 Clay Brook, visited for the first time this summer by volunteer Susie Conrad, looked completely different than last year due to erosion and storm damage. Photo: Susie Conrad. This past weekend marked the beginning of the Friends of the Mad River 2025 Mad River Watch season. Twenty-five volunteers headed out to survey and collect data at 23 sites throughout the Mad River watershed. Many of our sites occur along the main stem of the Mad River, but volunteers also visit many of the tributaries that enter the Mad River on its 28 mile journey from its headwaters in the Granville Gulf to the confluence with the Winooski. The observations and data that they collect add to 40 years of information about our watershed, representing one of the longest-standing water quality monitoring programs in the United States.
Volunteers are our “eyes and ears” on the watershed As is typical of many small non-profits in the Mad River Valley, Friends of the Mad River operates with only a few full time staff. For this reason, our work is bolstered by the stalwart efforts of our volunteers, who help us to monitor the ebbs and flows of the Mad River. By cataloging the river throughout our field season, they help us better understand how the river is constantly changing. As Friends’ Executive Director, Ira Shadis, likes to exclaim, “Volunteers are our eyes and ears on the watershed.” Sometimes, a single year can bring big changes to a particular tributary or section of the river. For example, two of our volunteers remarked on drastic changes to their sites since they last visited in the fall of 2024. Susie Conrad, who monitors Clay Brook, commented, “I was amazed at the storm damage and erosion at Clay Brook… 3-4 trees washed out. A large section of bank up and down stream was carved out. Clay Brook has carved a new path upstream where the bank was ripped out.” Similarly, while monitoring Folsom Brook near where Route 100 washed out during last month’s storms, Peter White exclaimed that the tributary was “almost unrecognizable”. These observations speak to the nature of our most recent flood events, which often have highly localized impacts. One tributary or section of the Mad River can be ravaged by a storm, while other parts of the watershed might show little to no impact whatsoever. These observations also highlight the importance of having volunteers scattered throughout the watershed. Long term data tells a story Taken alone, a single photo or set of data collected by volunteers might not be all that helpful. Whether it is information about water temperature, pH, or conductivity (how much sediment is suspended in water), one piece of data only provides a snapshot at what is happening in that moment. It can sometimes be tempting to try to jump to conclusions or make assumptions based upon one or two of these observations. Collectively, however, all of these years of data help us to paint a picture of how the watershed has changed over time. For example, comparing water temperatures from this past weekend, to June of 2024 can be complicated and riddled with errors. On the other hand, comparing water temperatures from the first week of June for each of the past 40 years can be illuminating. The immense value of Mad River Watch is that it allows us to look at long term trends for how our watershed is being impacted by everything from development pressures to climate change. A lot has changed in the Mad River Valley since the first Mad River Watch volunteers went out back in 1985. The information collected by generations of dedicated volunteers since that time helps us to better understand the place we call home and the river that connects us all.
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Ascending the slopes of Sugarbush under a beautiful full moon, 30 skiers and riders participated in the “uphill rally” component of the first annual “Climb It For Climate”. Hosted by Friends of the Mad River and the Mad River Valley Backcountry Coalition (MRVBC), this event aimed to pair outdoor adventure with the screening of inspiring and thought-provoking climate focused ski and snowboard films to encourage discussion of these topics by the ski community.
Ranging in age from 12 to 72, groups of skiers and splitboarders climbed the mountain together, sharing stories and creating connections around their shared love of all things fun and frozen. The riders were treated to clear skies, great conversation, and a noticeable lack of wind, as they transitioned into downhill mode for the descent back to Gatehouse Lodge. After changing out of sweaty gear and grabbing a quick bite to eat, the group settled in for the show. The crowd swelled to almost 70 as a series of films were queued up to engage and inspire the crowd to think about the impacts of climate change on winter recreation. For each film shown, there were discussion prompts, asking the audience to reflect and converse upon the messaging of the films. The screening kicked off with Front Lines, a film from Pangea Creatives, that focuses on how the ski industry is not only threatened by climate change, but how it contributes to the carbon emissions that fuel the climate crisis. With interviews of Freeride World Tour members, heli-skiing businesses, and climatologists, amongst others, the film explores the future of skiing, especially in light of the amount of travel that our modern model of ski tourism relies upon. The message was heavy, and the filmmakers didn’t shy away from the hard truth of the ski industry and climate change. In stark contrast, the next film was Save Our Snowmen, a humorous and sarcastic short film highlighting the plight of “snowpeople” as they are forced to migrate further north in light of a changing climate. Following these two films, the discussion centered around the “messaging” of climate change. Audience members were asked to reflect upon the following quote from Dr. Simon Donner, a climatologist at the University of British Columbia: “There’s audiences for whom I’m a good voice, but there’s all sorts of ones that I’m not the voice… There are so many ways we could be trying to change not the climate message, but the climate messengers.” Group conversations, following the film, centered around building a more inclusive outdoor community and cited the importance of helping as many people as possible create a personal connection to the outdoors. A real highlight of the evening included the screening of Totality, a film shot on Mt. Mansfield by local skiers during the eclipse of 2024. Adam Kruszyna, Evan Daigle, and Matt Scheeler, who were several of the skiers who collaborated to make the film, attended the event and participated in a brief Q&A. The conversation centered on exploring why these talented skiers choose to pursue adventure in their home state rather than chasing more travel intensive snow adventures around the globe. All three commented on how many incredible opportunities there are for adventure here in Vermont, many of which are often overlooked by locals. They emphasized the value of doing what you love in a place you love and encouraged the audience to consider how adventuring close to home can benefit the climate and local communities. The last film of the night was 75 Years: A Short Film From Whitefish, Montana About Protecting Our Winters. The film highlighted how a ski community united to take collective action on issues related to climate change. Following the film, audience members were asked to explore the ways in which the Mad River Valley and Vermont ski communities could undertake a similar endeavor built around creating a more climate resilient community. Julie Frost and Gannon Osborn from MRVBC, and Marcy Bucheit and Luke Foley from Friends of the Mad River worked together to plan the event and facilitate the dialogue. Special thanks to Vaughn Keenhold from Sugarbush who helped to plan, promote, and host the successful event.  The Climate and Ecology book club has returned under the guidance of our new AmeriCorps member, Marcy Bucheit. Please join us for the first meeting in the reprised series at Warren Public Library on December 11th at 6 p.m.
The meeting will discuss The Last Winter by Porter Fox. A blend of travelogue, adventure, and climatology, Porter's beautifully written and well-researched novel investigates the climate change driven recession of winter through the eyes of the eccentric and charismatic experts addressing it. Please join us in reading this timely novel and come attend the book club meeting - there will be baked goods and inspiring discussion! Please sign up here. |
Friendsof the Mad River Archives
July 2025
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