There is no question that my favorite season is summer. All year, I look forward to long, warm runs outside, pontooning on Madison lakes, canoeing down the lower Wisconsin River, gardening, and raucous backyard gatherings with friends that stretch late into the evening.
Along with the fun that arrives when Spring turns to Summer, and the days get longer, we always welcome a new group of interns and fellows to support our work at Clean Wisconsin—nearly a dozen incredibly smart undergraduate and graduate students who help our lawyers, scientists, policy, and development teams on important work that guides our future actions.
Other change is happening at Clean Wisconsin, too: the Clean Wisconsin staff is moving quickly to expand our climate, air and energy and water programs—with new staff, and new science and outreach work with farmers, the building trades, public health organizations, and municipal governments. Our resilient communities program, our environmental health initiative, and our local partner education initiative, are all adding team members, as well.
When I started at Clean Wisconsin, I joined a small staff of four people, guided by a board of seven. I was excited and honored to jump into environmental advocacy, and impressed with all the things this organization could accomplish with few people and meager resources. Today, our staff includes 24 talented people, and our board has grown to 19 generous and wise community leaders.
When put together, all this change means more results and more impact. It means we’re making a difference in Wisconsin. But when you read The Defender, I hope you’ll understand how much is left to do; why efforts to address Wisconsin’s water and air pollution, climate change impacts and health disparities need your continued support; and that Clean Wisconsin is focused on the most important efforts to address these concerns, and worthy of your financial support.
