Inspiring appreciation

For as long as he can remember, Jace Bylenga has reveled in the outdoors. Bylenga grew up in Grand Rapids, Mich., and sailed and swam in Lake Michigan. He and his family hiked, camped, biked and spent much time outside. This constant exposure to the outdoors shaped Bylenga’s philosophy. During college at Western Michigan University, he earned a degree in environmental studies and biology and immersed himself in outdoor pursuits, hoping to share a passion for green living and sustainability with others. When Bylenga moved to Spokane three years ago, he dedicated himself to environmental education – reaching out to students and others to raise consciousness about the need to care for the Earth. “We still have work to do, but there’s been improvement here,” said Bylenga, an emerging leader in the local sustainability movement who’s known as the “outdoors guy” at Gonzaga University and the former organizer of Spokane’s Earth Day. “There are people here who have empowered themselves to do something about climate change and other issues affecting the planet.” When the 27-year-old first came to Spokane, he intended to fulfill a one-year commitment as an Americorps Vista volunteer as the environmental outreach coordinator for GU’s Center for Community Action and Service-Learning. Bylenga quickly developed a fondness for Eastern Washington. “Spokane felt a lot like Grand Rapids,” he explained. “Things are happening here but there’s still a lot of work to be done. If I had moved to Portland, there would be many others like me. Here in Spokane, I can get involved with a lot of organizations and get things accomplished.” Bylenga’s Americorps role entailed integrating stewardship, sustainability and ethics into Gonzaga’s Outdoors Program, helping students learn about and participate in outdoor recreation. The program offers hiking, skiing and other low-cost guided outdoor excursions plus workshops. The one-year commitment extended into a second term. Now, Bylenga is working toward a master’s degree in organizational leadership and is the graduate assistant for GU’s environmental studies program. When he’s not on campus coordinating presentations and activities, he’s networking with organizations like the Lands Council, Spokane Riverkeeper and Save Our Wild Salmon plus companies including REI and Mountain Gear. He has been involved with community-wide events including Spokane’s Earth Day and clean-ups of the Spokane River and the Dishman Hills Natural Area. Bylenga is a board member of Pedals2People, a local non-profit that uses the bike “as a tool to empower people and build healthier communities,” and a board trustee and conservation committee chair of the Spokane Mountaineers. He’s participated in many of the organization’s courses and climbed peaks in the Cascades, the Canadian Rockies and other ranges. Bylenga is especially proud of his work with youth, especially since today’s children no longer play outside like he did. “It’s important for us to expose kids to the natural environment – to get them out there to experience it so that they have a reason to protect it,” Bylenga said. In the last three years, he has volunteered with the Sierra Club’s InnerCity Outings, an outreach program that gives urban kids the opportunity to hike, cross-country ski and try other activities to “explore, enjoy and protect the natural world.” Bylenga and other volunteers work with youth from Holmes and Audubon Elementary and other kids from the West Central neighborhood. The children live minutes away from the Spokane River and Riverside State Park, but most have never been outside their neighborhoods. Some kids feel out of their comfort zone at first, but learn to go with the flow and enjoy the adventures. Two winters ago, during a snowshoeing trip up at Mount Spokane, Bylenga and 24 youth got within 20 feet of a Pileated Woodpecker. Even though they were a fairly large group, they became so interested that they remained silent for a long time. Another memorable moment took place during a tree-planting expedition to Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. The kids – many of whom had never seen wildlife before – watched a bull moose wander around and eat. These experiences often compel the students to gain a better understanding of responsible outdoor recreation principles like “leave no trace.” Bylenga helped create Earthbound, an after-school program for first- through seventh-graders at several Spokane low-income schools. After receiving a $15,000 Sierra Club grant, Bylenga recruited volunteers from Gonzaga to serve as mentors to students. “The kids are fun to hang out with,” Bylenga said. “It’s unstructured time. We’re there to hike, have fun and be in a natural environment. Just seeing them come for their first outing and hearing what they’ve learned – it’s really gratifying.” Bylenga has witnessed significant developments regarding sustainability, he said. This includes the creation of the Main Market Co-op, more cyclists and bus commuters, and the growing popularity of farmers markets and sources for local and organic produce and products. “I enjoy getting people excited about environmental issues,” he said. “It’s really important right now to examine population growth combined with climate change and energy concerns like peak oil. We can’t ignore these problems anymore.”