvenile parrotfish on the island of Yap in 2005)
If you’re reading this blog, you probably already know that the Sierra Club is the nation’s oldest and largest national environmental grassroots organization. But sometimes the work of the Sierra Club stretches beyond national borders, like that of Dave Raney, recipient of this year’s Raymond J. Sherwin International Award.
Raney, a volunteer with the Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter, lived in Boston before moving to the Aloha State. While in Boston, a lawsuit caught Raney’s attention. The Sierra Club challenged the government over a proposed power plant with a reservoir at Storm King Mountain on the Hudson River -- and won.
But before that, Raney also spent some time in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he developed a love for snorkeling and diving on the coast.
“I was blown away by the coral reefs and ecosystems,” Raney said.
He later became certified for scuba diving in the Florida Keys, at a time, according to Raney, when the reefs were in beautiful condition.
Eventually, in 1968, Raney’s professional career took him to Hawaii, where his passion for marine life, his interest in the Sierra Club, and a state that served his interests all came together.
And a couple years later, he found himself in the beginning of the formation of the Sierra Club’s Hawaii Chapter. His first role was an outings leader, followed by a legislative action chair, and a scrolling list of leadership roles for the next few decades.
While he explored and enjoyed the beautiful landscapes that Hawaii provides to the United States, he also began to explore his true volunteer passion in the waters: marine wildlife and habitats.
In 2000, President Clinton created the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force and, by executive order, designated the largest protected area in the nation: 84 million acres of coral reef around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. That designation was the culmination of an initiative by KAHEA, the Hawaiian Environmental Alliance, Sierra Club, and others to have the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands declared a “pu’u honua,” or place of refuge. Later, the area became the first marine national monument, Papahānaumokuākea, under President George W. Bush.
Raney, an advocate for coral reef protection, was appointed to the task force as the Pacific Islands NGO representative, helping to implement task force goals that included reducing threats to coral reef ecosystems internationally.
Coral reefs were among the first marine ecosystems to be affected by a warming planet other climate change impacts. President Obama’s ambitious focus on fighting climate disruption and his adoption of a national ocean policy provide welcome support for the work of the task force. Raney also works on marine conservation issues with the Sierra Club, as a volunteer on the Marine Action Team. The team is working with chapters across the country to see at how the Sierra Club might best respond to climate change adaptation plans at the local level. They’re also working with the Our Wild America campaign to try to expand the number and scale of marine protected areas and monuments.
His activism and leadership have earned Raney this year’s Raymond J. Sherwin Award -- but it’s not his first Sierra Club Award. He was awarded the Special Achievement Award in 1980 and the Special Service Award in 2003.
“I’ve never done it for the awards, but it’s nice to be appreciated,” Raney said.
The Raymond J. Sherwin Award honors extraordinary volunteer service toward international conservation.
“Our Marine Action Team’s work helps international marine conservation. When you’re working on climate, coral reefs and oceans, you are working internationally,” Raney said. “One ocean connects everything.”
When asked what’s next on the horizon for Raney, who is retired, he said he’d like to take more of an advisory role on the Marine Action Team and work to recruit younger leaders.
“We’re like blue whales: biologically extinct, still alive and swimming around, but without many kids around to replace us,” he said.
You can learn more about getting involved with the Marine Action Team on the Grassroots Network.