“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead
Earth Day is tomorrow, April 22nd, and in honor of the holiday, we wanted to highlight some of our favorite local organizations that make a difference all year round. At Waxi Taxi, we’re committed to our community, and we’re invested in being a positive influence. In addition to our detailed waxing services, we support a variety of causes within the community, but my personal journey with making an impact started way back in the 90’s.
How One Girl Made A Difference For A Whole Town
My journey with environmental consciousness began in 1991, at the age of 16. The summer before I began my senior year at Hanover Central in Cedar Lake, I was dragged to the grocery store by my mom. As we were leaving, we noticed a lady sitting at a table in the parking lot, with what looked like garbage surrounding her. We asked her what she was doing, and she explained she was collecting recyclables that she would personally drive to a recycling facility in Crown Point.
This was a new concept to me, and I was very intrigued. She educated us on what could and could not be recycled. I insisted on joining this mission, and soon we were bringing our own items to her little recycling stop. At this time, curbside recycling was not a thing; it was much more specific and labor-intensive than it is now. Come the end of summer, the woman said she would be stopping until the following summer.
I absolutely could not imagine just throwing away all these items I now knew could be recycled! As I began my senior year, I was elected to the Student Council and joined the Environmental Club. I pitched that we should host our very own recycling program. It was a huge undertaking, and didn’t get a warm welcome. Per usual, I insisted, and they said that if I could figure out the logistics and oversee it in its entirety…then sure.
So, I hunted down free bins donated by a local resident, bullied my friends into helping, twisted arms, and used my biggest smile to “encourage” others who owned cars to transport our recycling items to Crown Point.
It didn’t take long until it took off, and we were BURIED in recycling! I would often be called over the school intercom, “Jeny Wagener, your recyclables have blown across the street to Dairy Queen, go get them!!” Finally, after several months, an actual adult came with his giant truck and would load it every week (after we cleaned and separated items, yes, we had to do that back then!), and dropped it at the recycling facility.
The end of my senior year came, and fittingly, I was presented with a bag of aluminum cans at our senior breakfast. The program grew so much that the school had no interest in keeping it going. So, I attended a town meeting to plead my case. At 17, I became an unpaid “employee” of the town of Cedar Lake, had my own little mail box at town hall, showed up once a week with my bins at the street department, applied for and received grants to fund items that we needed for collection, and attended cosmetology school full-time.
After another year, I had to finally walk away from this volunteer position as I needed to pursue my career. I was so sad to see this end, as the town had no intention of keeping the program. However, the residents persisted and continued dropping their items! The town had no choice but to reinstate the program and HIRED a full-time employee to manage it.
Needless to say, the environment and all its inhabitants are very near and dear to my heart. I have continued to be involved in programs and organizations that benefit our local environment and protect our very special corner of the world.
Looking to get involved, or just enjoy the treasures of Northwest Indiana? Aside from our very own National and State Parks, we have several organizations that protect, preserve, restore, and educate.
Some Of Our Favorite Environmental Initiatives
Shirley Heinze Land Trust
This Earth Day, we are proud to shine a light on Shirley Heinze Land Trust, an organization that has spent more than four decades protecting the natural beauty of Northwest Indiana. Their mission is rooted in preserving and restoring the lands and waters that make our region so special.
As a proud supporting member of the Indiana Land Protection Alliance, they are also part of a broader, nonpartisan network dedicated to championing land and water protection statewide. I had the honor of serving on the Board of Directors for six years, where I also chaired multiple committees, and I have proudly continued my involvement on the Advisory Council for nearly eight years.
I would love for our readers to join me at their Annual Spring Benefit on Saturday, May 30, as we celebrate 45 years of conservation, stewardship, and community impact. It is a beautiful opportunity to support an organization that does so much for our region while celebrating the people who help protect it.
You can learn more about Shirley Heinze Land Trust here and more about the Annual Spring Benefit here.
Save The Dunes
Save The Dunes is a local nonprofit environmental organization on a mission to protect the beautiful Indiana dunes, Lake Michigan, and the surrounding natural treasures. It was founded in 1952 with the mission of saving the remaining untouched dunes and ensuring a thriving environment for both nature and the people who call Northwest Indiana home.
You can learn more about Save The Dunes here.
The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy is not just an organization, but a movement that has been making a difference since 1951, with the mission of conserving land and water and the goal of creating and sustaining a world where the diversity of life thrives. They impact conservation in over 80 countries and territories, operate more than 100 marine conservation projects, and have protected more than 125 million acres of land.
You can learn more about The Nature Conservancy here.
Student Conservation Association
The Student Conservation Association provides hands-on conservation education programs for youths and young adults. It was founded in 1957 with the mission of building the next generation of conservation leaders and lifelong stewards of the environment and communities by engaging young people through hands-on service projects. Since then, they have provided more than 100,000 young people with opportunities to protect and conserve the planet.
You can learn more about the Student Conservation Association here.
Indiana Native Plant Society
The Indiana Native Plant Society acts as a champion of biodiversity, nourishing wildlife with native plants and introducing young people to nature with the mission of inspiring stewardship for the future of Indiana. This organization, along with Friends of Indiana Dunes, Inc., has its annual native plant sale on May 9th, 2026, from 9:00 am-1:00 pm at the Friends of Indiana Dunes’ office at 1000 W. Oak Hill Road in Porter, IN.
This sale is a great opportunity to get involved and give back to the environment by creating healthy ecosystems and adding native plants to your garden.
You can learn more about the Indiana Native Plant Society here and more about Friends of the Dunes’ 2026 annual native plant sale here.
Northwest Indiana Paddling Association
The Northwest Indiana Paddling Association was founded in 2009 with the mission of not only providing paddle sports education but also environmental stewardship for the region’s waterways through their Blueways Stewardship Committee, which was established to identify waterways in need of attention for log jam removal, trash cleanup, and more.
You can learn more about the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association here.
Make A Difference This Earth Day
This Earth Day, we encourage you to get out there, get involved, and make a difference of your very own. Take a hike, donate, volunteer, or just take a sec to recycle that can…collectively we can always make change. Happy Earth Day!
