Climate Stories
As we understand from mounting evidence and our own lived experiences, the next few decades will bring great challenges in coping with increased intensity of storms, more stormwater runoff, more flooding, and periods of drought. Additionally, we will face the associated impacts on the local economy, health, agriculture, recreation, forests, wildlife, and social justice due to a changing climate. There is a greater need than ever for our Mad River Valley community to look ahead and prepare for what is to come, to come together and transform.
Our Vision for 2020 and Beyond
Starting in 2020 (and through 2021 due to Covid re-thinking!), Friends of the Mad River envisions weaving together diverse groups and community members to pause for reflection and reimagining our community’s future and to build a shared vision of the route forward. We want to embrace this community’s creative spirit to work across municipal borders, organizational missions, business bottom lines, and personal interests to figure this out together. And we want to be honest about our own limitations and biases in the process, to challenge ourselves and others to listen more deeply and to foster meaningful relationships that tackle systemic issues of race, class, and gender. It might be slow, it will definitely involve Zoom more often than evenings with speakers and good food, but it is important and it is the charge of our time. We are dreaming big – how can we transform our community in the face of a changing climate, not just to address problems headed our way, but to see the potential of what we can become?
What we learn from the community will help support other groups and individuals as they take action on climate and will guide Friends of the Mad River through the next decade to ensure our work is relevant into a new era. Our goals are threefold: 1) build community collaboration to advance climate planning and action in the MRV by raising awareness, building knowledge, driving curiosity, and aligning people and organizations; 2) increase the capacity of Friends to do relevant and effective work into the next 30 years by deepening and broadening community relationships and aligning Friends’ programming to best advance its healthy land, clean water, and vibrant community mission; and 3) celebrate Friends, this special place, and our community.
What we learn from the community will help support other groups and individuals as they take action on climate and will guide Friends of the Mad River through the next decade to ensure our work is relevant into a new era. Our goals are threefold: 1) build community collaboration to advance climate planning and action in the MRV by raising awareness, building knowledge, driving curiosity, and aligning people and organizations; 2) increase the capacity of Friends to do relevant and effective work into the next 30 years by deepening and broadening community relationships and aligning Friends’ programming to best advance its healthy land, clean water, and vibrant community mission; and 3) celebrate Friends, this special place, and our community.
Thank you, Sponsors!
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Photos by Corrie Miller, Ann Hoogenboom