Climate Strides Returns to Central Park! We are excited to announce *five* Climate Strides events at NYC Climate Week. Addie talks about the upcoming events, what to expect and how to get involved. Thanks to Protect Our Winters who came on board as the presenting sponsor for these activations. Hope to see you there!

This week, I spoke with Emma Mary Murray — textile artist, place-based educator, and environmental storyteller stitching climate realities into fabric, flags, and community.

Emma joined me from Mount Desert Island, Maine, where she’s somehow managing to maintain a thriving career as an artist while teaching full-time. Her work is rooted in craft and kinship: an approach that blends personal ritual with planetary care, using slow art to tell fast-moving stories about aspects of the planet we’re losing and the one we’re still building.

In this conversation, Emma shares what it means to create climate art that isn’t just decorative but, rather, declarative. From glacier flags to embroidered landscapes to collaborative workshops, she’s turning thread into a form of truth-telling.

We talked about:

• Her formative climate “aha” moment at Chewonki’s Maine Coast Semester

• Her journey from outdoor guide and climber to embroidery artist

• Her experience as artist-in-residence with the North Cascades Glacier Climate Project and creating “impact flags” in the field

• How teaching her slow art craft is helping people reconnect with themselves and each other

• How Maine’s Island Explorer bus inspired her belief in public transit as a rural climate solution

Links

• Emma Mary Murray

• North Cascades Glacier Climate Project

• Shaped By Ice art show in Seattle

• Island Explorer

• Jill Pelto, climate artist and NCGCP art director

• No Man’s Land Film Festival

• American Alpine Club

• Maine Coast Semester at Chewonki
  

Keywords:
climate art, glacier loss, North Cascades, embroidery, storytelling, public transit, Mount Desert Island, climate education, slow craft, community art, place-based learning, youth climate action, teaching, glacial data, American Alpine Club, No Man’s Land Film Festival, climate grief, adaptation, handmade advocacy, rural climate solutions, Chewonki, activism

This week, we are joined by Emme Hayes - former fashion designer, backcountry guide, and the founder of Articles In Common, a resale marketplace reshaping outdoor culture through circularity and climate advocacy.

Emme joined me just days after we met - because sometimes you have a conversation so powerful, you need to keep it going. She brings a rare dual perspective: both insider experience from the apparel and outdoor industries, and the fierce clarity of someone who’s decided to build something better. In this conversation, Emme breaks down the systems that prop up extractive gear culture - and how she’s working to replace them with models rooted in reuse, transparency, and justice. From climbing shoes to climate anxiety, she’s asking the questions the outdoor industry doesn’t want to face.

We talked about:

• Her “no going back” moment after working in fashion and seeing the waste firsthand

• Why outdoor brands often center access, but not climate, in their advocacy

• The deeper problem behind “buy better”—and why sustainable apparel is a myth

• How Articles in Common makes secondhand gear a climate solution, not just a lifestyle

• Building Wild for Climate - a new community hub for creatives and athletes who want to speak out without brand interference

• Articles in Common
  

• The Resole Project
  

• Wild for Climate
  

• Earthjustice
  

• Center for Biological Diversity
  

• NRDC
  

• Defenders of Wildlife
  

• Stand.earth
  

• Friends of the LA River
  

• Ellen MacArthur Foundation
  

• BLM Wildlife & Wild Horse Program
  

• Solar ship

  
  

Keywords:
climate action, resale, circular economy, circularity, secondhand gear, sustainable fashion, outdoor industry, environmental storytelling, Articles In Common, PFAS, overconsumption, public lands, climate anxiety, policy advocacy, backcountry guiding, marine protection, wild horses, BLM, outdoor brands, greenwashing, outdoor community, brand sponsorship, fashion industry, gear culture, re-commerce, climate justice

This episode was recorded live at TrailCon during the panel Sustainability, Stewardship and Climate Action in Trail Running. It brought together four powerful voices from across the outdoor and climate worlds: Gerard Vila (Kilian Jornet Foundation), Rory Fuerst Jr. (Keen Footwear), Kelly Newlon (Real Athlete Diets), and Scott Jurek (ultrarunner + Protect Our Winters). From cleaning up PFAS in global supply chains to stewarding sensitive mountain ecosystems, each guest shared their personal climate “aha” moments and the stakes they see on and off the trail.

