Rachel Carson Council

The Rachel Carson Council promotes Carson's ecological ethic that combines scientific concern for the environment and human health with a sense of wonder and reverence for all forms of life in order to build a more sustainable, just, and peaceful future.

Founded in 1965, the RCC is the national environmental organization that Rachel Carson envisioned carrying on her work after her death. We focus on national environmental policy, engagement in our Campus Network of over 85 universities, and storytelling campaigns aimed to spotlight and support the "next Rachel Carsons" of this generation. Our issue areas include environmental justice, sustainable agriculture, pesticides, wood pellets, coasts & oceans, greenwashing, and fighting corporate polluters. We run both national and local legislative campaigns in those areas, whether on Capitol Hill, in state houses, or at city councils. Most importantly, we train youth to elevate their own voices in those political venues. Our National Environment Leadership Fellowship program supports nearly 30 environmental students each year in mentorship and impact-driven regional projects. We also convene students for annual Advocacy Days and the American Environmental Leadership Institute in Washington, DC. In the spirit of Rachel Carson, our fellows have landed their writing in leading-edge publications, including the Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and others in their home states.

Testimonials

"[At RCC Advocacy Day,] we learned how the citizen lobbying process works and how to speak with legislative offices and staff about the acts and ideas we have been taught about," said one Hofstra U student who met with Rep. John Sarbanes, among others. "My favorite part was meeting other people my age who are interested in the same things as I am and in pursuing similar professional paths."

In a 2025 letter signed by 36 fellows: "We are incredibly grateful for the wisdom, hope, and resources you have invested in us. We are so excited to embark on all our climate journeys and to persist, with resilience, in carrying on Rachel's legacy."