Galen’s Goodbye
By Galen Amstrong
February 2020
FOREWORD: It’s with great sadness and excitement for his new role that the Sierra Club BC team says goodbye to Galen Armstrong, a core member of our team. As Galen moves on to new and important work in the world, he will be fondly remembered within and outside of our organization for his loving heart, banjo, songs, improv, jokes, games, his enormous passion and his incredible skills and abilities in connecting with people about the issues they care about. A large number of our volunteers, donors and allies have become connected with Sierra Club BC through Galen and this organization truly would not be what it is today without him. We wish Galen and his family all the best and look forward to more collaboration… and more cute baby pictures! – The Sierra Club BC team
I can hardly believe it, but after 8.5 years I’m moving on from Sierra Club BC.
This experience has been incredibly educational for me, and I owe a huge debt of gratitude to the organization and its people for all the opportunities I’ve been given. I worked at various times as the Peace Valley Campaigner, Outreach Coordinator, Educator, Volunteer Coordinator and most recently Lead Organizer. I had a wonderful experience with this group and its hardworking and talented staff, Board, supporters, partnering organizations, and volunteers.
I have decided to move to a new organization that does work similar to some of what Sierra Club BC does. For Our Kids organizes with parents and grandparents to address the climate challenge. As a new parent, I’m excited to get to focus on addressing the climate challenge as a parent, and supporting other parents to do the same.
Working with volunteers has been the most rewarding part of my job. Together, we stood up for the Peace River Valley, the Flathead River Valley, coastal BC, salmon-bearing rivers and streams, the Sooke Hills, Qat’muk (the Jumbo Valley), the climate, old-growth forests, clean water, Indigenous title and rights and more. And we did it all together, building friendships, and alliances, and community. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to join you in this important work.
Without volunteers, Sierra Club BC would be a much different, and much less influential organization. Whether you’re a currently active volunteer, brand new to us, or it’s been awhile, I really encourage you to get involved, and here are three ways you can get started right now:
If you would like to connect with Sierra Club BC’s Forests Campaigns, please contact Senior Forest & Climate Campaigner Jens Wieting: jens[at]sierraclub.bc.ca
If you would like to connect with Sierra Club BC’s Education Program, please contact Program Manager Ciera DeSilva: ciera[at]sierraclub.bc.ca
For all other Sierra Club BC areas of interest, please contact Office Administrator Lynn Bakken: lynn[at]sierraclub.bc.ca
I will continue to support Sierra Club BC’s outstanding work, and I hope you will too. We are all in this together.
– Galen
Photo: Mike Graeme