All across America, communities are working to protect, conserve, and restore wild lands and neighborhood special places.

Meet some of the key volunteers who are helping to protect our threatened wild places:

Alabama: Michael Smith
Affectionately known in the community as the "garbage cop," Michael first came into contact with the Sierra Club when he made a presentation to a local group about the threatened Terrapin Creek. His presentation forged a strong union between the Sierra Club and Friends of Terrapin Creek, and Michael went on to be elected to the chapter Executive Committee and served in various leadership roles of the local Sierra Club.

His strong record of environmentalism landed him a job as the Compliance Officer for the Cleburne County Solid Waste Department, a post in which he tracks down illegal dumping. To join Michael and others, please visit alabama.sierraclub.org.

Arizona: Bucky Preston
A traditional Hopi Tribe knowledge holder and long-time activist in campaigns to save the San Francisco Peaks from mining and now ski development, Bucky regularly speaks and writes on behalf of protecting the area. Bucky is a long distance runner, and he has participated in and organized sacred runs to bring the message of protecting the sacred Peaks to native people and other supporters.

He is from the village of Walpi on the Hopi Reservation, where he can see the San Francisco Peaks to the west. He inspired a sacred run from Hopi to Mexico City in 2006 to highlight the need to protect water and sacred watersheds, including the Peaks. For more information, please visit www.h2opirun.org. To join Bucky and others, please visit arizona.sierraclub.org.

Arkansas: Dr. Hyatt Lee
Hyatt is the Chair of the Sierra Club Central Arkansas Group. Dr. Lee has been involved for the past several months to help stop the Browning Ferris Industries landfill expansion, attending meetings of neighborhood associations, city government groups, and BFI itself.

Hyatt is committed to working closely with citizens and groups who reside within the affected neighborhoods, and has helped include the Sierra Club as an active part of the anti-landfill coalition. The coalition's work resulted in BFI withdrawing its proposal last year, and coming back this year with an amended, scaled back proposal. To join Hyatt and others, please visit arkansas.sierraclub.org.

California: Joe Fontaine
Joe is a former Sierra Club president and longtime volunteer. Joe has been visiting southern Sierra Nevada since his youth, and has been a leader in holding the Forest Service accountable for its failed management of the numerous giant sequoia groves in the Sequoia National Forest. During the 1980s, commercial logging operations in the region intensified, spurring Joe to push for the designation of a Giant Sequoia National Monument, a goal that was finally reached in 2000 when President Clinton established the monument.

Joe and others continue to monitor Forest Service actions on the monument, and he has assisted Sierra Club attorneys who are challenging the management plan. To join Joe and others, please visit toiyabe.sierraclub.org.

Colorado: Bob Millette and Maggie Pedersen
Bob and Maggie, who had moved to Glenwood Springs in retirement, launched an effort to reestablish a Sierra Club group in their area after it had been defunct for more than five years. With the help of local Sierra Club members, the Roaring Fork Group has been reinstalled and reinvigorated.

Bob and Maggie have also mounted a strong campaign to protect the Roan Plateau, a majestic landform that towers 3,500 feet above the Colorado River Valley. To counter the natural gas industry's attempts at drilling on the plateau TOP, Bob and Maggie helped organize an overwhelming citizen turnout to show county commissioners the incredible community support for saving Roan Plateau. To join Bob, Maggie and others, please visit rmc.sierraclub.org/.

District of Columbia: Jim Dougherty
Jim is the legal chair for the D.C. Chapter and a newly-elected member to the national Sierra Club Board of Directors. For over 15 years, Jim has worked extensively on issues relating to the Anacostia River. He has led campaigns against the Barney Circle Freeway, the Children's Island Theme Park, and the Combined Sewage Outfalls.

He worked with Conservation Chair Gwyn Jones and other environmental organizations to develop the Green Stadium White Paper, a document that played an integral role in mandating a sustainable design for the future stadium of the Washington Nationals. This action was critical in establishing a tone for subsequent development on the lower parts of the Anacostia. To join Jim and others, please visit dc.sierraclub.org.

