Can you see the baby House Finch in the picture above? There are only two of them now. Mom and Dad birds succeeded in fledging the other two. These tiny birds nested in our front porch wreath for over five weeks. They have delighted us. They have given us lessons on parenting, providing and protecting. They have reminded me of why I fight for wildlife, tiny birds and all.  

     Maybe you feel that way, too. Then come to our May 30th in-person membership meeting and meet other people who share your love of nature in all its manifestations. See here for more information. Bring your lunch and preferred beverage, and let's all preserve, protect and picnic for the planet!

     PROFILES: We are proud to continue our new feature, Profiles, and we are happy to introduce you to our Zero Waste Team Chair, Cindy Dillon:
     
          Cindy Dillon’s road to the Lower Eastern Shore has been twisty and windy, but it only makes sense that she’d end up here or someplace very close to here. Born and raised in Norfolk, VA, she was always involved in activities around the ocean and the Chesapeake Bay. That love of and respect for our waterways have continued throughout her life.

     The helping professions have been her career focus. After graduating from Georgetown University School of Nursing, she worked in a myriad of nursing jobs both in hospitals and in community health. Thirty years later she decided to pursue a Master’s degree in mental health counseling at Loyola College. Both degrees proved to be useful as she assumed positions as a behavioral health counselor in a bariatric surgeon’s office and as a therapist in private practice. In some ways that healthcare focus explains her involvement with the Sierra Club. Now her patient is Mother Earth.

     When the Maryland Sierra Club decided to establish the Lower Eastern Shore Group, they needed volunteers to form an Executive Committee (ExCom) in order to be chartered. Cindy agreed to do that and so became one of the members of this Group’s first ExCom. She has officially served as Treasurer, Chair, Nominations Chair and Zero Waste Lead. The latter continues to this day. The seed for her interest in all things Zero Waste was more than likely planted by her mother who never would have used that term, but certainly modeled several of the R’s (reduce, reuse, and recycle).

     Cindy has a passion for protecting our beautiful environment that unfortunately is often marred by litter. Cindy considers plastic pollution to be her nemesis and she strives to decrease exposure in her own life and to communicate her concerns about its dangers to our community. She loves the opportunities to share science-based information and to help others realize ways to decrease their own exposure to microplastics.

     Leisure time outside the Sierra Club includes camping, bike riding, reading and spending time with her husband, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and cats. Some of these think Cindy spends far too much time on Sierra Club activities…especially the cats!