About:

 

The Sierra Club’s roots are drawn back to San Francisco, California, in 1892, when the Scottish-American man, John Muir, became president. Since then, the Sierra Club has become the nation’s largest grassroots environmental organization, spanning the country with chapters in every state.

Overall, the Sierra Club wants to protect the air, water and outdoor spaces through advocacy at all levels of government.

 

The group is paid-membership based, but allows volunteers to help and participate in events.

Greensboro is part of the Piedmont Plateau Group (PPG) including Guilford, Montgomery, Randolph, Rockingham and Richmond counties.

 

“[Sierra Club] tries to get people out into the environment. [It] exposes them to it and teach them about it,” said life member, Vance Arnold. One of the major goals for the group is to “demystify” the environment Arnold said.

 

However, PPG specifically has interest in using solar energy or other alternatives to fossil fuels, dismantling the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) and protecting the the coasts. In the eastern region of North Carolina, they are fighting biomass wood pellets in conjunction with other groups, due to the pellets release of carbon pollution and forest depletion.

 

The local Sierra Club meets with the North Carolina Chapter to lobby for environmental protections and also help in educating government leaders and the media about crucial environmental issues.

 

The PPG has a few ways of doing this including monthly creek clean-ups and hikes, totaling 24 events a year. Arnold said the PPG has the highest number of outings in the state. Another prominent outing are sponsored trail clean-ups as well.

 

The group has accomplished several feats since its conception over 30 years ago.

One special effort was preserving 600 acres of land on the Haw River, before it was destined to become a golf course. PPG arranged for the piece of land to be bought by the Haw River State Park.

 

Also, with a partnership through Guilford County, the PPG adopted the Bold Moon Preservation Area, a 28-30 acre piece of land. Arnold said it is a large gathering area and it is great the group can “maintain a place a lot of people can come out to.”

 

However, the most recent achievement PPG has made is electing its first African American female president, Nicole Spivey.

 

“I look forward to promoting the cause of climate change and justice and helping our members understand we are working together to promote a better planet,” Spivey said.

 

Spivey’s work consists mostly of advocating for climate justice and change and the state chapter’s overall objectives. However, she said she wants members of the group to see the intersectionality between the environment and other social injustices, such as knowing land typically owned by low income, indigenous peoples and people of color tend to be taken first for corporate development.

 

“We are pro-environment,” said Spivey, speaking on the nonpartisan stance PPG takes.

The group is always looking for volunteers for monthly outings. To volunteer or participate a release of liability form must be signed first.

 

For more information about future outings go to the Sierra Club’s website listed above.