ERIN WALRATH and her fiancée, Peter Mariano, chat during Fairfield County Green Drinks,
a cocktail party at the Westport Arts Center for people interested in
environmental issues. (MICHAEL KODAS / February 13, 2008)
With Aging Memberships, Environmental Groups Reach Out To Younger Members
by STEVE GRANT | The Hartford Courant
Something's happened to Connecticut's venerable environmental groups. They're aging, often dominated by members and leaders well into their 50s and beyond. Greens gone gray.
It has them worried. "The environmental community must make room for younger, more creative and less bureaucratic individuals who will stick their neck out on important issues and who will have the energy and expertise to galvanize the public into action," said Allan Williams of West Hartford, a longtime environmental activist and member of the Sierra Club.
Fearful of a loss of relevance, concerned they might lose influence in shaping state policy, long-established groups like the Connecticut Audubon, the Connecticut chapter of the Sierra Club and the Connecticut Forest & Park Association are now reaching out to attract younger members, employees and board members.
"We certainly do want to attract younger people," said Adam R. Moore, executive director of the forest and park group. "We've been working on that, just like every environmental group has been."