Florida: Bobbie Lee Grunninger
As Conservation Chair of the Calusa Group of the Sierra Club in southwest Florida, Bobbie Lee has been a longtime advocate for protecting the Florida Panther and its habitat in the region. She has also worked to stop the sprawl that is sweeping the region and has advocated for smart growth solutions to protect habitat, water quality, and quality of life in the region. To join Bobbie Lee and others, please visit florida.sierraclub.org.

Georgia: Frank Quinby
For years, Frank and other local Sierra Club volunteers have been battling attempts by coastal developers to fill in coastal marsh wetlands along Georgia's coast. The chapter has gone to court twice to contest the issue, and was victorious both times. To join Frank and others, please visit georgia.sierraclub.org.

Hawaii: Judy Dalton
Judy is the indefatigable activist and local Sierra Club leader who has been the catalyst for the effort to preserve Maha`ulepu. She encouraged Sierra Club to include Maha'ulepu in their statewide campaign for preservation of remaining wild coastlines, and has expanded the support base, stewardship activities, hikes and tours, and available funding sources for this spectacularly beautiful and resource-endowed place.

Judy secured a Sierra Club grant to hire a coastal conservation organizer for a short period during which research was conducted and educational materials were developed about Maha'ulepu. However, Judy's fundamental and most selfless strategy has been to encourage the rebirth of an old community group called Malama Maha'ulepu, a non-profit coalition that resists development of Maha'ulepu. The organization received a received a 2005 EPA Western Region Environmental Achievement award. Judy, who has traveled the world, says that "Maha'ulepu has a hold on my heart and consciousness like no other place." To join Judy and others, please visit hawaii.sierraclub.org/.

Idaho: Scott Larson
Scott works at Borah High School full-time, but he spends countless hours helping to craft local Sierra Club campaigns. He is an avid fly fisherman and has a passion for conservation. Scott spearheaded our new campaign to fight the Atlanta Gold Mine. Atlanta Gold Corporation of America, Inc., a subsidiary of a Canadian mining company, has proposed a new cyanide-leach gold mine in headwaters of the Boise River within Idaho's Boise National Forest.

The mine would perch above the town of Atlanta, with the main waste rock dump built on a local stream flowing right into town. Atlanta is in the middle of the Boise River watershed which provides water for hundreds of thousands of citizens in the Boise area, as well as water for irrigation, fishing and recreation. To join Scott and others, please visit idaho.sierraclub.org.

Illinois: Barb McKasson
As Co-Chair of the Illinois Chapter's Shawnee Campaign Committee, Barb has been a stalwart of the Shawnee Sierra Club Group for many years. Most recently she has been a key member of our Shawnee Campaign Committee. Her duties have included drafting comment letters and alerts, contacting other members, and helping plan a two day training session to build new activists.

She's helped review our Wilderness slide show and arranged places to show it. To join Barb and others, please visit illinois.sierraclub.org.

Iowa: David Zahrt
After doing 40 years of community development in Chicago, Boston, the Mississippi Delta, the Australian Outback, and Kenya, David returned to his childhood home of Turin, Iowa, and launched a revitalization effort for the surrounding prairies. David is modeling agricultural practices that need to be adopted by producers up and down the Loess Hills to save native prairies on private lands.

He also works with Iowa Natural Heritage to develop conservation easements and land acquisitions to protect prairie. To join David and others, please visit iowa.sierraclub.org/.

Kansas: Carey Maynard-Moody
Carey convinced the Kansas Chapter of the Sierra Club that the threat to the Haskell Baker wetlands was worth their involvement. In leading the effort against a proposed highway construction project, she provided testimony at seven public hearings on the issue.

Carey has conducted historical research on the wetlands and the neighboring Haskell Indian Nations University, the country's only dedicated intertribal institution of higher learning. To join Carey and others, please visit kansas.sierraclub.org.

Louisiana: Dean Wilson
Dean is a swamp tour operator in the Atchafalaya Basin in Louisiana. On every tour he educates people from all over the country about the beautiful Louisiana swamps and what they can do to help protect them. Dean also serves as a watchdog for cypress forests which are increasingly targeting by logging companies for use as garden mulch. He documents clear cutting and pressures agencies to take action. To join Dean and others, please visit louisiana.sierraclub.org/.