We cover:

• The fragility of the mountain ecosystems we run in
• What it means to "clean up" a supply chain
• How trail maintenance can be climate protection
• The links between air quality, wildfire smoke and running
• How to engage politically… without preaching
• Behavior change, imperfect advocacy and community-led action
  

Trail running isn’t separate from climate - it’s part of it. And this conversation offers reminders and roadmaps for how our sport, our industry, and our communities can show up.

Guest Bios

🎙 Gerard Vila is Director of the Kilian Jornet Foundation, working to preserve mountain environments through education, science, and on-the-ground stewardship.

🎙 Rory First Jr. leads R&D and innovation at Keen and has spent decades inside global footwear supply chains.

🎙 Kelly Newlon is a chef, athlete agent, and founder of RAD Boulder (Real Athlete Diets), with extensive experience supporting climate expeditions around the world.

🎙 Scott Jurek is an ultrarunning legend and member of Protect Our Winters’ Athlete Alliance, bringing his decades of environmental advocacy to the trails and the policy table.

Keywords:
trail running, climate action, outdoor community, sustainability, athlete activism, clean air, clean water, wildfire smoke, trail maintenance, ecosystem protection, PFAS, behavior change, endurance sports, climate storytelling, environmental policy, glacier melt, fresh water, supply chain, imperfect advocacy, mountain ecosystems

For this episode, I sat down in person at TrailCon with Kristina Randrup—an ultrarunner, wildlife ecologist, and PhD student at the University of Washington studying blue whale populations. Kristina joined me just after winning the 18K at Broken Arrow Skyrace to talk about her lifelong relationship with ecology, her early start in ultrarunning, and what it means to split your life between rigorous academic research and long days in the mountains.

We discussed growing up on the East Bay trails, the future of large cetaceans and what it means to defend public lands not just as a user, but as a scientist. Kristina is the kind of guest who’s equally comfortable talking about Bayesian modeling as she is about the finish-line chaos of major ultra races. Whether she’s running 100K races or analyzing blue whale stock assessments, she brings a level of curiosity and humility that feels especially rare - and especially needed - in both science and sport.

We talk about:

• What it’s like to grow up running ultras - and having her mom sign her up for her first 50K

• Why she almost didn't get into her PhD program—and how she ended up studying blue whales (and why it’s important to study them!)

• Why data modeling is powerful, but not everything—and how Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) is finally being taken seriously

• The case for embracing multiple ways of being outdoors, without hierarchy or gatekeeping

• The connection between running, science and place

Links

• Natural Climate Solutions – The Nature Conservancy

• Kristina’s paper about natural climate solutions for Washington

• Dr. Trevor Branch – UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences

• The Boldt decision

• More about the Boldt decision

• IWC large cetaceans population estimates

• International Whaling Commission

• North Atlantic Right Whales

• New paper on baleen whales and climate change

• Bayesian modeling

• Camas!

• More Camas

• Dr. Lydia Jennings – Soil Scientist & Advocate

• Run to Be Visible – Patagonia film feat. Lydia Jennings

• Polar bears and traditional ecological knowledge

Can you tell I interviewed a PhD researcher? Links galore! :)

Keywords: climate science, marine mammals, trail running, ultrarunning, blue whales, public lands, outdoor equity, environmental science, PhD student, GIS, Bayesian modeling, natural climate solutions, whale conservation, University of Washington, outdoor community, Indigenous knowledge, traditional ecological knowledge, land sovereignty, recreation access, seal overpopulation, Broken Arrow, Brooks Trail Team, science communication

For this episode, I spoke with Fabrice Perrin, the Director of Sports, Community and Sustainability at UTMB, the world’s largest trail running event series. We sat down in Olympic Valley the day before the start of Western States (which he was preparing to run) to talk about the new sustainability policies UTMB is implementing across its Mont Blanc races, what it means for athletes and organizers, and some of the tougher questions on why the race series formulated these new measures the way they did. 

