There’s work to be done. There’s always good work to be done and good people to do it with. As we reflect on where we’ve been in 2025, and prepare for where we’re going in 2026, we invited just a few of those good people doing good work to share where they found hope among the victories and valleys.
Alice Weston
Sierra Club Oregon Central & Eastern Oregon Organizer, based in Bend
I joined the Sierra Club Oregon staff in 2025, and becoming part of this community has filled me with hope. I have had the privilege of working alongside and learning from some of the most amazing volunteers, coworkers, and partners who are dedicated to creating a just, sustainable, and climate-resilient future for generations to come. Supporting and listening to our volunteers has helped me develop a deeper appreciation for our forests, waterways, and communities, and the legacy of advocacy that has protected them.
Helping to reimagine the next stages, and support that legacy in this pivotal moment has been fun and full of joy. In Central Oregon, Sierra Club hosted Action Nights in the Garden, organized a sold-out event supporting the Roadless Rule, canvassed neighborhoods about local policy, held rallies, attended town halls and county commissioner meetings, formed coalitions, and shared plenty of food and conversation.
While it may sound cliché, the youth climate organizers and activists—who sometimes make me feel quite old—have also given me tremendous hope for our collective future. Oregon’s youth climate movement is vibrant with passion, knowledge, and generosity. They are eager to learn, adapt to the moment, and take action.
After a year with Sierra Club Oregon, I am not just hopeful, I am certain that we possess the collective power to fight for and create a climate-resilient future for our neighbors, wildlife, and wild places.
Carol Valentine
Sierra Club Oregon volunteer and Chair of the Chapter’s Forest Team, based in the Illinois Valley in Southern Oregon
As disheartening as it’s been to watch the Trump administration and their enablers pushing to undermine and dismantle the agencies, programs, and rules that help protect us and the natural world, several things have given me hope over the last year:
- The influx of wonderful new volunteers excited to take action with the Oregon Chapter’s Forest Team. This has been the best kind of shot in the arm for those of us whose plates were overfull even before the increased threats from the current administration.
- The upwelling of creativity that has encouraged us to not just protest but celebrate, growing and inspiring the movement to protect democratic institutions.
- The brilliant neighborhood rapid response to ICE operations, a model that started in Chicago and is now being applied across the country.
- The opportunity to participate in powerful national and international coalitions. Environmental organizations are working across the U.S. to stop the rollback of the Roadless Rule, and around the world to expose big biomass as a false solution and stop its harmful impacts. These collaborations show us how we can support and empower each other and maintain a vision of the world we want to leave for future generations.
And day by day, the community of support that is the Oregon Chapter Sierra Club sustains my ability to take action in these perilous times. I’m hopeful that in community, we are making a lasting positive impact for Earth and all who dwell here.
Maleek McKenzie
Sierra Club Oregon Energy Justice Organizer, based in Portland
2025 has been quite a challenging year. Unprecedented attacks on our environment and communities have left us sicker and more polarized than ever before, while threats to our democracy are shaking the very foundations of democratic governance principles.
In spite of that I choose to have hope in our fight; to restore our freedoms, protect and restore the environment, to ensure that we leave a lasting legacy to younger generations and those to come! In my time as a Sierra Club volunteer (2023-2025) and now as a staffer, I’ve had many opportunities to work alongside a diverse set of amazing colleagues within the Sierra Club and the organizations we partner with, and this is what fuels my hope.
Historically, the only way we’ve seen positive, long lasting, and effective change in society, is when diverse groups of people come together. In my work, I have laid witness to communities being built across the lines of race, ethnicity, economic status, gender expression and identity etc. I have not only seen this very foundational work happen, but have also been fortunate enough to take part in it. So as we step into 2026, I’m hopeful because I see the work that needs to be done is already happening, and am grateful to be a part of it. Hopefully you’ll take part as well.
With hope in my heart I wish you all a happy holidays.