Artwork by Ed Nolde, Artist & Sierra Club Maine Volunteer
January 2024
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Panelists pictured from left to right: Nyalat Biliew, Ambassador Maulian Dana Bryant, Audrey Hufnagel
Annual Celebration in Review
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Thank you to everyone who attended our Annual Celebration on December 6th! It was a wonderful evening of like-minded folks coming together for great conversation and food, a live auction, and a climate justice panel discussion.
We honored Andy Burt with our first Justice and the Environment Award for her decades of tireless service and work for climate justice. Please use this link to read about Andy's amazing accomplishments and contributions.
A big thank you goes to our three panelists—Nyalat Biliew from Sierra Club Maine, Audrey Hufnagel from Maine Youth for Climate Justice, and Ambassador Maulian Dana Bryant from the Wabanaki Alliance—who did an excellent job speaking about the intersection of social & environmental justice. Our Chapter Director, Pete Nichols, moderated the inspiring discussion.
A special thank you to our lead sponsors: ReVision Energy and Maine Beer Company, our gracious host, Oxbow Blending & Bottling, and all of our supporters: The Ecology School, Hidden Valley Nature Center, Inn by the Sea, Maine Coast Sea Vegetables, Maine Environmental Education Association, Maine Solar Solutions , MaineShare, Maine Climate Action NOW!, Mere Point Oyster Company, Nebo Lodge, Pape Chevrolet, Piper Shores, Sea Bags, and Toad&Co!
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New Executive Committee Members Elected!
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A special thank you to all of our members who recently voted for our new cohort of Executive Committee members. The committee sets Sierra Club Maine's priorities, goals, and strategies which directly impact our state. Our new Executive Committee members who will begin their two-year term this month are Isidora Liliana Muñoz Segovia and Scott Cuddy.
Congratulations Isidora and Scott, and thank you for helping Sierra Club Maine ensure a clean and just economy, elect pro-environment candidates, and protect Maine’s woods and waters for generations to come! View all of our Executive Committee members here.
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Sierra Club Maine Seeks New Treasurer
By David von Seggern, Treasurer Search Team Lead
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Sierra Club Maine is seeking to fill the position of Treasurer for the chapter. This is an appointed position taken on by a volunteer and is an important role within chapter leadership. The Treasurer will be responsible for financial duties as defined in this job description.
We are looking for someone with a keen interest in the Sierra Club’s mission and in the work of our chapter in particular, and a strong commitment to ongoing chapter stability. Experience with accounting spreadsheets, ability to work with figures and apply protocols, and a cooperative character are basic criteria for this position. Experience working with non-profit groups—in either a staff or volunteer role—will elevate a candidate’s credentials. Sierra Club Maine staff members are currently performing some of these duties and may do so in the future, per arrangements to be made. Contracting professional bookkeeping services may also be possible. Collaborative onboarding and continued support from chapter staff and volunteer leaders will be provided.
Interest should be communicated to David von Seggern at vonseg1@sbcglobal.net. Know someone who might be interested and qualified? Please consider forwarding this call to them.
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Call for Volunteers: 2024 Legislative Session!
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On January 3rd, 2024, the second session of the 131st legislative session begins! During Maine’s legislative session, our team advocates for legislation that supports our mission and values: addressing the climate crisis, protecting our lands and waters, ensuring democratic institutions, and advancing environmental justice. We depend on grassroots engagement and support; everyone can be an advocate and should be active in the process. Our team will help you build the experience that you need to be an effective citizen-advocate, and we’ll have fun doing it!
To prepare for the session ahead, we will be hosting a Legislature 101 training on January 4th from 4:30-5:30pm. The session will cover the Maine legislative process, tips on advocacy, and an orientation to our volunteer team. We hope you will join us, register here!
For more information, please reach out to Ania Wright at ania.wright@sierraclub.org.
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Meet Sierra Club Maine's
New Organizing Fellow
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Please join us in welcoming Jayson Heim (he/him), who joined Sierra Club Maine x JustME for JustUS as an Organizing Fellow in the winter of 2023. He is a graduate of University of Maine, Orono with a Master’s degree in English and specialized in writing studies. He currently works in communications, podcast production, education, and is a volunteer with Black Bear Mutual Aid Fund.
Jayson hopes to use his research interests in how language mediates online climate-related discourse and corpus linguistics to analyze how these discussions affect the movement's growth and mobilization. Outside of his work, Jayson enjoys spending time with his partner and two cats, playing board games, watching visual media, and going to concerts. Welcome Jayson! We are excited to see all that we can accomplish together.
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Catch Up on Our Podcast Series:
Redefining Conservation
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With just a few episodes left, now is the time to catch up on our first podcast series: Redefining Conservation. The podcast focuses on the need to preserve 30 percent of the state’s land, water, and forest by 2030, and beyond. Specifically, it explores the 30x30 goal’s impact on Maine and the strategies used to achieve it. As climate change and habitat destruction exacerbate biodiversity loss, protecting what’s left is crucial. And, it must be done in a just and equitable way.
Redefining Conservation also gives us the opportunity to explore the intersection between conservation and other forms of social justice such as pollution, water quality issues, ownership, and access. Listeners can expect to hear interviews with community organizers, scientists, BIPOC and youth leaders, and housing advocates who will be a part of creating a shared conservation future in Maine. As you listen, we hope you will reach out with any thoughts or questions by commenting here.
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7 Green Living Tips for Winter
That Won't Compromise Your Comfort
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Winter is in full swing. Hopefully you’ve managed to stay comfortable thus far, and ideally without boosting your energy consumption too much. If you’re concerned about your carbon footprint, follow these tips for eco-friendly winter living that won’t force you to choose between freezing and wearing five layers indoors.
1. Nudge down the thermostat: Challenge yourself to keep your thermostat just two degrees cooler than you normally do in the winter. You shouldn’t feel a huge difference, but the environment will notice your efforts. Offset the change in temperature by drinking more hot beverages and using throw blankets more often. If you have a programmable thermostat, set it so your heater is not working hard while you’re at work. Program the heat to kick in 30 or 45 minutes before you return from work so your apartment is comfortable when you arrive.
2. Grow indoor plants: Indoor plants can brighten up the atmosphere of just about any space. By releasing moisture, they can also help your apartment trap heat and combat that dry winter air your skin disagrees with. Consider using them in your kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and living room. Continue reading tips 3-7 here.
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Photo by Joshua Sukoff
The Month Ahead
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Here are some of the meetings and events we have coming up. We hope to see you soon!
- January 4 at 4:30pm: Legislature 101 Training
- Join us to prepare for the upcoming 131st legislative session! This training will cover the Maine legislative process, tips on advocacy, and an orientation to our volunteer team.
- Legislative Team Meetings
- Join us weekly on Mondays to discuss the upcoming legislative session!
- Events Team Meetings
- Help us organize events to educate and engage Mainers across the state.
- January 16 at 12pm: Clean Energy Team Meeting
- Join our team and ensure a clean and just energy future for Maine, specifically focused on renewable energy development!
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Volunteer With Sierra Club Maine
Interested in helping to protect Maine’s environment? We invite you to join us at our volunteer orientation January 10th at noon - RSVP here! No matter your background, we have a role for you—no experience necessary.
We are always looks for photos from across the state to feature in our marketing materials. Professionals and amateurs alike are encouraged to submit images of Maine landscapes, nature, and wildlife. Please submit your photo here.
Questions? Email us at maine.chapter@sierraclub.org.
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