So you want to start hiking or backpacking this year, but don't know how to get started. Follow us, we know the way.

The Angeles Chapter operates the Sierra Club's largest outings program in the country. That means you'll hike with volunteers who have completed rigorous leadership and safety training. You can pick from thousands of outings every year in Southern California and beyond, from beginner and conditioning hikes to backpacking and peak-bagging journeys. 

Our national election is over, and our road forward as protectors of the environment has become more difficult. 

Now we have to get back to work, and move forward in a strategic, thoughtful manner. The first step is remembering that we are all members of the largest and oldest environmental movement in the country, and share common goals. We need to treat one another with civility, and find a path forward together. It's time to redouble our support for those elected officials who share our love of nature, and to reach out to those who have opposed our goals. 

There's no better time to volunteer than right now. Angeles Chapter is launching a new 2017 series called Cultivating Conservation. These are sessions designed to strengthen your self development and leadership skills as well as motivate you to engage existing and new Sierra Club members. 

The new year is here, and we're ready! Angeles Chapter volunteer and activists will be working on many issues this year, but here are eight that we're putting on the top of the list. Help us as we gear up to make a difference in Southern California in 2017. Come work on these issues with us. Contact Angélica González at (213) 387-4287, Ext. 204 or by email at angelica.gonzalez@ sierraclub.org.

1. Toxic battery recycling

Well, we knew this wasn't going to be pretty -- but it's still shocking. Donald Trump wants to appoint Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt as administrator for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Over the days since Nov. 8, we've had to accept a tough reality. Although it's definitely going to happen, a Donald Trump administration will never seem normal, nor should it. We already know that the corrupt, cynical, and racist values that he and his inner circle bring to the White House will challenge everything the Sierra Club stands for.