By Jennifer Walker
As the year draws to a close and we all get ready for a well-deserved break with friends and family, I find myself reflecting how important to work we do at Sierra Club is. Spend a day with us at our office in Austin and you will be blown away by the talent, passion and creativity swirling around, working to make Texas a better place for all Texans (seriously - spend a day with us, we would love it).
I know I'm biased, but I think that I have the best job of all. I get to work to ensure that Texas rivers have enough water in them to support the habitat of fish and other wildlife. Just like us, Texas critters need places to swim, nest, feed and grow their families. Our rivers and bay provide all this and more.
I do not do this work alone... my coworkers and colleagues at other organizations, Sierra Club members and volunteers, and nature lovers all over the state, are working towards the same goal.
I grew up camping and playing along Texas rivers, bays, and beaches. My sisters and I listened to frogs at night, caught tadpoles, built fires, looked at the Milky Way, built forts and had many adventures. This is still a huge part of our lives and we love sharing this tradition with our kids. If we didn't have parks to camp in or water in our rivers this tradition would be impossible to continue. It is so important and it brings us all together.
I am proud of the work of the Sierra Club to protect these special places. It isn't easy and the challenges are substantial; however, it is too important. I see people everyday putting their heart and souls into this work and I know that there is no way that we will not do a lot of good.
How am I going to spend my Christmas break? I am going to hang out with friends and family, go see Star Wars, visit the Hill Country, and say hello to my favorite rivers. I am going to rest and recharge and come back ready to do what I can to protect and preserve Texas' special places in the New Year.
Enjoy your break and see you in 2018.