For some couples, the Sierra Club has fostered more than just mutual love of the environment. We asked Sierra Club couples to share their stories and how they have enjoyed the natural world together.
DALE & PENNY
Sierra Club has brought many couples, like Dale and Penny, together.
“Penny and I met in September, 1982 at Rock Island State Park on a Fox Valley Sierra Group weekend outing. The outing had been advertised in the Muir View. Penny arrived from Milwaukee and I from Appleton. Penny arrived one day earlier before me. So we met on Rock Island State Park.
We all had a wonderful time camping and hiking on the island. Penny knew a lot about mushrooms which was very helpful as we all had questions about the numerous mushrooms we saw as we hiked the trails around the island.
Penny eventually moved to Appleton where we were married in 1990.”
After they met, they continued to be active Sierra Club members.
“I was the first Chair of the Fox Valley Sierra Group. Our group started in January 1982. Our first meeting was on January 14, 1982. When we first met, Penny was a member of the Great Waters Group.
Both Penny and I have been very active with the local Fox Valley Sierra Group. Both of us have been members of the board and helped with numerous projects and activities. Penny was very active with the Fox River Clean-Up. She became Chair of our Group and eventually Chair of the John Muir Chapter. We continue to be active with meetings and outings.”
Dale explained that the love for the outdoors has impacted their relationship.
“We had a lot of grass growing in our front and back yards. After moving into our home we changed both yards from grass to flowers and vegetable gardens. We received a compost bin as a wedding gift... We are still using this compost bin. We have small ponds in the both the front and back yards. Numerous birds come to our bird feeder in the back yard. We recycle, compost and enjoy living in the city. We made these decisions because of our concern for the environment and to live a sustainable life style.
We enjoy hiking and camping in the spring, summer and fall and XC-skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.”
Their favorite outdoor experience was hiking the Ice Age Trail in Wisconsin.
“It is one of 11 National Scenic Trails in the United States. It is 1,100 mile long. The trail follows the terminal moraine in Wisconsin. We started in the fall of 2003 and continued hiking in the summer of 2004 and finished in the summer of 2005. Hiking the Ice Age Trail was a tremendous accomplishment for us. We are very happy we did it!”
When asked if they could offer advice for any couples wanting to spend time outdoors together, Dale said, “What more would you want! Spending time with your best friend and lover is the greatest gift of all. You are both having fun and enjoying the outdoor activities that make you happy.”
TOM & CHERI
Tom & Cheri are Sierra Club members who have enjoyed multiple outings with the group. Below is a picture from their trip to Big Bend National Park with the Sierra Club.
BILL & JANE
Bill is the Chapter Director for the John Muir Chapter and Jane is a former national staffer for the Sierra Club. They met when Bill did a research project for Jane on the Coastal Zone Management Act.
They chose to stay involved with the Sierra Club because they “both have a lifelong interest in protecting our lands and waters, and the Club is an important avenue for us to do that.”
Their love for the environment has impacted their relationship through their many outdoor adventures.
“We both like to hike, canoe and sail so we have been to many beautiful places together from Alaska to Hawaii to the Rockies to the plains of East Africa… [Picking a favorite trip] is hard because there have been so many. Probably either spending 22 days on the Noatak River in Alaska or our trip to East Africa.”
Bill and Jane’s advice for couples who want to spend time outdoors together:
“For long trips, get your food right. Make sure you both like the food you are bringing and that you have enough of it. Good food adds a lot to a good day and a tremendous amount to a bad day. Make sure you always have instant soup for emergencies! Also, agree on the pace of the trip: you don’t want it to be a dead march (or paddle).”
Share the love of exploring, enjoying and protecting the outdoors; give the gift of a Sierra Club membership to a loved one today!