Environmental Advocacy 101
BY GROUP FOR THE EAST END STAFF
Environmental Advocacy (EA) is the influencing of policies, communities, attitudes, and your own actions in order to give a voice to the environment. EA is critical to protecting our land, water, and wildlife. There are so many different aspects and ways to get involved! In the coming months, we will go into each of these of these actions, furthering exploring their impact, offering tips, tricks, and insights, and inspiring you to get involved in your local community. Together, we can protect the nature of the place you love.
Personal Acts: You can be an advocate in your day-to-day. Purchase local organic food. Spend time outdoors. Pick up trash you notice on the beach and in parks. Avoid pesticides and herbicides in your yard. And don’t forget to vote!
Protect Land: Preserving open space and restoring degraded habitats helps restore a more natural balance in an overdeveloped world. Find out about your community’s open spaces, visit them, and don’t stand down when they are threatened.
Protect Water: Our livelihoods, recreation, and the health of marine systems depend on clean water. Limit your water use, avoid pesticides and fertilizers, and make your voice heard when local water bodies are endangered by pollution.
Protect Wildlife: Whether you ditch plastic straws, pickup trash left on beaches, or learn about our nesting shorebirds, you can protect wildlife on the East End. Spending time in nature creates a sense of connectedness that we often lose today.
Seek Opportunities: Classes, internships, and volunteering opportunities are good ways to explore whether a career in advocacy is right for you. And remember, your own community is your oyster!