As we grieve the deaths and injuries of students at Michigan State University, the Michigan Chapter of Sierra Club echoes the outrage and determination of Michigan's elected leaders to end the gun violence happening every day. For more than five decades MSU students and alumni have been integral to Sierra Club's work, serving as volunteers, interns and staff. We are heartbroken that the scourge of gun violence is now heavily weighing on them in particular.
As an organization devoted to improving the well-being of all people and the planet, we cannot turn away from the critical need to see common sense gun control measures put in place in our state. Contact your state representative and state senator to urge them to support Gov. Whitmer and others leading this fight.
For those suffering from the effects of this horrific event, assistance is available here.
Each year the Michigan Chapter Executive Committee honors outstanding people and organizations for their work protecting, exploring and enjoying our state and the planet.
On February 21, we will gather to recognize these dedicated individuals and thank them for making Michigan a better place. Please RSVP to join us either in person in Ann Arbor or virtually to celebrate the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter Award Winners for their work. Congratulations to all of the awardees and thanks to them for their selfless service to Michigan and all Michiganders.
Read below and here about the dedicated work of the honorees for 2022. Congratulations to all of the awardees and thanks to them for their selfless service to Michigan and all Michiganders.
Huron Valley Group leaders Dan and Tina Ezekiel met with Rep. Debbie Dingell in her office in January 2020. Photo courtesy of the Ezekiels.
Environmentalist of the Year:
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell
The Michigan Chapter is proud to honor Representative Debbie Dingell for her work and advocacy to fight climate change and protect the environment. Of particular note Rep. Dingell was a leader in the passage of the landmark Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022, considered the most sweeping environmental legislation in decades. Read more about Rep. Dingell's work to protect Michigan's environment here.
Cleaning up EES Coke on Zug Island in the Detroit River is just one of the successful efforts led by the award winners named by the Michigan Chapter. Photo by Anne Woiwode.
Michigan Awardees: Excellence in
Advocacy and Communications
The Michigan Sierra Club recognizes individuals and organizations outside of the Sierra Club whose work as advocates and communicators helps to further action on and understanding about environmental issues and justice. We are pleased to recognize the following award winners for their exceptional work. Please read more details of their work at our blog here.
Bunyan Bryant Award: Nicholas Leonard, Great Lakes Environmental Law Center
Nick Leonard and the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center (GLELC) have led lawsuits on behalf of disproportionately impacted community members against DTE, EES Coke and more, delivering benefits to communities throughout southeastern Michigan and holding agencies and polluters accountable.
White Pine Award: The Earthjustice team of Shannon Fisk, Mike Soules, Chinyere Osuala, Hema Lochan, Cassandra McRae and Lauren Piette
The Earthjustice attorneys listed here serve as outside counsel to the Michigan Beyond Coal Campaign. The Beyond Coal Campaign is regularly represented at the Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) and in the courts by these outstanding attorneys. They've been extremely successful in shutting down coal plants, tackling energy burden and delivering legal settlement funds to impacted communities.
White Pine Award: Mark Van Putten and the Wege Foundation The Wege Foundation was established in 1967 by Peter M. Wege to carry out his lifelong philosophy: "Do all the good you can, in all the ways you can, for all the people you can, for as long as you can." This is exactly what Mark Van Putten has done during his 20 year-association with the Wege Foundation, including the past seven years as the foundation’s president and CEO. Mark has expanded the Wege Foundation’s commitment to protecting the environment and addressing the urgency of climate change while stressing the importance of ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion.
Environmental Journalism: Kelly House, Bridge Magazine
In a state defined by its relationship to water, nobody produced more compelling, connect-the-dots reporting on how gaps in Michigan environmental policies left the state’s waters, land and residents at risk than Bridge Michigan’s Kelly House.
Digital Excellence Award: Ericka Lozano-Buhl, Mixto Communications Ericka Lozano-Buhl served as the organizer and earned media and social media point person for Sierra Club’s Consumers Energy Integrated Resource Planning (IRP) advocacy coalition in 2022. As the head of Mixto Communications, Ericka helped to seriously step up our effectiveness when it comes to earned media, social media and storytelling.
Award winner Abby Clark (l) with 2019 Environmentalist of the Year Senator Stephanie Chang and Legislative and Political Director Christy McGillivray in July 2022. Photo by Isra Daraiseh for Sierra Club.
Sierra Club Volunteer Award Winners
As part the largest and most effective volunteer run environmental organization in the world, volunteers are essential to the success and progress made in furthering the Sierra Club's mission of protecting, exploring and enjoying the planet. The work of the outstanding volunteers below is recognized with awards tailored to acknowledge the enormous contributions they have made and continue to make to the Michigan Chapter’s effectiveness.
