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Inside the Chapter

LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club. The Sierra Club is unique among environmental organizations because it is a democratic organization run by grassroots volunteers. There are many volunteer and leadership opportunities within the 9 groups, with state environmental issue campaigns, the stewardship outings program and at our state office.

ELECTIONS FOR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES

Each year, the Maryland Chapter holds elections for “At Large” delegates to the chapter executive committee. This fall, the members of the chapter will elect three people to serve two-year terms on the committee. The chapter’s nominating committee, invite all interested members of the Maryland Chapter to enter the race for these positions. We are looking for at least six people who can bring management skills, a firm commitment to protecting the environment, and a willingness to invest their time and energy for the next two years to help manage the chapter. While experience on a local Sierra Club group’s executive committee would be helpful, it is not necessary. Your work and life experience, and your common sense, are equally important ingredients. If you would be willing to serve for a two-year term, please submit a brief biography, no longer than 400 words, which describes your qualifications, your experience, and what you believe you can contribute. Send to the nominating committee  c/o Maryland Chapter Coordinator 7338 Baltimore Ave, Suite 111, College Park, MD 20740, by e-mail to maryland.chapter@sierraclub.org,  or by fax at 301-277-6699.

Please respond by November 1st. The nominating committee, will review the qualifications described in the biographies, attempt to bring forward a slate of six candidates, and report the slate of candidates to the executive committee.  The candidates’ statements, and a ballot will be published in the winter issue of Chesapeake. 

For additional information and a sample biography, please contact the Maryland Chapter Coordinator at the above address, or call 301-277-7111 OR look on the contacts page to talk with current committee members. Note that each Sierra Club group around the state also holds winter executive committee elections. Contact your local group chair for details or contact the Chapter Coordinator for information.

MORE VOLUNTEER POSITIONS
The Maryland Chapter Executive Committee is currently in search of a Secretary, folks to join Membership Committee and the Fundraising Committee and an Office Accountant.

Please contact the Maryland office if you are interested in these or other opportunities to volunteer with the organization.

CURRENT PAID positions please click here

INTERNSHIPS

You might have noticed our awesome interns setting up meetings, taking notes, organizing phone banks, posting blogs, outreaching at events, leading stewardship work days, and getting people out on hikes and paddles to learn about conservation issues.

Our interns become part of the office team and are essential to accomplishing many of the chapter's conservation goals. Working side by side with staff and lead volunteers, interns see how a grass roots non-profit works, gain valuable real world experience, and become the next generation of activist leaders. 

See below for:
1. Brief Summaries of Internships
2. Example Internship Detailed
3. How to Arrange College Credit
4. What is the Sierra Club?
5. Directions to the College Park Office
6. Baltimore Inner City Outings

Chapter History

1. Brief Summaries of Internships

The Maryland Sierra Club offers many internship and volunteer opportunities. Conveniently located on Route 1, students can take advantage of the diverse openings in office management, administration, web design, environmental advocacy, environmental news reporting, politics, communications, marketing, outdoor education, advertising, publications, and research. There is a wide range of hours available from as few as 6 hours per week to 35 hours per week.

Assist in daily running of office and volunteer coordination to support educational outreach, campaigns, trainings, and programs. Responsibilities include organizing, filing, databases, phone calls, taking messages, maintaining office systems, web updates, attending meetings with activists and government officials, reporting on, attending and organizing and representing the club at events, supporting the executive and other internal Sierra Club committees, and nine geographical groups.

ENERGY

Learn about energy issues and help organize communities on the effects of coal fired power plants and the benefits to clean renewable resources like offshore wind. Assist with preparing campaign materials, press conferences, recruit volunteers, assist with outreach, and attend meetings.

CONSERVATION OUTINGS

Promote integration of conservation campaign goals with and strengthen Sierra Club Maryland Chapter outings program. Assist Outings Chair in promoting Sierra Club Outings Program.  Learn about conservation issues important to Sierra Club groups. Coordinate and set up outings in support of chapter conservation campaigns and issues. Contact outings leaders to hold outings and bring in local issue experts to talk about the conservation aspects and nature.  Become familiar with online tools for outreach and information tracking and train Sierra Club leaders to use these tools. Support communications amongst the outings committee. Collect write-ups from outings leaders for website & newsletter. Distribute conservation materials at and attend Sierra Club outings. Complete training to become a Sierra Club outings leader and co-lead two Sierra Club outings.

