Sylvia McLaughlin

Sylvia McLaughlin (December 24, 1916 – January 19, 2016) was an American pioneer in environmentalism. She, along with Kay Kerr and Esther Gulick, founded the Save San Francisco Bay Association which eventually became Save The Bay.

Born on December 24, 1916, McLaughlin spent her childhood in Denver, Colorado While in Denver, she developed a love for the wilderness and the outdoors. She earned a bachelor's degree from Vassar College in French in 1939, married Donald McLaughlin in 1948 and settled in Berkeley, California.

She was referred to as an "impractical idealist," a "do-gooder" and a "posy-picker" but she is credited as a leader in environmentalism.

In 2007, she became a tree sitter in the Berkeley oak grove controversy but was unsuccessful.

She resided in the Berkeley Hills and remained active in the environmental movement until her death, on January 19, 2016.