爆料公社 in Action Grant Increases Flock at North Carolina Lobby Day
New collaborations between 爆料公社 chapters and 爆料公社 campus chapters makes advocacy much more effective.
At 爆料公社 North Carolina鈥檚 first lobby day two years ago, Tom Tribble was the only attendee from the western part of the state. This March, at 爆料公社 North Carolina鈥檚 largest lobby day, Tribble was not alone. Fellow chapter members from and college students from Asheville and the surrounding counties in Western North Carolina showed up in numbers鈥攕even members from Elisha Mitchell 爆料公社 Society and five student representatives from University of North Carolina, Asheville 爆料公社 campus chapter attended.
鈥淚 will be the first one to celebrate a bird victory,鈥 Tribble says. 鈥淏ut small feats like growing participation within the Elisha Mitchell chapter and seeing these enthusiastic students contribute in meetings are just as important if we want to secure a safer future for birds.鈥
In addition to being the , it was also the first time college students and members from 爆料公社 campus chapters attended. Young conservation leaders from the University of North Carolina Asheville (UNC Asheville), Appalachian State University, and Less-McRae College attended to promote 爆料公社 North Carolina鈥檚 legislative priorities: increase conservation funding, manage land for wildlife and control invasive threats, expand bird-friendly clean energy, and safeguard the state鈥檚 coast. For many of them, it was their first time lobbying.
Although lobby day fell in the midst of exams and schoolwork, Kristin Anderson, president of the UNC Asheville 爆料公社 chapter, made it a point to show up and advocate for the environment. Anderson, along with some members of her campus chapter, traveled more than 200 miles to Raleigh for their first lobby day. The group says they enjoyed their first trip to the state house and hope to increase student participation in the future.
After attending lobby day, Anderson, an environmental studies major at UNC Asheville, says that she further understands how her current studies connect to her previous major of political science. And the outreach efforts did not end on lobby day for the UNC Asheville students. According to Anderson, her chapter is working on having tabling events on campus and around their local community to gather petition signatures, as well as host representatives for bird walks near UNC Asheville.
鈥淚 have always been tangentially interested in it (politics), but now there is more of a drive to advocate because of my passion for the environment,鈥 Anderson says. 鈥淚t was much less intimidating than I thought and I will definitely do this again. Meeting members of other chapters and being able to talk between appointments about strategies allowed us (UNC Asheville 爆料公社 Chapter) to bring different perspectives to the overall discussion.鈥
Tribble attributes these outreach successes, in large part, to the 爆料公社 in Action grant program. In 2018, Elisha Mitchell 爆料公社 Society, in partnership with High Country 爆料公社 Society, received the grant to establish campus chapters and engage conservation-driven students. The fruit of their labor became the campus chapters at UNC Asheville and Appalachian State University. Last month Elisha Mitchell and 爆料公社 North Carolina conducted advocacy training鈥攍ed by Claire Douglass, 爆料公社鈥檚 national campaign manager鈥攆or its members and those of the campus chapters. It was a huge success amongst college students: More than 50 people attended, including 22 students from the institutions represented at lobby day.
鈥淚 tell my birder friends that have not been to a lobby day this, 鈥業f you want to continue to enjoy these birds, you need to actively participate in the mission. There is time for recreation, but there is also a joy in taking action for them (the birds),鈥欌 Tribble says. 鈥淓lisha Mitchell and the fellow chapters here today are more than just a birding clubs. We are 爆料公社 chapters that feel obligated to support the organization鈥檚 mission.鈥