HIKING HEROES
annual bulletin
ISSUE 03 Summer 2023

This bulletin is the fruition of a talented group of passionate students across the world. It is the culmination of the accomplishments Hiking Heroes has been able to achieve since its founding. This past year we have been able to award 12,000 volunteer hours to students through the Hiking Heroes Challenge, open a new chapter in Korea, help parks clear invasive species, and participate in beach clean-ups.

Before you read through the third issue of our bulletin, know that this has been full of challenges and progression that could not have been completed without the rest of our team. Contributions have not only stemmed from here in the central chapter of Virginia, but also from other writers in our North/South California, New Jersey, Maryland, and South Korea chapters.

During COVID-19, Hiking Heroes started its Trash Pick Up Challenge. It became so successful the club unanimously decided to continue it even as the pandemic came to a close. Here are pictures of some of our incredible heroes out of the 300 students who participated in the challenge!

Our Mission

Hiking Heroes is an entirely student-run organization that strives to protect the environment through hiking, media outreach, invasive species containment, and more.

Hiking Heroes South Korea is the 5th international chapter of the Hiking Heroes club and was established on January 26, 2023. Even within South Korea, the chapter is rife, with members from all over the country, including Gimpo, Seoul, Suwon, Pohang, and Jeju.

Hello readers! My name is Claire An and I am the Co-President of the So-Cal chapter. The SoCal chapter, or the Southern California chapter, of Hiking Heroes. Although we are a bit far from Virginia, we have continued the mission of supporting and helping the environment.

The Maryland Hiking Heroes Chapter focuses on helping the local environment and community through many ways, extending beyond simply just hiking and picking up trash. We are a group that works to support the local community as well as the environment.

Within the last two years of being an official chapter, New Jersey Hiking Heroes has expanded from two Co-Presidents to multiple different members of different ages.

Brown, arid dirt for miles beyond. Not a single source of water is to be seen. Not a single piece of green land is to be seen. A cistern truck roams through the streets, carrying water in its tank then stops by a small worn-out house. An old couple steps out and brings a large plastic container.

Bushfires in Australia are common, regular occurrences that have shaped much of the continent’s nature and land from the beginning of its existence.

The ominous yet luxurious ocean waters remind us of eternal beauty as the vibrant colors speckle the deep, blue waves.

The World Health Organization describes climate change as “the single biggest health threat facing humanity.” Climate change is no longer a threat facing future generations alone;

From the bustling city streets to seemingly harmless parking lots, impervious surfaces, like concrete, asphalt, and rooftops - are ever present features of our urban landscapes. These surfaces are areas where water is not permeable to the ground;

The world's oceans, covering over 70% of the Earth's surface, are essential for sustaining life on our planet. They provide a habitat for a diverse array of marine creatures. That plays a vital role in regulating the climate, and supports various industries that rely on their resources.

Cobalt, an essential mineral in producing modern-day electronics and renewable energy technologies, has become a symbol of progress and innovation over the past few years. However, behind its shiny facade lies a dark and troubling reality.

 According to climate scientists, countries must achieve net zero by 2050 in order to prevent the worst effects of climate change. In other words, the world must cut carbon emissions within 30 years to prevent irreversible environmental damage.

Deep inside one’s mind, unraveling through the complexities of one’s brain, one in every five adult Americans are fighting a battle in their own head. Emerging as one of the most alarming health concerns today, mental disorders have been affecting over 57 million Americans over the past century.

Transitioning into my new life with my host family for three weeks after flying abroad as an exchange student was a nerve wracking experience filled with changes.

The grassroots of environmentalism and environmental awareness can be traced back thousands of years to the Indus civilization (modern-day Pakistan).

Drones capturing the beauty of nature; drones lighting up the night skies forming graphical images; drones swerving through obstacles as they race past each other: while many believe that drones are mainly used for recreation purposes, they have a variety of other primary purposes, many of which help the environment.

A mere 1.5-degree increase in global temperature would hypothetically correlate to an exponentially higher chance of food shortages, flooding, wildfires, and other extreme natural disasters.

“The Seine. I have painted it all my life, at all hours of the day, at all times of the year, from Paris to the sea…Argenteuil, Poissy, Vétheuil, Giverny, Rouen, Le Havre.” Claude Monet spoke the truth regarding the Seine, deemed the World’s Most Romantic River.

Before the brink of every new morning, countless silvery clouds shoot away from the bottomless darkness, and wander up towards the bluer surface, until just the right pinch of moonlight can hit their scales.

As the topic of climate change begins taking more prevalence in modern news, more and more people are asking: how can we help?

Cleaning our ecosystem is essential to ensure the survival of all living organisms on Earth. Here is some information about cleaning our ecosystem:

Creative works from our community

How to get involved

Article and Image References