WATER PROTECTION

Learn about water pollution and water quality issues, help organize communities in support of clean water policies; help defeat polluters, assist with preparing campaign materials, recruit volunteers, assist with outreach, and messaging, and attend water protection meetings.

LEGISLATIVE - MARYLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY (Winter/Spring)

Influence, track and prepare analysis of legislation, attend hearings, prepare alerts, distribute fact sheets to legislators and the public, write and deliver testimony to legislative committees, arrange constituent meetings with legislators. Generate support for pro-environmental bills through such means as phone calls to Sierra Club members and letters to the editor. Write updates for the Maryland Sierra Club website and newsletters. This internship may require access to a car.

POLITICAL (SEASONAL) 

Work with and assist the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter political committee in efforts to elect candidates to office who will protect the environment. Tasks may include researching and producing scorecards for candidates holding office and green voter guides, distribution and evaluation of candidate questionnaires, supporting Maryland Chapter political committee communications, organizing candidates forums, outreach efforts to support candidates, including creating and distributing campaign materials such as flyers, brochures and email alerts.

MARKETING/PROGRAMS

Assist with organizing May Sierra Club Maryland Chapter Gathering. Outreach to Sierra Club activists to form "Jamboree" Logistics & Program Committees. Assist committee functions. Call and advertise to Sierrans to encourage registration and process registration forms. Attend, coordinate & assist at Jamboree.

COMMUNITY ORGANIZING

Empower and educate a community to affect positive changes for the environment and quality of life. Research the field to understand problems and solutions, conduct surveys and interviews, attend meetings, write letters, distribute literature, maintain lists of interested parties, assist organizers of events.

INVASIVE PLANT REMOVAL PROJECT COORDINATOR

Invasive species are the biggest threat to biodiversity on the planet after habitat loss. Sierra Club is working with invasive plant removal leaders at sites around the state. Coordinate, promote & build participation at invasive plant removal sites. Work with site leaders to set up meeting locations. Sign up volunteers for trips giving appropriate information on requirements and hazards. Meet and coordinate carpools, distribute education sheets to participants. Participate at least once at each site.

INVASIVE PLANT REMOVAL SCHOOL PILOT PROJECT SITE ORGANIZER

Invasive species are the biggest threat to biodiversity on the planet after habitat loss. Sierra Club is working with invasive plant removal leaders at sites around the state. Participation in invasive plant removal projects are an excellent in introduction to and appreciation builder for the natural environment. Coordinate, organize, and carry out invasive plant removal field trips for classes at local schools. Coordinate, promote & build participation at invasive plant removal sites. Work with site leaders to set up meeting locations. Sign up volunteers for trips giving appropriate information on requirements and hazards. Meet and coordinate carpools, distribute education sheets to participants. Participate at least once at each site.

WEBSITE & COMMUNICATIONS

Assist the Maryland Chapter or one of the nine local Sierra Club groups to design and improve web pages. Solicit and edit materials and post newsletters and alerts. Train volunteers to post to events and meetings calendars. www.maryland.sierraclub.org

MEDIA

Update contact information, data bases, and fax files to improve the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter's press outreach systems. Support campaigns with media releases and public service announcements. Collect media coverage of local Sierra Club activities.

2. Example Internship - Detailed Description

ASSISTANT OFFICE MANAGER

GOAL:

To assist Sierra Club Maryland Chapter Staff in the daily running of the office, volunteer co-ordination, and support of campaigns and training programs.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1) Help to organize and streamline filing, database, and office systems.

2) On a weekly schedule answer phones, pass on messages and respond to inquiries at the office.

3) Prepare "how to" information sheets for office activities.

4) Attend meetings with activists and government officials, take notes, and make reports.

5) Attend festivals and events, help organize, greet, and outreach, to support the Energy, Forest, Clean Water, and other Sierra Club Campaigns.

6) Phone bank to organize and generate turnout for meetings.

7) Write a brief summary of experience in the office and critique of organizational systems.

