Building public support to save the whales

Green Corps organizers meet with the staff of U.S. Rep. Bill Keating on Cape Cod after our August Practicum Campaign with MASSPIRG Students.

My name is Madeleine Hepting, and I just completed my first Green Corps campaign! It feels like I only just arrived in Denver for August training to begin my position as a Green Corps organizer.

Growing up, my first memories are of camping in the North Carolina wilderness with my dad and brother. We would spend hours hiking, swimming and exploring and, before we left, my dad would always remind us of our final task: To leave the campsite in better shape than we found it. It’s a similar sentiment to “leave no trace,” but one small step further. It ingrained in me from a very young age that it was my responsibility to make my small corner of the earth just a little bit cleaner and better than I found it.

This mindset guided me through college, where I studied English and Public Policy with an interest in environmental law at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. After a summer internship at a law firm, I realized that I wanted to do more than research environmental problems. When I found Green Corps, I learned that environmental organizing could have an immediate and powerful impact. I had never considered organizing as a career before, but after reading about Green Corps’ goals and training program, I knew this was the path for me.

With little advocacy experience, I dove into Green Corps’ August training. I started in the classroom, learning from experienced organizers and alumni. Then, we immediately went out into the field to get first-hand practical experience. My practicum campaign sent me to Cape Cod where I worked alongside other Green Corps organizers to engage the local community. We canvassed small businesses, collected petition signatures and rallied support for the critically endangered North Atlantic Right whales.

I am now based in Amherst and work with students across Western Massachusetts to build support for the Right whales. My first weeks were filled with tabling, class announcements, club fairs and one-on-one meetings to build a team of students passionate about protecting the environment.

Our Right whale campaign team has worked tirelessly to raise support for these gentle giants. We collected over 1,000 petition signatures and photo petitions, published LTEs in local newspapers, generated calls and coordinated a district meeting with the local member of Congress. We also held creative visibility events like one at the local farmers’ market where our 10-foot inflatable right whale was prominently featured. We finished our campaign with a community documentary screening of “Last of the Right Whales.”

I’m incredibly proud of everything my team did to educate the public and build visible support for the protection of this iconic species. Green Corps has given me the tools to make a real difference, and I’m excited to apply these skills on my next campaign to advance clean energy in Pennsylvania!