Pete Seeger Will Be Missed But Legacy Will Continue

“Today the world lost an amazing man whose music brought us together and raised awareness about important social issues. The Sierra Club is deeply saddened by the loss of Pete Seeger. Our hearts and condolences go out to Seeger family.  Pete was not only a great folk musician, but a committed activist who worked for peace, social justice, and the environment.”

“In 2011 we received the Toshi and Pete Seeger Wetlands Preservation Award for “our outstanding efforts and accomplishments in wetland preservation; “Recognizing our shining example, leadership, and valiant work.” Getting the award from Toshi and Pete Seeger was one of the highlights for me and for the New Jersey Sierra Club. In 2012 the New Jersey Sierra Club Sponsored the Wetlands Preservation Concert and Environmental Expo that not only brought so many people together, but was a wonderful event. Very rarely do you get to be so close on a personal level to someone who has accomplished so much and stood for so much.”

“Pete Seeger’s passion for wetland protections started while driving down the Turnpike seeing the Meadowlands realizing its importance and need for protection. Every year they host a concert to bring awareness to the importance of wetlands and recognize individuals and organizations who are working to protect them.”

 “The Seeger Family lived in the Highlands overlooking the Hudson River and were committed to preserving the forest watershed, cleaning up our rivers, as well as protecting our wetlands. He has a wonderful life accomplishing some very important and wonderful things. From the 1965 March on Selma or a benefit concert in 1984 in Ringwood to help protect the mountains around the Wanaque reservoir from sprawl development."

“When I was about three years old I got to sit on his porch to see him perform playing children songs. He used to perform at benefits concerts up at Camp Midvale to raise money for civil rights movement and peace movement as well as other causes. I used to get to see him every year where my parents had a summer place up in Camp Midvale. He had told me a few years ago that he lived in Camp Midvale in the late 30s and 40s. There one of the old German masons taught him how to lay bricks and helped him to build his house. Now New Jersey Audubon may be knocking down those historic brick buildings.

“A little over a year ago, I was invited by Pete to come meet with him at the Hudson River Sloop Club in Beacon NY, while he sat there for hours telling stories and playing music. It was a moment I will always treasure. I was at the 1963 March on Washington where I watched him performed in front of the Lincoln Memorial. Then decades later I got to see him and Bruce Springsteen at the same location for President Obama’s inauguration. They sang ‘This Land is Your Land’ and it really that day seemed to be.”

“Back in the 1960s when Storm King Mountain in Hudson Highlands was threatened from a pump storage facility Pete Seeger was one of the first activists to try to protect that mountain. He ended up building the Clearwater Sloop to educate and inform the public on the need to preserve and protect the Hudson River. This later became the Hudson Riverkeeper and Friends of Clearwater, which not only saved the mountain but also helped to clean up the Hudson River. In 1972 Sierra Club won a US Supreme Court case in protecting Storm King Mountain.”

“His music was a part of the narrative of our lives. His music not only brought us together and it inspired us to work for the betterment of all. His music in particular is our music, the music of the people. His music not only raised awareness around issues like social justice civil rights and the environment, but more important his music challenges us to do better and to work to change society for all of us. Pete Seeger is an American hero who has helped to change our country for the better not only through his music but through civil rights, peace activism, or environmental protection. His music will continue to inspire us, challenge us, and make us better human beings. Pete will be missed and left an important legacy not just for his music, but for this country and for the world.”

“Not only was he known around the world for peace and social justice, but he was dedicated to preserving the environment in the Highlands and in the Meadowlands. His legacy is not just music, but also when you see the mountains in the Highlands, the gleaming wetlands in the Meadowlands, and clean water in the Hudson River. This is also part of his legacy,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.