We talk about:

• The newly announced pillars around sustainability for the race - commit, measure, reduce, offset

• Why travel makes up over 85% of UTMB’s footprint—and how the race is trying to change that

• How the race is trying to promoting behavior change, and the mechanics of the lottery weighting clause 

• What it means to offset emissions responsibly, and why UTMB didn’t make that cost optional (or cover it for runners themselves) 

• The tension between climate action and access: who gets to race, and what does it cost?
  

UTMB approached me about having this conversation, and I was glad to have the opportunity to dig in. I called upon a few friends who are members of the PTRA to gather more questions than the ones my research prompted - a special shout-out to Dakota Jones for helping me thoroughly prepare for this conversation. 

Links:

• UTMB's Sustainability Commitment 

• UTMB’s Social Media Announcement 

• Pro Trail Runners Association (PTRA’s) response

• Protect Our Winters (POW) France

• UTMB Go – Carbon Footprint Planning Tool

• Renewable Energy Credits 101

• EcoAct (current offset partner)

• Paris Agreement summary (UNFCCC)
  

Keywords:

trail running, climate action, sustainable events, UTMB, ultra running, carbon offsets, weighted lottery, environmental policy, outdoor industry, equity, endurance sports, clean transportation, public transit, sustainable racing, offsetting ethics, global warming, glacier melt, climate storytelling, climate, sport, emissions reduction

For this episode, Addie sat down with Maddie Hart - a trail and ultra runner, environmental consultant, and the founder of Hart Athletic Co., a new sustainability consulting initiative for endurance events. Maddie is based in the Bay Area (shoutout to the Pacifica trails and the iconic Taco Bell Cantina) and joined me to talk about her path from skiing and horse riding to 100-mile ultras, the state of renewable energy, and how she’s helping races cut waste, emissions, and greenwashing.

We talk about:

• Why we need to move away from climate perfectionism and toward meaningful, measurable change

• What it’s like to go from burnout in the clean energy sector to launching her own consulting business

• Her approach to certification, tailored to the realities of each event and community

• What it means to show up with skin in the game—as a runner, racer, and trail user

• The carbon footprint of finish-line beer (yes, it’s a thing) and what races can do about it

This episode is for anyone who’s curious about building something from scratch, shaping the future of trail events, or turning frustration into action.

Links

• Hart Athletic Co.

• CleanPowerSF (Community Choice Aggregator)

• TerraCycle – Zero Waste Boxes

• EPA Guide to Renewable Energy Credits (RECs)

• High Lonesome 100

• Javelina Jundred

• Western Colorado University – Environment & Sustainability Program

• Runners for Public Lands

Let me know what stood out to you - especially if you're a race director, athlete, or organizer thinking about how to make your event more sustainable. Or if you just want to talk trail snacks and carbon sinks.

Keywords:
climate action, sustainable racing, trail running, ultra running, Hart Athletic Co., endurance events, renewable energy, race sustainability, green sports, eco-friendly races, electrification, clean energy transition, waste reduction, carbon offsetting, zero waste, environmental consultant, outdoor industry, TerraCycle, RECs, climate communication, trail race emissions, climate and sport, public lands advocacy, inclusive outdoor community, sustainable event certification

For this episode, I spoke with Jordan Wright, a strategic communicator, creative campaigner, and storytelling force behind POW Europe (Protect Our Winters). Jordan is based in West Wales - yes, the land of rocky coastlines, cold surf, and long, rainy winters - and she joined me to talk about the path from brand designer to climate campaigner, what it's like to organize across 10+ European teams, and how storytelling can move people to action.

