Rotary International and District 7390 share an interest in protecting our common legacy: the environment.
As stated by Rotary International, "We are committed to supporting activities that strengthen the conservation and protection of natural resources, advance ecological sustainability, and foster harmony between communities and the environment. We empower communities to access grants and other resources, embrace local solutions, and spur innovation in an effort to address the causes and reduce the effects of climate change and environmental degradation."
In 2020, Rotary International added the Environment as its 7th Area of Focus. District 7390 has a rich history of clubs supporting the environment long before the Environment focus area was added, with several clubs forming a Preserve Planet Earth Committee nearly 35 years ago in the early 1990s.
The District’s Environment Committee is relatively new. It aims to do the following:
- Inform individuals and clubs of opportunities to get involved with environmental projects that can make a difference in our communities,
- Identify resources and materials needed to help plan and make a project a success,
- Connect Rotarians with similar environmental interests and,
- Celebrate completed or planned environmental projects in our District.
Listed below are links to opportunities to get involved and plan a project. Be a PERSON OF ACTION and take a step, either as an individual or with others and “protect our common legacy: the environment.”
Project Planning
Rotary offers many resources on how to plan a successful project. Look here for specific ideas for environmental projects. Also, connect to the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG) here for resources, seminars, and current discussions on environmental topics.
Help your local stream
Local watershed associations offer multiple opportunities to engage in water projects and protect the environment. Find your local watershed association here on the Interactive GIS map from the Pennsylvania Organization of Watershed and Rivers (POWR) and see what you can do.
Learn more about water projects you can do in each season here.
Take a hike and maintain a trail
Trail stewardship is a great way to get outdoors, enjoy nature, and protect the land. Find local hiking groups here through the Keystone Trails Association.
Recycle
Recycling has a direct impact on the environment. Look here for ideas.
Plant a tree
Rotary has long been involved in tree-planting projects. Find out more here. And get tips on planning a tree planting project here.
Start a pollinator garden
Pollinators need our help. Find out what you can do here. List courtesy of District 7430 Environment Committee
York Club Recommends Recycling
The Rotary Club of York’s Preserve Planet Earth Committee was initiated 35 or more years ago as the “Recycling Committee” to help members understand the state’s new edicts on recycling. We’ve greatly expanded our mission since then, but we have not lost our interest in recycling.
We distributed, to the club and other organizations, a list of places in York that accept material that can be recycled and we are working on a list of people and places that will repair stuff.
Surely, every club can generate their own list. Google or your local waste management company can provide much information, but the list makes it easier. The picture is of our group collecting plastic waste to take to CRDC, a relatively new industry in York, that converts all plastic into building block material which can be used for and is superior to river sand in concrete and concrete block.
—Submitted by Al Sykes, Preserve Planet Earth Committee, Rotary Club of York, PA
Clubs are invited to email details of their environmental projects to the District’s Environment Committee at Enviro7390@gmail.com.
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