A photo of Ann Marie Zagzebski, a volunteer for Sierra Club Wisconsin Chapter. The graphic also has the Community Shares logo and the words Backyard Hero.
The 81 member nonprofits of Community Shares of Wisconsin are working on the issues you care about most including civil liberties, sustainability, LGBTQ+ rights, voting rights, healthy food and farms, criminal justice reform, affordable housing, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Each month Community Shares of Wisconsin presents the Backyard Hero Award to organizations and people making change happen in our community.
This month’s hero is Ann Marie Zagzebski. Ann Marie (along with her husband, James) began volunteering with the Sierra Club - Wisconsin Chapter in 2013, and her commitment to environmental stewardship has kept her showing up ever since. For more than a decade, she has reliably supported Sierra Club mailings—hand-addressing envelopes, and stuffing, sealing, and stamping thousands of letters on the Sierra Club’s behalf.
Beyond her mailing expertise, Ann Marie was one of the most dedicated volunteers during Sierra Club – Wisconsin Chapter’s world-record-breaking Fish for the Future campaign. She generously spent countless hours helping inventory tens of thousands of origami fish. The work may have kept her up late, but her contribution was truly indispensable.
Ann Marie is not only dependable, she’s a joy to work with. She is kind, thoughtful, engaging, and brings warmth to every task she takes on. Sierra Club – Wisconsin Chapter is deeply grateful for her many years of service. Thank you, Ann Marie!
Sierra Club - Wisconsin Chapter was founded in 1963 and includes over 18,000 members throughout the state. Inspired by Wisconsin’s beautiful lakes, forests, rivers, and other natural features, Sierra Club Wisconsin works to protect our communities and the planet. Their victories include preventing Perrier from bottling Wisconsin’s water in 2000, stopping the Crandon sulfide mine in 2003, and halting the Penokee taconite mine in 2013. Sierra Club – Wisconsin Chapter is leading the way off of coal and onto clean energy by helping close coal plants and advocating for clean energy.
Learn more about Community Shares of Wisconsin.
The Backyard Hero Awards are sponsored by 105.5 Triple M, Isthmus, and Budget Signs.
