By Nan Cole, CHNMS Campaign Coordinator
Just before the election, I was hired by the Chapter as a contract consultant to help galvanize a broad base of support for the proposed Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary. Post-election, when we came to grips with the unlikelihood of getting any environmental protection through this White House and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), we shifted the emphasis from asking “What can we do to save our coastline from offshore oil drilling?” to questions like “What makes our coastline special?”, “How is the ocean on the Central Coast changing?” and “What is at risk of being destroyed if our coastline is not protected; culturally, environmentally, financially and morally?”
Over the course of this year, we have hosted several public events and hikes that combine environmental education from experts at Cal Poly with hiking, kayaking, food, music and entertainment, all along the central coast. Sierra Club started as a local hiking club and expanded its focus to preserving and protecting the special places across the U.S. The Club has a long history of linking hiking with activism. This new/old strategy of getting people outdoors to enjoy and experience nature first hand has a profound effect on their interest in preserving the places they have come to love.
On Wednesday, November 15th, from 5:30 pm – 7:15 pm at Ascendo Coffee (974 Monterey St., San Luis Obispo), join us for a talk on hiking and outdoor education as a tool to get people involved in the local and national dialogue around environmental protection and stewardship. We will discuss three local case studies and show a short film at the end of the presentation.