3. How to Arrange College Credit

This is a good time to consider interning with the Sierra Club Maryland Chapter. We have internships during the semesters and breaks. We do not at this time have stipends available. Students arrange to receive school credit by contacting a professor to sponsor them in a department suitable to the internship. An agreement is arranged between the student, professor, and Sierra Club as to the nature of the internship. This may include a certain number of hours, a task or set of tasks, a journal and/or a paper to be written, or completion of a finished product, and a schedule of meetings with the Sierra Club person who's directing your internship. Generally 1 credit hour = 45 hours, 2=90, 3 = 135. Internships can be somewhat tailored to your situation.

4. What is the Sierra Club?

"Everybody Needs Beauty As Well As Bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul alike." - Sierra Club Founder John Muir, 1912.

MISSION STATEMENT: The Sierra Club's purpose is to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources; and to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives. We support the right to a clean and healthful environment for all people including for native people - the rights to democracy, to participate, to equal protection, to know, to sustainable environmental benefits, to equity, and to generational equity. We support an end to pollution. We support the precautionary principle - polluters should bear the burden of proof that their activities are safe. Safeguards should be put in place when there is threat of serious or irreversible damage.

THE SIERRA CLUB WORKS to protect the environment through legislative and grassroots efforts. The Sierra Club is unique among environmental organizations because it is run by grassroots volunteers. Almost all the work that is done is accomplished by dedicated volunteers rather than paid staff. This makes the Sierra Club one of the most effective environmental organizations in the country.

THE SIERRA CLUB ENCOURAGES PEOPLE to get out into nature and promotes appreciation of the natural environment. You may be interested in helping lead or attend stream cleanups, invasive plant removals, or hikes in areas that need protection. In the office there's plenty of work to do including data entry, computer work, member outreach, phones, news clippings, media work, mailings and organizing. Around the state you can attend hearings, meetings, and demonstrations, speak with your public officials, table at festivals, or participate in petition drives. In the nine groups in Maryland and with the Student Sierra Coalition, there are various leadership and committee positions available and niches for a variety of special skills or expertise.

Sierrans are working on critical environmental issues all around the state. Please call the office to let us know where you are located, what kind of work you may be interested in doing, or to sign yourself into the office volunteer schedule. There are some exciting times ahead!

For information or to arrange internships please call and send a resume, cover letter, and writing sample to internships@mdsierra.org.  Please have your name in each document title and CC maryland.chapter@sierraclub.org.  Hope to hear from you soon!

Laurel Imlay
Chapter Coordinator
Sierra Club Maryland Chapter Office
7338 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 111
College Park, MD 20740
301-277-7111
301-277-6699 fax
maryland.chapter@sierraclub.org

5. Directions to the College Park Office

Sierra Club Maryland Chapter Office
7338 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 111
College Park, MD 20740
301-277-7111

Location is on Route 1 (Baltimore Ave) just South of the University of Maryland Campus in the upper part of the College Park Shopping Center www.collegeparkshoppingcenter.com in the level above Starbucks & Chipotles.

By Car:
Take the 495 Beltway to the College Park Route 1 exit.
Go South on Route 1. Pass the campus on your right.
After Southern most entrance (College Avenue) make right at next light (Knox Rd) into the College Park shopping center where there is a drug store, bike shop, restaurants,  etc.
Park behind or at the shopping center.
Sierra Club office is in offices above the shops on same level as back parking lot.
Bring quarters.

By Metro:
Take Green Line to College Park Metro Station, then walk or take the bus:

- BUS: East Metro exit, facing Paint Branch Parkway. Take #83 bus marked "Rhode Island" for 6 minute bus ride to Baltimore Avenue (Route 1) & Hartwick road. Buses run every 30 minutes at 25 and 55 after the hour till 9:25 pm. There are also UMCP shuttle buses running every 15 min up to the Campus that are free.

- WALK (10 minutes): West Metro exit, the community side (not the huge parking lot side). Walk 1 block up Calvert Road take first right on Dartmouth then first left on Knox Road. Go 6 (short) blocks. Cross Route 1 to the Shopping Center. Take stairwell beside Chipotles & Starbucks up to 2nd level.