We talk about:

• The aha moment that moved her from graphic design into the climate space

• The unique structure of POW Europe and why localized campaigns matter

• Why climate storytelling needs to balance urgency with hope—and fear with action

• Messaging strategies that cut through the noise (hint: “you should do this” doesn’t land)

• Her take on circular design as a favorite climate solution, with a shoutout to UK brand Finisterre

Plus: how growing up surfing in Wales, volunteering with Surfers Against Sewage, and witnessing climate impacts firsthand in British Columbia all shaped the work she’s doing today.

This one’s full of insight for anyone trying to communicate climate clearly, organize across borders, or just figure out how to plug in with imperfection and purpose.

Links:

• Jordan’s Linkedin

• Protect Our Winters Europe

• International Year of Glacier Preservation

• POW x Icebreaker’s “Downstream” film on glacier retreat

• POW Austria’s Glacier Funeral

• Sesame Street Water Conservation Cartoon PSA

• Surfers Against Sewage

• The DO Lectures

• Finisterre’s circular wetsuit program

Keywords
climate change, environmental storytelling, outdoor recreation, nature connection, strategic communications, POW Europe, climate advocacy, surfing, circular design, imperfect advocacy, climate campaigns, athlete activism, glacier preservation, low-carbon travel, climate messaging, European climate movement, sustainability, community engagement, climate resilience, environmental activism, storytelling strategies, climate policy, brand strategy, creative campaigning

This week we welcome Isaias Hernandez, aka Queer Brown Vegan, to the podcast. Our conversation explores Isaias's journey into environmentalism, their childhood experiences, and the importance of climate literacy. Isaias shares their 'aha' moment regarding climate change, the struggles with representation in the environmental space, and the founding of their media platform.

We talk about:

• Queer ecology and queer environmentalism

• Depictions of outdoor recreation and the privileges of that space

• Relationship to the natural world as a basis for a career in climate education

• The Queer Brown Vegan series “Teaching Climate Together”

• Foraging!

Links:

Queer Brown Vegan Instagram

Queer Brown Vegan Website

Queer Ecology

Petromasculinity

Teaching Climate Together

More on fungi tech (this one focuses on leather but a google search brings up much more)

Keywords

climate change, environmental education, queer ecology, climate literacy, Queer Brown Vegan, outdoor recreation, environmentalism, climate communication, intersectionality, representation, foraging, climate education, community building, environmental justice, heteronormativity, climate solutions, inclusivity

Addie is joined this week by Maggie Lemere, a documentary filmmaker and storyteller, as she shares her journey into the world of climate awareness and environmental storytelling. She discusses her background in human rights and how it intersects with environmental issues, her experiences growing up surrounded by nature, and the importance of storytelling in connecting people to climate issues. 

We talk about: 

• Redefining environmental activism and the need for diverse representation in climate narratives

• The transformative power of outdoor experiences 

• The intersection of human rights and the environment 

• Her work with National Geographic and her current film projects 

• Paddling the Potomac and walking across the Serengheti (casual) 

Links

Maggie’s Website

Maggie Instagram 

Ashoka

Maggie’s Book Nowhere To Be Home 

Doc Society 

Nat Geo Explorers

Maggie’s Explorer Page

Boundary Waters 

Nat Geo’s Great Migration Trip

NOLS

Vs. Goliath 

Cancer Alley

Pacific Climate Warriors 

Matagi Mālohi

Not Too Late Book

Keywords

climate change, environmental storytelling, documentary filmmaking, human rights, outdoor recreation, nature connection, Indigenous communities, climate awareness, storytelling strategies, National Geographic, filmmaking, climate crisis, environmental activism, storytelling, Palestinian culture, documentary, regenerative agriculture, community impact, oral history