Defenders of Wildlife is excited to welcome passionate advocates from across the country to Washington, D.C. for the 2026 Earth Week Fly-in. Together, advocates will speak up in support of endangered species and our most effective tool for preventing extinction, the Endangered Species Act. You’ll learn more about the congressional attacks facing the ESA – including Representative Westerman’s (R-AR) dangerous ESA Amendments Act of 2025 – and the most effective strategies for speaking up for wildlife in the halls of Congress.
2026 Earth Week Fly-in FAQs
Constituents with the power to vote elected officials into or out of office play a critical role in ensuring the voice of the people is not only heard on Capitol Hill, but that it rises above those of industry and anti-wildlife interests. As an advocate, you are viewed as a champion for wildlife and by sharing information about how the issue impacts your state or community, you become a credible and reliable voice for your members of Congress. When you meet congressional offices, you can develop relationships with the member themselves and their staffers to raise awareness for protecting wildlife. And through this relationship, you can help hold members of Congress accountable for the conservation votes they take.
The chart below shows which advocacy strategies are the most influential to members of Congress. When your representative or senator is still deciding which position to take on an issue, in-person visits from their constituents are one of the most influential actions you can take.
Yes! Defenders of Wildlife advocates from selected states are traveling to Washington, DC for the 2026 Earth Week Fly-in. Additionally, our conservation partners are also bringing in advocates. All advocates will be split up into state groups, and each group will include at least one state lead (a Defenders staff person and possibly another staff member from a partner conservation organization). These state leads will be your guide around Capitol Hill and will help you get from meeting to meeting. As the constituent, you are the primary messenger in these meetings, but your state lead will be there to support you and help answer technical questions that may come up.
The state leads will request meetings with your representative and senators themselves. However, it is more likely that you will meet with a staff member who works on wildlife or environmental issues. Meeting with a staff member has a number of benefits! Staff are the gatekeepers to the member of Congress; they are the person your senator or representative asks to help make decisions on issues. Educating and speaking with these staffers is critical to elevating an issue to a member of Congress.
Meeting locations on Capitol Hill can be a bit unpredictable, so it’s important to be flexible. You may meet in the lobby of the congressional office, in a conference room, or in the member of Congress’s office. It’s also possible that you may have the meeting in the hallway! We encourage you to go with the flow the best you can and remind yourself that you are prepared wherever the meeting takes place.
Meeting lengths vary. A typical meeting with a staffer lasts about 20-30 minutes (depending on the number of constituents present) and the staffer is usually upfront at the start of the meeting if they have a limited amount of time. If you are meeting with your member of Congress, you may only have 5-10 minutes with them, so you will want to be concise in your messaging. It’s possible you may have additional time with the staffer after the member leaves.
Members of Congress and their staff dress professionally. You will see many business suits on Capitol Hill! For constituents, business or business casual is acceptable. You do not need to wear a suit, and we certainly do not want you to buy a new wardrobe for your trip! For women, dress pants or a skirt with a blouse or professional top is fine. For men, slacks or dress pants with a button-down or collared shirt is very appropriate. And depending on the weather, you can add a blazer, sports jacket, or sweater.
Also, make sure to wear comfortable shoes for your congressional meetings as you will be walking a lot on the Hill. You can pack dressier shoes to slip on before the meeting, but to get from building to building, you will want comfortable shoes.
It is important to remember you are not expected to be an expert on the Endangered Species Act, and you do not need to memorize all the details of the bills we will be discussing in the congressional meetings. Your role is to explain why supporting endangered species and the ESA matters to you and your community and why you want your representative or senators to oppose legislation that would harm wildlife. In addition to sharing your personal story, it’s helpful to identify a few talking points on the bills that resonate with you to mention in the meetings.
It’s also important to learn a bit more about your member of Congress before your meetings. Looking through their website can give you insights into their positions on certain issues and help identify motivators for how they vote. You might even come across personal connections, like growing up in the same hometown or attending the same schools.
Questions?
