Despite growing up in Chicago, I always answered with a confident “yes” when someone would ask me if I was an “outdoorsy kind of person.” I was always outside. Walking without purpose or to catch the bus or the el, riding bikes with friends to the public pool, fishing under powerlines, camping with family, meeting for summer gatherings at our communal backyard (aka Lake Michigan).

Many of the joyful things in my life are intertwined with my love of this earthly place. So, it makes logical sense that I would want to protect and preserve it for future generations. But what I haven’t always been confident about, are my answers to questions like: “How does an urban community preserve natural landscapes?” or “What does it mean to be a climate advocate in a city?” 

Did you know that there are 50 million Americans who also identify as outdoor enthusiasts? I definitely didn’t. Collectively, we make up what the outdoor industry likes to call, "the Outdoor State." From skiers, snowboarders, climbers, and trail runners to mountain bikers, hunters, anglers, hikers, and every outdoor activity in between - like biking Lake Shore Drive or belonging to a weekly community walking club – we all share one big unifying commonality: a love for the outdoors.

Protect our Winters (POW) believes that by training, supporting, and mobilizing this great big community, we could be one of the most influential and impactful voices for climate action. POW has become the place where the outdoor community comes together to get inspired and take action. With a mission to help passionate outdoor people protect the places and experiences they love from climate change, POW has been leveraging their community of influential athletes, prominent scientists, inspiring creatives, and powerful business leaders to help advance non-partisan policies that will protect our world today and for future generations.

Every year, this dedicated group comes together for a Leadership Summit to reflect, connect, play, and think big about how the Outdoor State can intentionally contribute to climate advocacy in the year ahead. This collective approach offers participants a window into the high impact opportunities available to build broad reaching systemic solutions to climate change.

I was PUMPED to be part of it.