By Robert Rowe

There are a million and one ways to get involved with Sierra Club. We’re tracking climate change, protecting the wild parts of Illinois and keeping our lakes and rivers clean. But we can’t do it alone—we need your help! No matter if you just have an afternoon to spare or want to take on a leadership role, your skills are needed and your passion for the environment is welcomed

The HOI Sierra Club needs volunteers for several key positions:

• We are looking for someone to help plan and lead recreational outings for HOI Sierra Club. You will work at first with an experienced outings organizer and learn of the many past hikes and trips taken by HOI members. Approximately 3 hours a month in planning, phone calls and media outreach.  
• We are seeking people to submit articles for our Newsletter. The Tallgrass Sierran comes out every other month throughout the year. Articles on issues facing the environment in our region would be welcomed, as well as articles relating to upcoming events, and coverage of outings and other Sierra Club activities.
• We are looking for people who want to participate in water monitoring. You can help protect our water resources by conducting biological surveys on local streams and entering data on water quality into a national database. Our next Macroinvertebrate sampling will be coming up in early June. Check our calendar and contact Robert Rowe (rowe@bradley.edu) to find out how to participate in this).  
• We need volunteers for our lobby team. Learn about issues that are before our local or state government and meet with your elected representatives to encourage their support for critical legislation to protect the environment.  We attend municipal meetings as well as travel to the State Capitol in Springfield several times a year for environmental lobby days. The next organized Lobby Day is May 21st. You should register here if you plan to participate so you can get in a group to meet with legislators representing your district.
• We are seeking someone to assist with membership outreach. Much of this can be done from your home.
• Do you have an idea or talent that you would like to bring to the Sierra Club group? Share your thoughts and suggestions for ways we can better protect our fragile environment and engage our membership. Send suggestions to on our group email hoi@illinois.sierraclub.org.
• We are always in need of someone to take photographs at meeting and events, and to greet people as they come into meetings.
• We would welcome assistance with setting up and managing live-streaming of Sierra Club meetings. This would be a good opportunity for someone with either prior experience or just a willingness to learn.

If you would like to join us as we work toward making our region a better place to live, or if you would like to explore more of the many opportunities for both adventure and meaningful engagement that the Sierra Club offers, contact Robert Rowe or any of the Executive Committee members, either directly or via our volunteer online survey from our website, or just show up at one of our in-person meetings.