Q&A with Michael Sharp, ELI Grad

Michael Sharp in Homer, AK.

Q: What issue/campaign are you working on?

Michael: I work on several issues and campaigns including the Chuitna coal strip mine project, a massive, proposed coal strip mine west of Anchorage, that if developed will directly mine through 11 miles of salmon stream, setting a dangerous precedent for the state of Alaska by trading one resource for another.

Q: What was your objective(s) for attending the ELI training?

Michael: I attended the ELI in hopes of fine tuning my communication and strategic skills and to gain a better perspective of what my co-workers–organizing, lobbying, science/technical–do within our various campaigns. ELI not only sharpened and focused my skills, but expanded my skills in such a way that I am able to provide clear and concise leadership across a broader range of issues.

Q: Has your job changed since ELI due to what you learned?

Michael: My job has expanded as a result of ELI. I often think of the skills I learned at ELI as the glue that helps me to cohesively connect the different campaigns I work on. Most importantly, I am now able to see the various issues in a specific campaign.

Q: How have you applied what you learned at ELI to your campaign?

Michael: Attending ELI with so many other members of the Alaskan conservation community has given us a specific and shared language to discuss our approaches and strategies. This common language and associated framework has lead to a more streamlined approach to problem solving and the application of solutions. As an aside, going through the ELI experience has given me a shared history that has already proven fruitful as the campaings I work on grow and expand.

Q: Can you attribute any recent successes (big or small) in your issue area to what you learned at ELI?

Michael: Using skills learned at ELI we launched a major radio ad campaign that by all accounts has been a major success.

Q: Why is this type of training important for the conservation community?

Michael: In a state that loves it’s freedom and open spaces, it seems to me that conservation would be one of the most important values. Yet, again and again we hear that all the conservation community wants to do is turn Alaska into one big national park. As a community we would be better served talking about how conservation of the natural environment is about the preservation of the Alaskan way of life. About the people and their needs, not the need of a particular bird or fish.

When we learn to tell stories — which are inherently about people — we will see that everyone wants clean air and water, healthy fisheries and that those things can exist along side responsible development. It seems to me that as a community we need to learn how to tell the stories that show we all want the same things.