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Your 'voice' Can Be Heard

Your 'voice' Can Be Heard image
Parent Issue
Day
18
Month
September
Year
1968
Copyright
Copyright Protected
Rights Held By
Donated by the Ann Arbor News. © The Ann Arbor News.
OCR Text

There is a phrase, which you all know, I am sure, that reads "A voice crying in the wilderness . . ." And it aptly describes the way many people feel about conservation matters. There are so many issues now, and so many things happening, and so fast. We neither have thé information to evalúate nor the means to make our voice heard. It's simple for a businessman, or a manufacturer. He bands together with others interested in the same problem and hires a lobbyist to represent him in the halls of Congress or the state house. Too few conservationists realize that they have the same jpportunity. But there are organizations which they can join, and, when these get large enough their voice reverberates ;hrough legislative halls. , . I've often been asked by readers about such associations -who they are and where they are- that I thought I would use this space to tie many of them up into one package. I won't pretend to cover all of them- some are so esoteric, jr so small, or so little known, that it would be impossible to List them in this space. There is, however, a directory of most )f the organizations, just in case you don't see somthing in the following list that suits you. Just send a dollar to the National Wildlife Federation, 1412 16th St., N. W., Washington, D.C. 20036, and ask for the Conservation Directory. The book is revised each year, and lists governmental and private or'anizations throughout the U.S. and Canada, as well as some Df the international ones, giving names of contacts and addresses. For our own little list we'll start out locally and work up, giving in each case the affiliated state or national organiza;ion if there is one. Probably first and foremost is the Sierra Club. One of the most powerful and effective groups in the country, it is represented here by the Mackinac Chapter. This is really a stateivide chapter, but most of the officers and organization comes Erom Ann Arbor and vicinity. The chairman of the group is Virginia Prentice, Box 2085, Ann Arbor 48106. She'll be glad to fill you in on the local doings, which nclude a rather full range of field trips- from hikes and weekend campouts to canoe outings- their free fílm program, and their conservation meetings. And I'm sure she will also be glad to teil you about the national chapter, and what they are up to. Another local group is the Washtenaw Audubon Society, rhe president is Ralph Wall, 1241 Island Drive, Ann Arbor. The WAS sponsors a series of wildlife films shown six times a year at the high school, runs spring and fall field trips, conducís bird censuses, and holds monthly meetings on conservation and ornithological topics. WAS is affiliated with the Michigan Audubon Society, 7000 N. Westnedge Ave., Kalamazoo 49001. MAS also sponsors field trips, has weekend campouts, runs sanctuaries, and bublishes a newsletter and a magazine to keep you up on bird potes and natural resource questions. f Both WAS and MAS are affiliated with the National Audubon Society, 1130 5th Ave., New York 10028, one of the oldest fconservation organizations in the country. In addition to pubflishing a most beautiful magazine, the society has numerous bird sanctuaries and four summer conservation camps throughLut the U.S., and holds yearly meetings and field trips in lóutstanding birding areas. Another local organization is the Huron Valley Chapter of the Michigan Botanical Club. The state president this year is Warren H. Wagner Jr., director of the U-M Botanical Garden and the secretary of the local chapter is Mrs. V. R. Freimarck, 704 Madison PI., Ann Arbor. Either of them wül be glad to teil you about the activities of the club, which publishes a scholarly magazine distributed to individuals and libraries all over the country, holds campouts, meetings, and field trips in interesting areas. Influential state organizations include the Michigan Parks ■Association (Miss Genevieve Gillette, 4 Barton North Drive, lAnn Arbor, president), and the Michigan United Conservation ■Clubs, Box 2235, Lansing 48911. I And there are many national associations doing aa excelilent job. I'll list a few of the most important: I The National Wildlife Federation (see address above). lln addition to a most beautiful magazine, they publish a weekly iLegislative Report and a bi-weekly Conservation Newsletter, Iboth f ree of charge. The money to pay for these latter two [free services comes from sale of wildlife stamps. j The Izaak Walton League, 1326 Waukegan Rd., Glenview, Illinois, 60025. Publish a monthly newsletter. Also have a Inearby chapter, the Superior Chapter (secretary Mrs. Paul Meyer, 7505 Cherry Hill Rd., Ypsilanti). ' Ducks Unlimited, P. O. Box 66300, Chicago, 111. 60666. Trout Unlimited, 900 Lapeer Ave., Saginaw 48607. The Wilderness Society, 729 15th Street N.W., Washington, p.C. 20005. A very influential organization, and long-time leader in the conservation field. Publish a magazine, "The Living Wilderness." Í The National Parks Association, 1701 18th Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009. ] One more perhaps might be mentioned, although it is slightly different in scope and purpose- The American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St, New York 10024. Although not a "lobbying organization," it sponsors a 'great deal of research and publishes an excellent magazine with very informative articles and columns. So, if you are a "voice crying in the wilderness" you may cry no more alone. You may add your voice to the multitude, and add vour strenath to theirs.