It’s hard to believe that today is my last official day of work. Of course, there is still so much work to be done before we take off on our adventure. But today is my last day representing clients, meeting deadlines, answering emails, and the myriad other tasks I have spent most of my waking weekday hours doing over the last 11 years since I graduated law school. It’s also hard to believe that this might be my last day as an attorney (only time will tell).

As I look back over the last decade plus, I have to say I am pretty darn pleased with what I have accomplished. More importantly, I am struck by how many wonderful people I have had the privilege to work with and how inspired I am by the tireless work of so many to protect this beautiful place we call home. Luckily, I have won more cases than I have lost.  And I couldn’t have done it without the most amazing clients and colleagues a person could ask for. Together we implemented the first habitat restoration project within the lower Willamette River Portland Harbor Superfund site, curbed lead pollution and forced wetland restoration at a local gun range, stopped logging on thousands of acres of spotted owl habitat and dozens of salmon streams, kept a massive LNG terminal from spoiling the Columbia River, stopped the construction of a huge biomass plant in Klamath Falls, reduced stormwater pollution at industrial sites in the Columbia Slough, ensured the transparency of government decision making processes, and stopped the last old growth timber sale on Mt. Hood National Forest.

Celebrating the demise of the Slinky Timber Sale!

So, on this momentous day, I want to say thank you to all the wonderful activists I have had the honor to work with. You are the reason I get up every morning with the hope that today will be a better day for our world and our future.