Rotary and Protecting the Environment

Rotary International (RI) has been addressing environmental issues in relation to humanitarian health for decades, providing the basis for this area of focus on the environment. Inspired by RI’s global efforts on protecting the environment, Bozeman Sunrise Rotary Club established an environmental subcommittee in early 2026. In past years, our club has been engaged in several projects that improve the environment, including riparian planting and environmental education signage at Glen Lake Rotary Park, fix-up festival to increase home energy efficiency, developing sustainable water systems in Kenya, and improving infrastructure for healthy school environments in Nepal.

In addition to these existing projects, our sub-committee provides recommendations on eco-friendly habits with weekly environmental tips in our news bulletin, and we developed guidelines for our club to conduct green events by recycling, composting, and reducing plastic.

Our committee is also collaborating with the City of Bozeman, Montana State University, and non-profit organizations to monitor water quality in the Gallatin Watershed. The water quality monitoring is part of our participation in “Community Action for Fresh Water,” an initiative developed by RI in collaboration with the United Nations. Lastly, the committee initiated efforts to participate in RI’s Operation Pollination, by proposing an expansion of the current pollinator garden at Glen Lake Rotary Park. We will continue to explore ways for participating in RI’s focus on protecting the environment.