It has been almost three years since the Trustees added Protecting Our Environment as our Foundation’s seventh Area of Focus. Still, many clubs and districts have been slow to adopt new projects and seek new grants in that area. Rotary’s less formal involvement in this area goes back decades, including 1990-91 RI President Paulo V.C. Costa’s “Preserve Planet Earth” theme and our Polio eradication partner, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s long-standing priority issue of climate change.

You can help your clubs start or expand their environmental efforts by partnering with one of numerous Rotary Action Groups that are working to protect the environment:

• The Rotary Action Group for Endangered Species helps clubs and districts plan service projects that make an impact and connects them to a global network of people who are passionate about saving species;
• The Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group inspires and empowers the family of Rotary to implement effective environmental projects;
• The Food Plant Solutions Rotary Action Group undertakes projects that prioritize environmental protection and conservation;
• The Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Rotary Action Group supports and ensures sustainable long-lasting clean water, sanitation, and hygiene programs to communities in need;
• The Rotary Action Group for Community Economic Development can help you complete a community assessment, design a sustainable project, find project partners, and use measurement and evaluation methods to assess your projects’ progress.