By Virginia Reinhart
There has never been a time when our advocacy as environmentalists was more necessary. We face an uncertain recovery from the pandemic, an ambitious new political administration in D.C., and rapidly accelerating climate change that hits the most vulnerable the hardest. This is all daunting, of course, but as a seven-year employee of the SF Bay Chapter I am acutely aware of what our collective power can do. I’ve watched in awe as our Chapter’s incredible volunteers and staff have fought against some of the wealthiest, most powerful corporate interests to protect our air, water, lands, wildlife, and public health (and won!). Whatever you call it — people power, grassroots activism — our members are the source of the Sierra Club’s power, and the Bay Chapter is 35,000 members strong.
I have worked at a number of non-profit organizations over the years, and I’ve come to learn that there’s no organization quite like the Sierra Club. We have both an enduring national presence and a locally focused, volunteer-driven Chapter leadership structure that empowers people to make a difference in their own communities. I am stepping into Chapter leadership with the goal of helping to direct and support this grassroots power to tackle the big challenges of our time: a climate in crisis, environmental racism, and persistent threats to land, water, and wildlife. I know that together we can make a difference in each of these areas.
Here’s some of what your chapter is doing to meet this moment, and some ways for you to get involved:
We are doing everything in our power to avert the climate catastrophe while building a strong green economy and supporting healthy communities here in the Bay Area. Our groundbreaking work in our Chapter area is helping to set new standards for the entire nation. The Bay Chapter and our partners and allies are leading the movement to get our cities off fossil fuels (championing cutting-edge building electrification ordinances and demanding an end to polluting fossil fuel infrastructure) and onto 100% clean and renewable power.
We strive to incorporate equity, justice, and inclusion into every aspect of our work. Achieving this goal will require us to examine our systems, our traditions, and our priorities, and commit to making significant cultural transformations to share power with and be more welcoming to the people most impacted by environmental degradation — mostly BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) communities. We have lots of work to do on this front, and we may make mistakes along the way, but it’s a transformation that Chapter leadership is committed to seeing through. I hope that our community will help hold us accountable to this promise.
We are also carrying on our long legacy of conservation with campaigns to preserve or provide greater protection for numerous wild and natural areas including Tesla Park, Point Molate, Newark Area 4 wetlands, Point Reyes National Seashore, Corte Madera Marsh, Donahue Highlands, and more. Our Chapter’s conservation ethic has been key to shaping the Bay Area that we know and love: one that protects a large share of its magnificent landscapes as public lands for wildlife and all people’s enjoyment of and connection with nature.
I’ve heard it said that one of the best things about the Sierra Club is its ability to adapt and grow to meet the moment. When the Bay Chapter was founded in 1924, we were primarily an outdoor recreation and social club: our first subcommittees were Membership, Trails, Local Walks, Schedule, Education, and Entertainment. From there the Club’s conservation mission quickly took root, with Chapter members launching a campaign in 1926 to protect Mount Tamalpais for public use (it became a State Park in 1929), and kicking off our first letter-writing campaign in 1939. We are still evolving in many ways today: through the continued understanding that racial justice is environmental justice; the imperative work of promoting infill development as a way to reduce emissions and save natural spaces; and extended reflections on lessons learned throughout this difficult pandemic.
Wherever we show up, our work is powered by our Chapter’s incredible, talented staff, our dozens of devoted volunteer leaders, and our 35,000 loyal members in Contra Costa, San Francisco, Marin, and Alameda Counties. I invite you to get involved and help us meet this moment by volunteering your time, staying informed, making a donation to support our staff, and hitting the trails alongside us (after a long pause due to the Covid-19 pandemic, outings have restarted!).
Thank you for being part of our Chapter community.
Virginia Reinhart is the Sierra Club San Francisco Bay Chapter’s new Director. She lives in Richmond with her family, and when she’s not working, she’s gardening or dragging her two young sons on hikes of the region’s amazing trails.