The John Muir Chapter (JMC) is the Wisconsin branch of the Sierra Club, and includes about 15,000 members. Our chapter was founded in 1963 by Norm O’Neill of Milwaukee. We currently have eight local Groups and three specialty groups in Wisconsin.

Our Chapter was named after famous conservationist, John Muir, who was born in Scotland but spent his young adult years on a Wisconsin farm near Portage until 1862. He also attended the University of Wisconsin – Madison before trekking west to form the Sierra Club in 1892. John Muir’s philosophy is embodied by the Wisconsin Chapter, who strives to continue his legacy of wilderness conservation into the future.

The John Muir Chapter:

• Supports activities of volunteers in local groups throughout Wisconsin.
• Creates conservation Action Alerts to show our members how to take action on environmental issues.
• Works on environmental litigation
• Provides environmental education through our outings, Muir View newsletter, website and media communications.
• Tracks legislation and communicates with legislators on conservation issues.
• Supports the election of strong environmental leaders in state and local elections, since one of our best hopes for long term gains is building a strong legislative base to protect our environment.
• Celebrates our connections with the natural world through activities to explore and enjoy the outdoors such as hikes, biking events, camping trips, water sports, group meetings and potlucks.