Phil Crookshank

Sierra Club means family to me. Twenty-five years ago I saw an announcement in the paper and I tried to join a Sierra Club hike but didn’t know my way around enough to find the group. When I finally did, I was warmly welcomed at the Group Outings Scheduling meeting. And they promptly put my ideas for two canoe trips on the calendar!

Now, as I look back as Outings Chair for the Southeast Michigan Group, I reflect that if not for the overwhelming family feeling this group gave me, I would’ve wound up mis-spending my youth elsewhere.  I credit my good health to the Outings Committee that has been so supportive and keeps me outdoors doing what I love every week.
--Phil Crookshank, Detroit area, SEMG Outings Chair

Shirley Kallio

In the spring of 2006, my first experience with Sierra Club Lobby Day sharply--and probably permanently--changed the trajectory of my citizenship engagement. Intensely involved in political activism since the fall of 2003, I discovered in lobbying a new and compelling avenue to influence under the excellent leadership of former Chapter Legislative Director Gayle Miller. The opportunity to dig in, learn the issues, and deliver reliable information of real importance directly to decision makers--in a very focused manner--was both exhilarating and empowering, and it remains so.

I have participated in every Lobby Day since. The challenge has not diminished, for with experience comes new sensitivities to personal shortcomings and opportunities for improvement, and the stakes for our environment mount daily.

Shirley Kallio is a long-time Sierra Club member and volunteer with the West Michigan Group.

Cynthia Price

Sierra Club has consistently taken the right positions on issues for all the right reasons. As a person with a broad interest in protecting the environment alongside a keen sense of the importance of the common good, I've really appreciated the opportunity to work with people whose stances are so sensible and comprehensive.

For example, the Michigan Chapter has opposed coal fired power plants not only because of their negative impacts on the environment and public health, but also because they represent a poor investment, with eventual adverse consequences for energy companies, the overall economy, and the ratepayer. This has been personally satisfying for me but, more important, has resulted in positive outcomes for everyone.

Lynne Stauff and Dave Errickson

Lynne Stauff and Dave Errickson can honestly say the nation’s oldest environmental organization changed their lives. The Lansing residents met on a Club outing in Glacier National Park in 2006, got engaged at another park and tied the knot last August.

“My first Sierra Club outing brought me the love of my life,” says Errickson. “In five years of membership, I have gotten back far more than I could ever give.”

“We courted over trail work, splashing boulders in a muddy stream, rinsing off in a cold creek, sharing meals with like-minded people while watching the sun set over the mountains,” Stauff adds. “We still enjoy Sierra Club trips and volunteering with our local chapter.  It’s been an adventure of a lifetime!”