The other day we were discussing starting local groups so that fellow TH'ers could meet together to discuss solutions, make a difference, etc.

This survey is a good one, because the only local enviro group I can find here in Miami is the Sierra Club, which seems to be more focused on hiking and biking than on the enviroment. I'm not really the outdoorsy type, but would like to be a part of a local eco-organization/group.

I'll be interested to see the final results of this. I for one, love to eat outside :)

I'm a big hiker nowadays, ever since moving to Los Angeles 6 years ago and owning a car for the first time. I grew up in semi-rural upstate New York, and have lived in New York City and Amsterdam.

As a citydweller, I feel strongly that urbanites need public, outdoor spaces (some of which ought to be a bit "wild" like Griffith Park, for example). It's good for your mental health to get out in the open air and off the urban steel-and-concrete grid once in a while. Many of us cannot afford a second vacation home in the woods, or frequent vacation trips, but we still need this in our lives.

More than hiking or al fresco dining (LOL), what has really turned me into a TreeHugger has been my lifetime of witness to the growth of sprawl, of endless stripmall communities, of mile-long traffic snarls, of the visible increase of smog (all over the US, not just in LA), and so many little details like this. I know you folks here know what I mean. It's opening the newspaper year after year, to read article after article about how business has let the bottom line trump our Commons, our health, our nutrition, etc. (mad cow, mercury levels, nuclear waster, water supplies, toxins in pesticides & cosmetics, etc etc). It's my witnessing the incredible waste built into modern Western capitalism/consumerism/free marketism/etc.

On a good, clear sunny day, when I'm high up in the Santa Monica Mountains, and I get a good look around - that's actually when I'm at my most *hopeful* about our future, oddly enough.

Per Rebecca's comment above, I too hope we TreeHuggers can figure out some way to add a "meetup" aspect to this site.

The only way you'd find me outdoors is if the building I was in has caught on fire. If I am forced out into the wilderness, I want a paved trail with well mowed barriers on each side of it. But I still support environmental conservation because I realize the long term consequences if we don't do it.

I sleep better outside, and I prefer not to sleep inside a tent if the weather/bugs allow it. I was a boy scout and was in a troop that focused heavily on wilderness survival, conservation, emergency preparedness and first aid. We had at least one 2-3 day hiking or canoeing trip every month, year round. We spent 2-3 weeks every summer in the north woods in Wisconsin living in wall tents. From scouts and the Outward Bound Schools I got a lot of love for the wilderness. I wish more people were able to have those experiences.

Being outside is *one* of the greatest things in the world. My family and I enjoy hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, camping, etc...The only reason I didn't check survivalist is that although I've spent a great deal of time outdoors, we've not encountered a serious 'situation' yet...perhaps that's because my fiance is such a boy scout ;)

What else would bring me to a website named 'Treehugger'?

Being outside is *one* of the greatest things in the world. My family and I enjoy hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, camping, etc...The only reason I didn't check survivalist is that although I've spent a great deal of time outdoors, we've not encountered a serious 'situation' yet...perhaps that's because my fiance is such a boy scout ;)

What else would bring me to a website named 'Treehugger'?

I'm a city person through & through. I just moved to a small town and am starting to do more outdoorsy stuff, but I cringe at the fact that we need to drive to a popular hiking site. In fact, I cringe at the general increase in my environnmental footprint since leaving the city.

I would love to say I'm an avid hiker, but in truth, I'm an occasional camper. The family loves the outdoors, clean air, (being in California) majestic beauty of the Sierras, the deserts, the beaches, etc. We (humans) got handed such a wondrous gift of nature, and we're going to have our hands full trying to pass it on to our daughters in good working condition. I think we can provide for everyone's needs without damaging the world around us. Sort of saying we can have our cake and eat it too. It just takes inventive and creative people, properly motivated. Lucky for us, I am convinced there are many such folks around.

I'm an alfresco diner - I'm only just getting started in the whole treehugger scene, but I don't think I'll ever really be an outdoor person. The science has convinced me that lots needs to be done to save the environment, and I'm making as many changes in my life as possible while spreading the word to anyone who asks me why I bother. But hiking and biking just ain't my scene :)