By Mandy Carr, Editorial Director, Green Gotham 

Fellow Sierrans,

I was never much of an activist until the 2016 presidential election. I went to my first protest the day after the outcome, and while it was futile in changing what happened, it led me down a path of learning about politics. I paid attention to the news before, but it all changed after that. 

Climate change had always concerned me. However, as I read more and more, it struck me that society wasn’t doing enough. I don’t know the moment I became passionate, but I spent about a year wanting to get involved before deciding to take the leap in the summer of 2023. It was time to do more. 

I dove into researching several organisations, and it was the Sierra Club that caught my eye because of its work with nature. I contacted my local group, the NYC Group. 
I had no idea what to expect when I jumped on a call with the Chair of the NYC Group and the Chair of the Environmental Education Committee. The sky was the limit with these two in terms of what I could do. I was excited about the different ways I could get involved. 

I chose to get involved with the Environmental Education Committee first because they were developing a multimedia student book club. I loved working with teenagers before, and I thought I could use that experience to get started. 

The Environmental Committee was just the beginning; I also worked on the political committee, transitioned this newsletter to digital, and had the privilege of serving on the city’s executive committee. I was putting my newfound passion and longstanding skills to use in the community.

While my desire to create a better environment for future generations keeps me going, it’s also the people I work with. They’re all passionate about what they do, and they’re so knowledgeable about different aspects of environmentalism that I’ve learned so much in my three years volunteering. 

If you want to volunteer but aren’t sure where to start, having a conversation with one of my fellow volunteers is the first step. You can learn about all the different ways you can participate, and we can also learn what skills you have that can benefit the cause. 

Even if you’ve never volunteered before, the NYC Group is a welcoming and collaborative group, so you’ll find your place in no time.