At-Home Activism: Stay Engaged while Staying Home!
Can you believe it?! While we’re Staying Home and Saving Lives, the federal government is still approving pipeline projects and timber sales. But just because we are practicing social distancing, doesn’t mean our voices are silenced! As advocates and activists, we can’t let up.
How can you connect with others and make a difference when in-person events are off the table? It can be done! Here are some of the ways you can take action from home.
Act!
Need to move your body? As long as the COVID-19 recommendations from the Oregon Health Authority and local governments allow for limited outdoor recreation, you can always P.L.O.W (Pick-up Litter Out Walking) when you are out and about. Please consider picking up trash on your daily walks or bike rides to offset the efforts that typically take place, especially during Earth Month. And while you stay close to home, now is a great time to explore Bear Creek! While practicing social distancing, check out the Bear if you can. Help be our eyes on the creek. File a water pollution report if you see any leaks, spills, or fish kills.
If you want to get further involved, our partners at Jackson County Parks are requesting help with senior food distribution and Bear Creek Greenway food distribution. Do you have other suggestions? Contact Sara at sara@rogueriverkeeper.org to get involved!
Ask!
In the middle of a global health crisis, our state and local resources are stretched thin. With the federal government conditionally approving certification for the Jordan Cove LNG project and temporarily suspending enforcement of environmental compliance, we’re fighting harder than ever to protect clean water and healthy communities. While recognizing that responding to the challenges of COVID-19 remains the priority, it’s important for elected officials to hear from you that clean water matters!
Write!
These days, many of us are sitting in front of our computers A LOT. Take this time to share why clean water matters to you through Op-Eds (a.k.a opinion pieces) and Letters to the Editor (LTE's) in your local newspaper. Help us spread the word about major threats to the Rogue by writing about how you’re impacted by the proposed Jordan Cove LNG project or harmful logging practices near streams on private forest lands. Write about the importance of protecting special places and local streams, like Bear Creek. Writing Op-Eds and Letters to the Editor are powerful advocacy tools because they reach a large audience, are often monitored by elected officials, can add new information or perspectives, and can show community support or opposition to an issue. There are a lot of online resources for how to write these, but in general: get to the point, write what you know, and stick to the rules outlined for each publication.
Want more guidance or support? Join us next week for our Digital Activist Training where we’ll provide more details and examples for how you can take action from home!
Amplify!
Will you help us spread the word about why clean water matters to you? You can share one (or all!) of our actions with your friends. Whether through social media or email, sharing links to our current campaign needs is one of the best ways to show that our community cares about these issues. If you’d like to help spread the word about threats to the Rogue, such as the Jordan Cove LNG project, and what you can do about it, be sure to ‘like’ our Facebook and Instagram pages. Tag 5 friends when you share a post, and ask your friends to each tag 5 more!
Share!
Join a community conversation to share your opinions, experiences, and expertise! During Earth Month Goes Digital, you can join three virtual meetings to learn more about “at-home activism,” spend time with your virtual Rogue Riverkeeper community, and get involved in protecting clean water.
Join us on April 16th for GO LIVE with RRK + KSW to hear about our most active campaigns and get the latest updates about how you can get involved.
We’re also excited to offer a Mini Wild & Scenic Film Fest + Happy Hour on April 24th! In light of COVID-19, the Wild & Scenic Film Festival hosts are releasing films to the public for free. Save-the-Week of April 20th to watch films selected by Rogue Riverkeeper (links to come!). Then, gather virtually on Friday, April 24th for a happy hour.
And finally, if you are a private forestlands stakeholder, we invite you to join our event - Community Conversations: Logging Practices near Streams on Private Forestland. Currently, Southern Oregon streams that flow through private forestlands are left with weaker protections than the rest of western Oregon. Please join us, share your stories with fellow community members and find out how you can take action to protect clean water and healthy communities. Contact Sara at sara@rogueriverkeeper.org if these practices impact you.
Connect!
Much of the above you can do with your friends and family! Set up regular virtual gatherings to discuss the issues, collaborate on articles, contact elected officials, and commit to joining online events! We’re all in this together!