On Saturday, March 28, Friends of the Mad River will be hosting the final, culminating event in its “Climb It for Climate” winter fundraising series: an uphill rally at Lincoln Peak, followed by a panel discussion with local women leaders at the intersection of sustainability, climate action, and outdoor recreation. All the proceeds raised from this event will go directly towards climate action in the Mad River Valley watershed.
This March 28 event will begin at 4:30 p.m. with a community ski tour at Sugarbush’s Lincoln Peak. Following this informal “rally,” participants will gather at the Wunderbar for a panel discussion with four women leaders who work in the field of sustainable recreation: Dana Kent, Liz Burakowski, Moxie Robinson, and Jennifer Watkins.
Dana Kent, president of the Intermountain Ski Areas Association, has had a 30-year-long career in the ski and ride industry, most recently with Vail Resorts. Today, Kent leads Dana Kent Coaching LLC, where she empowers women in the outdoor industry to build bold, values-driven careers. She is also the author of “From the Front Lines to the Exit Door: How to Keep Women in Ski Patrol,” published by the National Ski Areas Association journal.
The second guest speaker at the March 28th event, Elizabeth Burakowski, is a research associate professor at the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space at the University of New Hampshire. Burakowski’s research focuses on winter climate change in the northeastern United States, including what changes people have seen in the past, what they can expect for the future, and the associated impacts on ecosystems and society. She is also a backcountry splitboarder and has served with the Protect Our WintersScience Alliance since 2016.
Moxie Robinson is a local entrepreneur and community builder whose work sits at the intersection of mental health, nature, and human connection. With a background in clinical social work and personal interests focused on how humans gather, the power of mother nature, and resilient communities, Robinson has long believed in the healing power of the outdoors. She is the founder of Bareroots Counseling, launched Upland Coffee at Blueberry Lake Cross Country Ski Center with her husband, Sam Robinson, and she also works within the leadership at Bee, a non-profit dedicated to helping people reconnect with their communities and find easy, meaningful ways to make a difference right in their backyards.
Jennifer Watkins co-owns and operates the Blueberry Lake Cross-Country ski area in Warren. She is also an international-caliber Nordic skier and biathlete, competing in the Biathlon World Junior Championships in 1996. Jennifer is the granddaughter of legendary founder Leonard Robinson, and Jennifer grew up on the very Blueberry Lake trails that she now manages.
For more information, visit www.friendsofthemadriver.org/events.
