A Summer of Action, Connection, and Building Our Future Together

As we welcome summer across Ohio, I am reminded that our greatest strength has always been our people.

This month, we celebrate the incredible energy, passion, and dedication that continue to move our mission forward. From the inspiring success of the first Great Ohio Climate March to growing our Outings program, advancing environmental justice, and expanding volunteer leadership opportunities, there is tremendous momentum building across the Sierra Club Ohio Chapter.

The Great Ohio Climate March demonstrated what is possible when communities come together around a shared vision. Over twelve days, participants marched from Athens to the Statehouse in Columbus, learning, organizing, and advocating for a healthier, more sustainable future. To everyone who participated, organized, hosted, supported, or encouraged the marchers along the way—thank you. Your commitment reminds us that meaningful change happens one conversation, one mile, and one action at a time.

This month's newsletter also highlights an important truth: environmental issues are interconnected. As Ohio experiences unprecedented growth in data center development, we must ask difficult questions about who benefits, who bears the burden, and how we ensure that our communities, water resources, air quality, and climate goals are protected. Environmental justice must remain at the center of these conversations.

As we prepare to celebrate Juneteenth, we also recognize that true freedom includes the right for every person to live in healthy, thriving communities with access to clean air, safe water, and green spaces. Our work for environmental justice is inseparable from the ongoing pursuit of equity and human dignity.

Summer also offers an opportunity to reconnect with nature. Whether you're participating in a Sierra Club outing, exploring a local park, joining a cleanup event, or simply taking a walk around your neighborhood, spending time outdoors is one of the simplest and most powerful ways to nurture both personal well-being and environmental stewardship.

Finally, I encourage you to consider how you can deepen your involvement with the Chapter. We are actively recruiting volunteers to help strengthen our work across Ohio. From Communications and Membership to Fundraising, Compliance, Finance, Issues, and Outings leadership, there are many opportunities to share your talents and help build a stronger, more sustainable Chapter for years to come.

Our movement is strongest when we each contribute our unique skills, experiences, and voices.

Thank you for your continued support, your advocacy, and your commitment to protecting Ohio's air, land, water, and communities. Together, we are building a healthier, more just, and more resilient future for everyone.

I hope you enjoy this month's newsletter and find inspiration to take action, spend time outdoors, and invite others to join this important work.

In solidarity,

Ericka L. Copeland
State Director
Sierra Club Ohio Chapter

Thank you for Making the
Great Ohio Climate March a Success!

Thank you to all of our members, supporters and friends who organized and participated in the first Great Ohio Climate March. Participants spent some or all of 12 days marching from Athens to the Statehouse in Columbus, where there was a rally and visits with state legislators. The march was educational, enlightening, invigorating and joyful.

Thank you to everyone who made it happen!

Join a Guided Hike & Naturalist Talk: Endangered Freshwater Mussels

Join Elaine Hall, Park Naturalist for Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park, for an engaging presentation on endangered freshwater mussels followed by a guided four-mile hike through one of Ohio's most ecologically significant landscapes.

Saturday, June 27
9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.
Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park
To learn more and register here

Interested in becoming more involved in Big Darby conservation efforts? Contact Lisa Rooney at lrooneyhome@gmail.com

Check Out Our Statehouse Bill Tracker!

Did you know that the Sierra Club Ohio Chapter has maintained an online bill tracker since 2021?

The spreadsheet below follows legislation from the Statehouse in Columbus. Click on the button below to see a list of the bills that we are tracking through the last several months of Ohio's 136th General Assembly

Learn about Central Ohio Outings: Join our Meetup Group

Do you love getting outdoors as well as protecting the environment? Central Ohio’s outdoors are calling to you!

Join our recently formed Central Ohio Meet Up Group and help rebuild the Central Ohio Sierra Club by getting outdoors.  Whether it’s a walk or ride in an urban park, learning about our watersheds or cleaning up a metro trail, come join us to “enjoy, explore and protect” what we all love.