Louisiana: Harvey Stern
Harvey is a lead volunteer on the Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy Project. He conceived this project as a way to commemorate and celebrate those few remaining ancient cypress trees that were alive at the time of the Louisiana Purchase. Since launching the project in 2003, over 36 trees have been identified and commemorated with brass plaques, the oldest of which is at least 800 years old. To join Harvey and others, please visit louisiana.sierraclub.org/.

Maine: Darci Schofield
Darci is a leader in the fight to save the Maine Woods and has been involved with the formation of an energetic new northern group of Sierra Club activists who have christened themselves with the name The Wilderness Project. Her degree in Forest Resources from the University of Maine brings critical expertise to the dialogue in the local community as out-of-state timber and investment corporations embark on huge development plans for northern Maine.

She has testified at hearings, written several letters to local and state newspapers, and is participating in various community groups who are concerned about the impact of proposed development on the Moosehead Lake area. To join Darci and others, please visit maine.sierraclub.org.

Maryland: Bob DeGroot
As Forest Conservation Chair for the local Sierra Club chapter, Bob has led an ongoing effort to legislate areas in Western Maryland as a Wildland. To join Bob and others, please visit maryland.sierraclub.org/.

Massachusetts: Deborah Holt
As Chapter Outings Committee Chair, Deborah has been instrumental in using Sierra Club hikes to educate Sierra Club members on the threats to the Middlesex Falls. Working with Club outings leaders, she has scouted and planned day hikes that are accessible by public transportation to share this urban gem.

She has also worked with another volunteer to plan a count of the Pink Lady Slipper, cypripedium acaule. She has also worked with other Sierra Club volunteers to comment on project environmental review documents. To join Deborah and others, please visit massachusetts.sierraclub.org.

Montana: Gia Fairchild
Gia Fairchild has worked tirelessly to promote the protection Montana's Great Burn, often by taking citizens for hikes along the Lewis & Clark Trail. She also works to get media attention of the various campaigns to protect Montana's wild places by taking local, regional and national reporters out on the trail. To join Gia and others please visit montana.sierraclub.org.

Nevada: Bill James
Bill James is working hard to protect the Slone Canyon National Conservation Area. Bill has also engaged in considerable efforts to inform about the need to protect Slone Canyon National Conservation Area and has lobbied the entire Nevada congressional delegation about this issue. To join Bill and others please visit nevada.sierraclub.org.

New Jersey: Fred Akers
Fred Akers is extremely dedicated to protecting the Delaware Bay Shore. Fred's lobbying efforts in the past helped reduce the harvesting of horseshoe crabs, helping to sustain their population. He also educates other activists about threats within the region. To help Fred and others please visit newjersey.sierraclub.org.

New Mexico: Richard Kristin
Richard Kristin is dedicated to helping protect Valle Vidal from destructive gas exploration. Richard is organizing public awareness campaigns throughout the region to draw attention to this special place. To join Richard and others please visit riogrande.sierraclub.org.

New York: Eliana Garcia
Eliana Garcia is a special volunteer who has worked endlessly towards the protection of the Staten Island wetlands. Eliana is leader of the Sierra Club Local Group's Task Force on Staten Island Natural Resources. She works to inform the public of the threats to Staten Island while investigating the potential environmental impact of the proposed project. To join Eliana and others please visit newyork.sierraclub.org.

North Carolina: Jennifer Alligood
Jennifer Alligood has organized several community events and created statewide awareness of the threats to the Pocosin National Wildlife Refuge. She has also built relationships with and now works with organizations across the political spectrum to save the Refuge. To join Jennifer and others please visit northcarolina.sierraclub.org.

North Dakota: Jonathan Bry
Jonathan Bry contributes valuable input regarding the Missouri River to government agencies, including the US Army Corps of Engineers. He is also working to find conservation-friendly solutions to Missouri problems. To join Jonathan and others please visit www.sierraclub.org/nd.

