29th Annual James P. Taylor Outdoor Adventure Speaker Series
For more than a hundred years the Long Trail has inspired Vermonters to seek adventure in the Green Mountains and beyond. The James P. Taylor Outdoor Adventure Series, named after the man who first envisioned the Long Trail, brings such adventures to you through stories, photographs, and videos, held virtually for it’s 29th year. Join us from the comfort of your couch, regardless of time zone or pajamas, for an evening of entertainment and inspiration—a great way to spend an evening!
Admission is free with an optional donation. Proceeds support local sections and the GMC Education Program. All programs are conducted through Zoom Webinar. View “joining and participating in a webinar” if this is your first time using Zoom. When you register for a presentation you’ll receive a confirmation e-mail with instructions on how to join the presentation.
Upcoming 2021 Taylor Series Presentations
Stonewalls & Cellar Holes
Samantha Ford
Thursday, December 17, 7:00 P.M.
Discover how to “read” old forested farmscapes and agricultural architecture to trace 300 years of land use history in Vermont. Stone walls, cellar holes, old roads, and other mysteries “lost” in the woods reveal stories of the families who shaped the landscape as we see it today.
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Sam’s passion for history extends back nearly three decades, when her parents found her watching the History Channel instead of Saturday morning cartoons. She discovered her interest in genealogy at 16, and has been within arm’s reach of a book ever since. When she graduated with her MSc. in Historic Preservation from the University of Vermont in 2013, Sam headed west to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where a burgeoning career in field teaching first took hold. As the Director of Historical Research and Outreach at the Jackson Hole Historical Society & Museum, a staff training for local wildlife guides became a jumping off point into interpreting history for self-identified “non-historians.” She returned home to Vermont in 2015, where the history is deeper and the woods greener. Sam prefers to learn and teach outside, replacing the book stacks of her youth with hardwood forests. Sam’s happiest when others are inspired to share their own personal history with her during a walk in the woods. Sam is the owner of Turn Stone Research.
Awe, Community & the Outdoors: A Perfect Trifecta
Mirna Valerio
Thursday, January 7, 7:00 P.M.
Spending time in the outdoors and having awe-filled experiences increases a sense of community, resilience, joy and offers people the opportunity to find common (literal) ground.
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Mirna Valerio is a native of Brooklyn, NY, a former educator, cross-country coach, ultramarathoner, and author of the bestselling memoir, A Beautiful Work in Progress. Although she began running in high school, she recommitted to the sport after a health scare in 2008 and started her blog Fatgirlrunning—about her experiences as a larger woman in a world of thinner endurance athletes— while training for her first marathon. Mirna’s athletic story has been featured in the WSJ, Runner’s World, on NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in the viral REI-produced documentary short, The Mirnavator. Her writing has been featured in Women’s Running Magazine, Self Magazine Online, Outside Online, and Runner’s World Magazine. In 2018 she was chosen as a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, and most recently appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show, Access Hollywood, and the LLBean short, Running Through Barriers.
Paddling the Mississippi
Maya Dizack
Thursday, January 21, 7:00 P.M.
Inspired by a daydream in a boring lecture, UVM graduate Maya Dizack (’20) spun a summer adventure into an academic project. In the summer of 2019, Dizack kayaked the Mississippi River and sampled for microplastic abundance alongside fellow student Michael McGuire (’20) who served as a documentarian and support. Over 2,152 miles, they navigated an unprecedented flooding season, experienced countless acts of kindness, and worked towards a scientific objective. Since completing the trip, Dizack has been analyzing samples as the youngest documented woman to have paddled the Mississippi River solo. On the other hand, McGuire has been creating a film to disseminate scientific findings to people of all different educational backgrounds, especially those that inhabit the Mississippi River Basin. Dizack will be discussing her time on the river, sampling design, and how this research plays a greater role in understanding the state of our environment and society.
Day Hiking and Other Adventures in Newfoundland, Canada
Rich & Sheri Larsen
Thursday, February 11, 7:00 P.M.
Newfoundland has a lot to offer: great hiking, beautiful scenery, unusual geology, interesting history, good birding, and more. Rich and Sheri Larsen traveled to Newfoundland last summer and spent two and a half weeks day hiking and exploring the island. Join them to learn more about visiting Newfoundland and see photos from their trip.
The Climate Fight, A Report from the Front
Bill McKibben
Thursday, February 18, 7:00 P.M.
An author, environmentalist, and activist, Bill McKibben is the Schumann Distinguished Scholar in Environmental Studies at Middlebury College. In 1988 he wrote The End of Nature, the first book for a common audience about global warming. His most recent book is Falter, Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? He is a co-founder and Senior Advisor at 350.org, an international climate campaign that works in 188 countries around the world.
The Vermont African American Heritage Trail
Curtiss Reed, Jr.
Thursday, March 4, 7:00 P.M.
Curtiss Reed, Jr, founder of the Vermont African Heritage Trail, will discuss the creation of this initiative to expand Vermont’s economy through attracting tourists from the rapidly growing multicultural marketplace; and to teach Vermont students about the important role and contributions of Vermonters of African heritage since before the founding of the state through more contemporary times.
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Curtiss Reed, Jr. is executive director of Vermont Partnership for Fairness & Diversity. Curtiss fell in love with the Green Mountains while on a cross country ski trip in picture postcard perfect Vermont during the Nor’easter of 1978. Prior to working with Vermont Partnership Curtiss spent 18 consecutive years as an expatriate mostly in Africa with travels to over 45 countries. An avid cyclist, Curtiss has ridden his bicycle across the United States and Europe. He lives in Brattleboro.
50 Years of Caretaking on Stratton Mountain
Hugh & Jeanne Joudry
Thursday, March 25, 7:00 P.M.
Ever wonder what it would be like to live in a small cabin on top of a mountain for a summer? How about 50 summers… Sit back, relax, and enjoy a presentation from GMC caretakers Hugh and Jean Joudry about their half-century of fire watching, caretaking, and interreacting with thousands of hikers on Stratton Mountain.
The Taylor Series is sponsored by GMC’s fourteen sections, local businesses, and other friends of the club.
$1,000+ Corporate Sponsors
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$500 – $999 Business Members
