International Mountain Day has its roots in 1992, when the adoption of Chapter 13 of Agenda 21 “Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development” at the United Nations (UN) Conference on Environment and Development put a milestone in the history of mountain development.

It is celebrated each year on December 11.

You can read a note from Peter Jacobs, the chair of the IUCN/ WCPA Mountain Specialist group about the significance of International Mountain Day here.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN, the theme of the 2022 day is ‘Women move mountains’.

‘Women play a key role in environmental protection and social and economic development in mountain areas. They are often the primary managers of mountain resources, guardians of biodiversity, keepers of traditional knowledge, custodians of local culture and experts in traditional medicine’.

 

I thought I would link to some of the stories we have posted here on Mountain Journal to acknowledge some of the women doing awesome things in our mountains. Some of these are several years old and in some cases, individuals have moved on from the work mentioned in the stories.

Bev Lawrence and Aviya Naccarella. Bev and Aviya have been working together at Mt Hotham on the environment program run by the Mount Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board (MHARMB). Story here.

Louise Perrin, Environmental Services/Mt Stirling Operations Manager| Alpine Resorts Victoria – Mt Buller Mt Stirling.  Story here.

Elizabeth MacPhee has been working across the Australian Alps for two decades, and has a life long commitment to helping repair degraded ecosystems in the Alps. Story here.

Georgina Boardman is the Technical Services and Environment Officer at the Mount Hotham Alpine Resort Management Board, where she and the rest of the Environmental Team work to protect the Mountain Pygmy Possum population on the mountain. Story here.

Bec Roberts, volunteer fire fighter. Story here.

Check here for the following stories:

Anne Chiew, VIC Backcountry Festival.

Jonica Newby, writer, educator and journalist.

Emma Elizabeth Sumner, alpine researcher.

Phoebe Roberts, volunteer with Wildcare Tasmania.

Chris Schuringa, Victorian Forest Alliance.

Jill Lyall, Tasmanian Wilderness Guides Association (TWGA)

 

I love to profile good people doing good work on this website (check some of the profiles here). If there is someone you would like to profile, please get in touch: cam.walker@foe.org.au

You can find details on International Mountains Day via the hashtag #MountainsMatter