MEIC board member Steve Martinez graciously hosted the Flathead Legislative Roadshow in February. Photo by Denise Roth Barber.
By Steve Martinez
I’m new to the board of MEIC. In October, I joined the board and staff at a retreat in Anaconda, and it could not have been better timing for me. Creating and being part of community has always been important to me, and what an amazing community this group of people at MEIC is! From Anne Hedges and Derf Johnson to Nick Fitzmaurice and Katy Spence: they are so smart and so committed. But what makes them amazing is their heart. Their love of our mother earth and this place we call Montana is palpable.
Now, as always (or more than ever), we need to feel connected to the earth, feel part of a positive and loving community, and be united in our efforts on behalf of our environment. As Thomas Payne said in 1776, “It is not in numbers but in unity that our great strength lies.” If you get Down to Earth, you are united in this community, you share this love of land and place, and you believe in the work MEIC is doing.
In February, I organized my first MEIC gathering: the Flathead Legislative Roadshow. We had a great turnout of 17 people, who enjoyed a great spread and mingling. Anne did a superb presentation of the session’s most pressing bills, and everyone got to meet MEIC’s newest staffer, Denise (learn more about Denise on pg. 26). A few minutes into Anne’s talk, a conservative-looking gentleman sat down next to me, but after the talk, he was all smiles and very interested in MEIC’s work.
When you invite people to MEIC events or invite them to get on the “Action Alert” mailing list for the legislative session, it makes people feel like they are part of something. You do not have to ask them for money. Sharing information about MEIC with your friends and family will be pleasantly surprising. It can make them feel empowered and want to get more involved.
Community can help sustain us; our sense of doing something positive with “our people” is so important in life. But we are in “the long game” and to go the distance, you have to renew yourself and feed your heart. So please take as much time as you can to be in nature and connect with this place we love. Our time in nature heals us, can make us feel at home, feel whole and connected.
If you have questions about inviting others to join MEIC, please give me a call or an email. This is a great family to be part of, and the more it grows, the better it will be for this place we call home. Thank you for being a part of this family!
Steve Martinez and his wife have been MEIC members for 14 years. His first love was plants and botany, and he graduated from Colorado State University with a Biology degree and came to Montana to work for the Forest Service. In 1983, a back injury led Steve to acupuncture. Steve has spent the last 35 years as an acupuncturist, 33 of which have been in Kalispell. It is Steve’s conviction that the best way he can serve his past patients and their children is to work to take care of our environment and our climate.
This article was published in the March 2025 issue of Down To Earth.
