EnvironmentGold RushMore than 100 years ago, Mother Earth supplied so much iron ore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that Ishpeming, Michigan was a boom town. The population was over 13,000, mines employed many, and the economy was robust. They even had an opera house. But over the years, the industry changed, employment…more...The Power of SustainabilityEnel North America embarked on a new environmental partnership with Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) to help make communities healthy and sustainable and protect our planet. As a leading developer and long-term owner and operator of renewable energy projects in North America, Enel and its more than 1,500 employees are…more...Doing the Dirty WorkWhen Lions Dale and Sylvia McClease began working with a local program to refurbish computers, they didn’t expect that e- Some devices, especially computers, are refurbished for donations to help local community programs, families, and schools. waste recycling would become one of their club’s most important programs. Now their Maple,…more...Treasure IslandThick rain splattered against the Taoyuan shore as the ocean swelled and swirled. Fifteen hundred people showed up for a beach cleanup on a cold September day. Lions in China Taiwan’s District 300 G2 were worried: Who would show up for their 2021 annual beach clean-up in this stormy weather?…more...Tied to the LandThe Curonian Spit, an elongated sand dune peninsula separating the Baltic Sea from the Curonian Lagoon in Lithuania was formed more than 5,000 years ago. Situated in the Curonian Spit National Park in Lithuania and the Kurshskaya National Park of the Russian Federation, the sandy and wooded landscape is now…more...Recycling Christmas CheerLion Linda Eckard was working as a controller at a local metal recycling center in 2010 when she had a light-bulb moment. Her club in Hanover, Minn. could recycle all those Christmas lights that were being tossed in the trash. It would be like giving two presents in one. Between…more...Hi NeighbourThe birds in North Vancouver’s Hamersley Park couldn’t stop tweeting about their new homes. But the 38 hand-painted houses hung by Lynn Valley Lions Eric Miura and Mike Mavius weren’t just for the birds. The Birdhouse Project was part of United Way British Columbia’s “Hi Neighbour” program to encourage community…more...Everybody’s Gone SurfingLions in California have been hosting an annual Surfing Clinic for the Blind and Visually Impaired for more than 25 years. And it's a big hit.more...Managing MangrovesThe Paramaribo Central Lions Club is one of the 2021 Kindness Matters Service Award winners. Read more stories and check out a list of all the winners here. Special, water-resistant wood donated by Lions to build the scaffolding that supports young Mangroves is unloaded at a restoration site. Perched atop…more...Sprucing Up Their Part of the PlanetBefore the Wisconsin Lions took to the roads, a drive through the green countryside could be interrupted by the sight of spring wildflowers blooming among somebody’s garbage. More than cups and cans tossed carelessly from car windows, were discarded refrigerators and other junk. Independence Lions get help from the local…more...A Redbud RevivalWhen spring arrives in Emporia, Kansas, it is with joy and a flourish of bright pink flowers.more...Prescription Pill Bottles Get New LifeAmericans are used to receiving their prescription medications in hard plastic orange bottles with child-safety caps that keep pills stable. This isn’t the case for many living in low- or middle-income countries around the world, where medications can be dispensed in folded paper scraps, leaving them vulnerable to weather or…more...50th Anniversary of Earth DayApril 22, 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. Established in 1970, the first Earth Day mobilized 20 million Americans and is credited with launching the modern environmental movement. It is now recognized as the planet’s largest civic event and has led to many landmark environmental laws. In 2016,…more...After Flooding, the Revival of an EcosystemIn the aftermath, the city of Fargo purchased the land (and homes) in the floodplain. The homes were razed and the area was banned from development. Jane Pettinger, a Lion who lives in Fargo, not far from the River, says the area was in limbo. The homes had been torn…more...Taking Care of the EarthAs the world honors the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, the environmentally conscious Lions of Bowie, Maryland, have their own big numbers to celebrate. The Lions will hit the 500 mark on rain barrel sales this spring, having sold the recycled plastic 55-gallon barrels since starting the project in 2010.