Angeles Chapter video builds on John Muir's legacy

The Sierra Club draws its strength from passionate people. This idea motivated Angeles Chapter volunteers to create "Be Inspired and Get Involved With the Angeles Chapter," a professionally-shot look at our expanding outreach. Profound environmental challenges have arisen in the century since John Muir walked here, but his legacy lives on.

Every year our Chapter leads more than 4,000 hikes and outings, key opportunities to help people enrich their interest in the outdoors. From these forays through sun and sand, forest and ravine, emerge citizens willing to act. Muir believed that nature lets us see into ourselves and brings us together by common purpose. This is something we share with all life on this planet.

In the Angeles Chapter, we explore the outdoors to understand our place in nature. We advocate on behalf of candidates who share that insight. And we work every day to build a sustainable future for this city – clean water, green energy, equal access, and better lives for everyone here. We all know that achieving these goals will be difficult, and yet these are exciting times. We made "Be Inspired" to share our excitement with you.

A commitment to grassroots action empowers our volunteers to contribute where they’ll make the best impact. With the leadership of chapter vice chair David Haake, talented members Stephon Litwinczuk and Alice Ford spearheaded our video project.

A professional documentary filmmaker and dedicated Sierran, Stephon produced "Be Inspired." His pro bono work for the Club in 2013 led to our video, a project commissioned through his company Oneness Media. As a New Hampshire native, he’s grateful that even in L.A., nature is a lot closer than you think. Stephon aims to kindle a love of the outdoors in his two sons.

Alice, an enthusiastic green media advocate, is our host and guide throughout "Be Inspired." She polished the script with her prose and presentation. Inspired by her father’s devotion to nature, Alice brings her travel, communications, and production experience to our outreach initiatives.

Alice and Stephon are among many thousands of us working to make Southern California a greener place. Angeles Chapter members helped establish the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, the Ballona Wetlands Land Trust, and the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument. Among other victories, we campaigned to decommission the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, paving the way for healthier ways to keep the lights on.

The Angeles Chapter is your doorway into the Sierra Club. We’re re-forging John Muir’s legacy for a new century and bringing nature back into L.A. We hope you enjoy "Be Inspired" and join us as we explore, enjoy, and protect the planet!

Philip Rojc is a writer and Angeles Chapter Sierra Club member. You can find him at philiprojc.com or follow him on Twitter at @PhilipRojc.