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Jan Gieselmann

Millersville, Missouri
Environmental Education Chair
Trail of Tears Group

Jan Gieselmann says he "pushed the environment" all he could during his career as a high school Spanish teacher and guidance counselor. "I talked with students outside of class, took them on hikes and canoe trips—I wanted to give them a meaningful experience. Especially when I was a counselor, I think it may have helped some kids who were potential dropouts decide to stay in school."

Gieselmann became active with the Sierra Club in the 1970s when a dam was proposed on the Merrimack River near St. Louis that would have flooded a commercial cave and ruined the river for canoeing in favor of speedboats. "We collected signatures, got a measure on the ballot, generated a lot of publicity, and we stopped the dam. The Merrimack is still beautiful and free-flowing."

On retiring, Gieselmann moved from suburban St. Louis to rural southeastern Missouri, an area he characterizes as intensely conservative and religious. He shares the latter inclination, and sees the church and environmentalism as going hand in hand. "I teach Sunday school and bible study group, and I promote environmentalism as hard as I can. I ask people to consider what Jesus would want for the environment."

Gieselmann and his minister lead kids on 3- and 4-day bicycle trips, often on rails-to-trails paths on abandoned railroad lines. "We have the longest such trail in the U.S., the Katy Trail. I trained on it when I was still running marathons."

A longtime Sierra Club outings leader, Gieselmann hikes as often as he can with his 4-year-old mutt, Trails. "I was leading a Club outing when my wife was asked to staff a booth for the humane society. There was one dog left at the end of the day, so she said, 'I'll take it.' Trails is my constant companion since my wife died two years ago."

One of Gieselmann's passions is canoeing Missouri's wild rivers. "There are a dozen great flatwater rivers in southern Missouri where you can get lost for days on end without seeing anyone but fishermen and other canoeists. It's wonderful to camp on a gravel bar and have the place all to yourself."

Published: February 23, 2007