I love nature and the outdoors; therefore it was quite fitting that I would someday join an organization like Sierra Club.
For those who don’t know; Sierra Club is one of the largest volunteer led organizations in US. As described on their website: “Since 1892, the Sierra Club has been working to protect communities, wild places, and the planet itself. We are the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States.”
Recently I read an article in their monthly magazine that made respect them even more increase and so very proud to belong to this great organization.
It was an article labelled: Private Places: Veterans Reflect on War and Mountains; March April 2010.
The article talks about the experience of military men who try to escape their past even if for a short while by spending time in nature with each other. It’s opening lines are:
“Just don’t ask if we’ve ever killed anybody,”said Kevin Doyle, 27, a Houston cop and a veteran of the Afghan war. “It’s the most private thing in the world.”
What I liked about this article was that it showed the reason why Sierra and other such organizations believe in spending so much energy and time in lobbying for nature and protecting it. It shows the power of nature in helping us emotionally recharge. We come to recognize nature as something peaceful, reliant and just.
The program that makes this all happen is called ‘Sierra Club’s Military Families Outdoors program’, which connects service members and their families with our natural heritage.
It really left a good and hopeful feeling in my heart that we can always find ourselves by getting lost in nature. A heartfelt thank you to organizations like Sierra Club that recognize the value in this and help us fight to keep the value.