Ohio: Andy Betts
Andy Betts exhibits great dedication and energy in his work to protect the Little Miami National Wild and Scenic River. Andy has engaged in grassroots organizing and public educational campaigns that have encouraged the preservation of Little Miami. He is also dedicated to community outreach and communication with public officials. To join Andy and others please visit ohio.sierraclub.org.

Puerto Rico: Miguel Davila
Miguel Dávila, a community leader and head of the local fishermen's union, has dedicated a great deal of time to protecting the Northeast Ecological Corridor. He along with others have organized public awareness campaigns about increased water shortages and lack of access to the beaches for Puerto Ricans and fisherman alike if the Corridor is developed by the Marriot and Four Seasons. To join Miguel Dávila and others in please visit puertorico.sierraclub.org.

South Dakota: Sam Clauson
Sam Clauson has been a lead Sierra Club volunteer for more than 30 years, working relentlessly to protect wild South Dakota. Sam has led numerous wilderness efforts and was integral in the creation of wilderness areas in Badlands National Park and the Black Elk Wilderness in the Black Hills National Forest. His focus now is on the Cheyenne River Valley. To join Sam and others please visit southdakota.sierraclub.org.

Tennessee: Gary Bowers, Mary Mastin and Axel Ringe
Gary Bowers, Mary Mastin, and Axel Ringe are special volunteers who have worked endlessly to protect the Royal Blue Wildlife Management Area. Gary, Mary and Axel have worked to encouraged the governor to prevent mountaintop removal and steep slope mining within the Royal Blue. To join Gary, Mary and Axel and others please visit tennessee.sierraclub.org.

Texas: Richard Donovan
Richard Donovan has spent a considerable amount of time working to protect and create awareness about the Neches River. Richard and his daughter, Gina, are working diligently for the creation of the Neches River National Wildlife Refuge which would protect 25,000 more acres along the Neches. To join Richard and others please visit texas.sierraclub.org/.

Utah: Wayne Hoskisson
As a fifth-generation Utahn, Wayne Hoskisson has a good reason to protect the wild places of his home state. The great-great-grandchild of Brigham Young, who brought the first U.S. settlers to Utah, Wayne has spent countless hours working to protect places like the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.

Wayne help start the survey to monitor primitive vehicle routes being labeled as "highways" to preempt wilderness designations. As part of this effort, Wayne is currently mapping the violations of the Bureau of Land Management rules. To join Wayne and others please visit utah.sierraclub.org.

Vermont: Carol Groom
Carol Groom has spent many hours making phone calls, writing letters, and encouraging other citizens to help protect Green Mountain National Forest. To join Carol and others please visit vermont.sierraclub.org.

Virginia: Tyla Matteson
Tyla Matteson has worked tirelessly to protect the Mattaponi River. Tyla was successful in encouraging a government agency to deny permits for the creation of a dam on the Mattaponi River. Unfortunately, this decision was overturned by the mayor and now is in litigation, but Tyla keeps fighting. To join Tylan and others, please visit virginia.sierraclub.org.

Washington: Don Parks
Don Parks has dedicated a great deal of time to creating awareness about and helping to protect Washington's Wild Sky country. Don has effectively encouraged support from Washington residents to protect this magnificent, wild area. To join Don and others, please visit cascade.sierraclub.org.

West Virginia: Mary Wimmer
Mary Wimmer, a professor of Biochemistry at West Virginia University, is a tireless Sierra Club volunteer working to protect the Monongahela National Forest. Mary has organized several trail recovery projects in the Monongahela National Forest and contributes valuable input to the Forest Service regarding management and development plans within the Seneca Creek Backcountry.

Last year she received the Wilderness Forever Future Leadership Award recognizing her effort. To join Mary and others please visit westvirginia.sierraclub.org.

Wisconsin: Dale Schaber
Dale Schaber is a Sierra Club volunteer who has led efforts to build and maintain the Ice Age Trail he has also incorporated visits to the trail into his elementary school curriculum which fosters support and enthusiasm about this national treasure. Dale has spoke at zoning hearings, written letters to the editor and public officials and leads interpretative walks on the trail to create awareness. To join Dale and others please visit wisconsin.sierraclub.org.