Through our meetup group, you’ll do more than take a walk — you’ll inspire a new generation of environmental changemakers! Come join us today! 

Did you get your 10k steps in today?
Let's Get Outdoors with Sierra Club Ohio Outings

Reaching your daily step goal can feel like a chore when you're staring at a treadmill or walking the same neighborhood blocks. Why not swap the pavement for the forest floor? Sierra Club Ohio Chapter's Outings program offers the perfect opportunity to hit your fitness goals while exploring Ohio’s hidden natural treasures. Led by experienced volunteers, our outings connect you with a welcoming community of nature lovers. Discover how hitting your steps in the great outdoors can transform your physical and mental well-being.
 

Will Ohio Become One Big Data Center? Here is What You Can Do About It

Ohio is experiencing an unprecedented boom in data center construction, driven by the massive computing needs of tech giants and Artificial Intelligence. While marketed as economic growth, these massive facilities pose a severe threat to our local power grid, water supplies, and climate goals. Ohio’s reliance on fossil fuels means these data centers are driving up carbon emissions and threatening local utility rates. Read on to discover the true cost of Ohio's digital explosion and how you can take action to protect our resources.

How are Data Centers Promoting Environmental Injustice?

The rapid rise of data centers is often painted as a clean, high-tech victory for our economy. But look closer, and a troubling pattern emerges. These massive, resource-hungry facilities are disproportionately built near marginalized, low-income communities and communities of color. From polluting local air with diesel backup generators to draining vital water supplies and driving up public utility bills, data centers are driving a new wave of environmental injustice. Discover how our digital world is impacting vulnerable communities right here in Ohio.
 

A Sustainable Summer: 8 Ways to Make Your Summer Sustainable

Summer is a season of abundance, but it can also spike our environmental footprints. From surging air conditioning use to single-use plastics at backyard barbecues, our warmer months take a toll. Fortunately, small changes can yield massive collective results.

This summer, Sierra Club Ohio challenges you to rethink your seasonal habits. By opting for reef-safe sunscreen, choosing local staycations, and composting your summer fruit scraps, you can enjoy the sun while protecting the planet.

Ready to dive deeper? Check out our top eight eco-friendly summer tips

Click Here to Read More

Sierra Club Outings Leader and Author Promotes “Leave No Trace” for Climate March

In preparation for the Great Ohio Climate March, Third Act Ohio invited Nancy Ball, Sierra Club Outings Leader, and author of the book “How to Poop in the Woods and Other Backpacking Essentials for Women,” to present the Leave No Trace principles to participants of the march. Leave No Trace works to ensure that everyone—no matter where they explore—has the knowledge and tools to enjoy nature while minimizing their impact.

Would you like to learn more about Leave No Trace? You can still enjoy Nancy’s informative and engaging 35-minute video presentation in the link below.

JOIN the Sierra Club Ohio Chapter — TAKE ACTION FOR OHIO TODAY! If you’re not a Member yet, now is the moment. Ohio’s air, water, climate, and communities need powerful advocates — and your membership helps fuel this work. This is your chance to step in, stand up, and strengthen a people-powered movement for real environmental change. Your Membership Directly Supports: Clean energy campaigns Water protection + Lake Erie resilience Forest and habitat conservation Sustainable transit + climate-ready cities Environmental justice in frontline communities Outdoors for All and local Outings programs Already a Member? Multiply Your Impact. Invite one person — a friend, coworker, neighbor — to join us. Just one new member can amplify our voice in policy fights that shape Ohio’s future. Why It’s Urgent Polluters and bad actors are more organized — and better funded — than ever. To win clean energy, clean air, and climate justice in Ohio, we need a bigger, stronger movement. Membership = Power. Membership = Protection. Membership = Action. Make the Move. Make it Today. Become a Member — or invite someone to join. Your action fuels the campaigns, the organizing, and the victories Ohio needs right now.   JOIN NOW! SHARE WITH A FRIEND