Women in Conservation Unite-Hike!

By: Amanda Lamm, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Writing Intern

On Friday, March 14th, we here at Beaver Creek celebrated women in conservation with an informative PowerPoint presentation and 1.5 mile hike on our trails, amongst Silver Maples in the midst of tapping season. 

The evening began inside the Wise Nature Center, where staff members gave a presentation on women’s representation in the field of conservation. Attending the event were women of all ages and from all walks of life; some worked in the field of conservation and others simply appreciated it. We gathered to learn about the lack of representation of women in this field and to celebrate the accomplishments of the phenomenal women, such as marine biologist and writer, Rachel Carson, chemical engineer and former administrator to EPA, Lisa P. Jackson, Potawatomi botanist and author, Robin Wall Kimerer, and English zoologist, primatologist, and anthropologist, Jane Goodall. 

After the presentation, we headed outside on the beautiful early-spring evening and made our way along the yellow trail, field guides and binoculars in hand, hoping to catch sight of a wing or two in motion. Along the trail, we spotted a few birds (namely two noisy geese), a few whitetail deer, dozens of Silver Maples, and glacier-like sheets of ice still clinging to life on the shores of Beaver Creek. We, a community of women, celebrated women in conservation in the best way we knew how; sharing knowledge, getting outside, and acquainting ourselves with each other and the promise of spring.