…more...Potawatomie Wildlife ParkVISITORS FIND PEACE IN THIS REFUGE FOR ENDANGERED PLANTS AND ANIMALS At the Potawatomie Wildlife Park, a small not-for-profit natural sanctuary for plants and animals in northern Indiana, the bells and whistles of a larger park are gladly traded for the peace and serenity of nature. From the woodlands, wetlands,…more...The Bird ArtistIn early spring, sometimes as early as the first cold mornings of March, Jeff Klinefelter will rouse before daybreak and drive out to his pond to get in place before the migrating ducks or other birds light on the water or the woodland edge.more...A Blueberry Orchard for GenerationsAn Empty Space Next door to the Albany Victory Gardens in Albany, New York, were unsightly, deserted lots. There were homes on the land that were previously declared uninhabitable, so they sat empty, dangerous, and unbeneficial to the environment. Lion Gregory Sheldon envisioned a better use for this land. He…more...Cleanup CrewThe Camas Lions Club in Washougal, Washington, is building community partnerships with the goal of taking on unfulfilled needs in Camas and Washougal. They’re starting by serving those who serve at the beloved Inter-Faith Treasure House. On Saturday, August 17, Lions came together to address several yard work issues at…more...Growing in the DarkLion Floyd Poruban proves life flourishes in all kinds of conditions "WELL , HOW DID YOU DO IT ?" “It’s easy,” Floyd Poruban said to his doubting professor. “One has a sticky flower and one has a dry flower.” A horticulture student at The Ohio State University (OSU), Poruban had…more...Mending the Social FabricAcross the country people of low socioeconomic status live shorter, sicker lives. But it isn’t that poor people have worse habits than healthy people. It’s that we’ve created environments that are so stressful it alters their genetic code.more...Back to the RootsEight years after a catastrophic Category 5 tornado levelled Irving Elementary in Joplin, Missouri, the school is rebuilt and looking better than ever, thanks to Lions, Leos, and LCIF working together. The Missouri Lions of District M6 and the Carl Junction Leos Club joined forces and went “Back to the…more...Growing Up Green Fourth graders become foresters In the butterfly garden at Wescott Elementary School near Chicago, fourth graders cheered as they planted a 3-foot-tall tree for Arbor Day, gladly crawling on their knees to press dirt around the roots and make it secure. The Norway spruce wasn’t just any tree. Just…more...Lions Quest Students Partner With Leos To Protect The EnvironmentGanesha is the Elephant God, the remover of obstacles, the patron saint of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom. As no Hindu event starts without first invoking Ganesha, Lions Quest students and Leos find great importance in finding a way to honor Ganesha, and in an…more...Bigger Than MePartnerships often mean the difference between a fleeting project and a lasting legacy. Don’t Let this Die People come and go. They change their priorities or get pulled away for one reason or another. They get sick. They get old. At some point, they pass away. It is a hard…more...CenterpieceCommunity Builds Life Around Lion-Built Lake Lions in their natural habitat sleep a lot. And they don’t like water. However, members of the Washington Lions Club in Missouri seldom nap. And they like water so much that they built an 11-acre lake and gave it to the city. The club…more...Prickly PartnerPrickly Partner Fifth grade students enjoy a full day of outdoor learning and exploration in the Sonoran Desert at Camp Cooper in Tucson, Arizona. Thanks to the generosity of Camp Cooper and the South Tucson Cyber & Lions Club, school children get hands-on learning about how to live more lightly…more...Showing up Big for RhinosThe Mafikeng Lions care about rhinos. And they want the world to care, too. While they celebrate World Rhino Day every year, this year they tried something special. They partnered with the International School of South Africa and recruited 780 staff, students, and Lions and Leos of the Mafikeng club…more...Free FruitThe Ngongotaha Lions Club in New Zealand has given a barren roadside a whole new purpose. In 2016 the club donated more than 400 fruit and native trees to the Rotorua Ngongotaha Rail Park. Lion Ross Thompson, organizer of the event, said funding from the city council enabled them to…more...Among the GiantsTaller than Cinderella’s castle, wider than a city street, the Sequoias of California are among the largest trees in the world and more than 3,000 years old. Every year about 200,000 people stroll in their shadows at the Calaveras Big Trees State Park in California, and roughly 8,000 children visit…more...We Speak for the TreesWith more than 1.4 million members, Lions have a powerful voice. And around the world, Lions are using that voice to raise awareness about climate change and mobilize. In 2011, then International President Wing-Kun Tam challenged Lions to plant 1 million trees. They responded by planting 15 million in every…more...See You Later SeaweedSee You Later Seaweed On Saturday, November 17, 2018, more than 100 Hawaiian Leos, Lions, and friends partnered with the Malama Maunalua non-profit to pull nearly 6,000 pounds of invasive alien algae from Maunalua Bay in east Oahu. The seaweed, called gorilla orgo, out-competes native algae and coral leading to…more...Planting the SeedLIONS INVEST IN THE FUTURE THROUGH EARLY EXPOSURE TO NATURE You don’t have to plant a forest to save the environment. Simply planting the seed for a love of nature in the younger generation may ensure they will grow to love and protect the natural world. NATURE IN EVERY NOOK…more...What is a Tree Worth?You love it for the shade it gives, the way the fall color matches your front door, the limb that perfectly supports your baby’s swing. but what is it really worth? Location: Suburban Chicago, Illinois Species: Swamp White Oak Tree condition: Good (Healthy) Trunk Diameter: 25 inches Sun exposure: Full…more...