Helen LeBlanc Award: Abby Clark
In 2021, Abby Clark answered the call of the Michigan Executive Committee and agreed to serve as co-chair, continuing her service as chair in 2022. The Michigan Chapter is proud to recognize the extraordinary effort and countless hours Abby has devoted to promoting Sierra Club and executing the needs of the Michigan Chapter as well as the tremendous progress that would not have been experienced without her efforts.
Marlene Fluharty Award: Denise Trabbic-Pointer
After a long career in industry working to protect workers and the public from exposure to dangerous materials produced by her company, Denise Trabbic-Pointer sought a different role in retirement. Denise volunteered for the Sierra Club after retiring in 2019, bringing her technical and scientific knowledge to bear in some of the most challenging and compelling pollution issues in recent times.
Burton Barnes Award: Stephen Brown
Stephen Brown has brought his professional knowledge as a chemist to bear to help Sierra Club volunteers and staff understand the dangers of PFAS/PFOAS and prioritize our goals both in Michigan and nationally.
Trillium Award: The Nepessing Group Student Engagement Committee
The Nepessing Group Student Engagement Committee (NGSEC) was formed by leaders in the Nepessing Group to invite and engage area youth into the conservation movement and to increase their understanding of and need for environmental action.
Virginia Prentice Award: Fred Miller and Charlie Weaver
The proposed huge expansion of Camp Grayling, already the nation's largest national guard base occupying hundreds of thousands of Michigan state forest lands without charge, came to the attention of the Michigan Chapter Conservation Committee through Charlie Weaver’s advocacy. Charlie, a passionate advocate for the woods and waters of northern Michigan, collaborated with Fred Miller and Legislative Coordinator Tim Minotas to share information about the expansion with Sierra Club members and prepare and submit extensive, well researched comments on the troubling proposal. Sadly, Charlie passed away before he could be recognized with this award.
Chapter Service Award: Craig Ressler
Craig Ressler has provided an invaluable service to the Michigan Chapter for many years by overseeing the annual Chapter Awards process. The annual awards process is an essential part of recognizing volunteers, environmental leaders and allies in Michigan and provides an important avenue for the Sierra Club to provide the public with information about the people advancing the environmental work we and our allies pursue.
Group Service Award, Crossroads Group: Ginny Maturen
Over the past several years, the Crossroads Group has focused on the development of many aspects of its operation. This year, under the leadership of Ginny Maturen, the political committee has made great progress on several fronts.
Sierra Club volunteer lobbyists at the Michigan State Capitol. File photo.
Honor Michigan Chapter Award Winners
With a Gift of Support
As we honor dedicated volunteers and allies in the fight to protect the Great Lakes State and the planet, consider making a special donation in their honor to support the Michigan Chapter. Your gift helps volunteers and staff be more effective, engages more people in the work and helps to expand our impact in many critical ways. No amount is too small - consider what clean water, healthy forests, environmental justice and fighting climate change mean to you and your loved ones. We are grateful for your support!
Unexplained digging by Enbridge on Line 5 in the Ottawa National Forest near Watersmeet has prompted groups to demand public disclosure. Photo by Anne Woiwode.
Enbridge Line 5 Update: Mysterious Digging and Tunnel ExplosionRisk
Sierra Club has joined with partners in Oil and Water Don’t Mix to seek answers to mysterious activity by Enbridge in the Ottawa National Forest in the Watersmeet area in January. A letter addressed to state and national officials asks for answers after a resident of the Watersmeet area noticed an unusual amount of digging, welding and other equipment staging on U.S. 2 near Watersmeet in the Ottawa National Forest.
Meanwhile, two engineers warned the Michigan Public Service Commission that Enbridge’s plans to build and use an oil pipeline tunnel beneath the Straits of Mackinac could lead to an explosion and the release of oil that could devastate the freshwater, wildlife and shorelines of the Great Lakes. Read details on both matters here.
Garrett Dempsey and Dave Errickson volunteered at the 2019 Quiet Adventure Symposium (l). Photo by Anne Woiwode. Stop by and find out about the Sierra Club's work in Michigan this year.
Explore and Enjoy: Quiet Adventures Symposium
Saturday, March 4
Michigan State University
Join the Sierra Club at the Quiet Adventures Symposium at Michigan State University on March 4. Sierra Club volunteers will be available to discuss state and local activities that further the organization’s goals to explore, enjoy and protect the planet and to engage humanity in these goals. Learn about Sierra Club’s work across Michigan to fight climate change and move beyond fossil fuels, to shut down Enbridge’s Line 5 pipeline and to clean up contaminants including PFAS that are harming farms and neighborhoods, just to name a few. Find out how you can get involved as well. And enjoy the booths and displays promoting enjoyment of wild places on foot and by paddle. Find out more here.
