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By Vicky Hoover and Laura Fauth
Before attending an Activist Outing, Rebecca Mirsky of Idaho didn't know how to make her voice heard on wilderness issues. That changed when she went on a September 2000 outing to Book Cliffs, Utah, where she met with leading wilderness activists and learned how critical it is for citizens to be wilderness advocates.
"I realized there is a strong and vital network of people, agencies and organizations working for wilderness protection to which I could add my voice," says Mirsky.
Activist Outing participants explore and enjoy some of the country's most special wild places while also learning how to help protect those places. Participants are taught skills such as how to write effective letters to public officials and how to join or build a network of people working for environmental protection.
"Activist Outings give people the tools, the network and the encouragement to speak out for wilderness preservation in an increasingly domesticated and degraded world," says Mirsky.
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Sticking It Out: During a 2001 Activist Outing, Bob Montgomery and Ken Kalkis, both from California, stop for a rest on a ridge above the Cottonwood Basin in the White Mountains, Inyo National Forest. |
The Activist Outings program is offering seven trips in 2002. A March outing to Nevada is full and a June outing to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is nearly full (call for more information). Plenty of space is available on the following five trips:
Wild and Scenic Eel River Rafting and Wilderness
MAY 6-12 (TRIP #02011A) $545
Participants will explore Northern California's Eel River on this hiking and rafting adventure. Led by Redwood Chapter Chair Margaret Pennington, the trip will highlight the new California wilderness campaign.
Find out more about this trip!
Rafting Through Utah's Red Rock Wilderness
JUNE 6-10 (TRIP #02101A) $865B
Utah's breathtaking wildlands will be the focus of this rafting expedition led by Cristina Breen. The 83-mile float trip will pass through the incredible goosenecks of San Juan River to Lake Powell. Participants will learn how to help protect Utah's unmatched canyons and deserts.
Find out more about this trip!
Hawaiian Hot Spots: Focus on Kauai
JULY 21-27 (TRIP #02102A) $945
Veteran activist leader Jennifer Taddei will lead this journey to Kauai, Hawaii's garden isle. Participants will explore Kauai's diverse natural features, including rainforests, wetlands, dryland forests and beaches, while learning about the threats facing the island.
Find out more about this trip!
EcoVillage Experience
SEPT. 1-7 (TRIP #02103A) $670
Alline Anderson and Kurt Kessner will lead this weeklong visit to a sustainable-energy eco-community in Missouri. Participants will enjoy activities including hands-on projects, seminars, bird watching and star gazing, all in a peaceful rural retreat-like setting.
Find out more about this trip!
Dominguez Canyon Backpack Trip
SEPT. 29-OCT. 5 (TRIP #02104A) $395
Barry Morenz and Mark Pearson will lead a moderate 40-mile loop backpacking trip through Dominguez Canyon, Colorado's largest Bureau of Land Management wilderness study area. Dominguez Canyon, rich with waterfalls and petroglyphs, is a centerpiece of the new Colorado wilderness campaign.
Find out more about this trip!
For more information, contact Vicky Hoover, Activist Outing chair, at (415) 977-5527 or vicky.hoover@sierraclub.org. For a trip brochure and application form, or to sign up, call the Sierra Club Outings Department at (415) 977-5522, or visit www.sierraclub.org/outings. Some scholarships are available for chapter activists with limited resources.
Photo courtesy Vicky Hoover
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