Liz snowshoeing on Boise National Forest, Idaho. Unceded Shoeshone-Bannock, Umatilla, and Walla Walla lands.

Photo courtesy Liz Fitzgerald

This profile was originally featured in our Fall 2023 Trail Break issue.

“How can you not appreciate and support Winter Wildlands Alliance’s enduring commitment to stewardship, conservation, and greater conservation of the public places we currently enjoy?“

As a “surfer girl” growing up on the beaches of southern California, Liz’s first exposure to winter play was a permanent move to Idaho in the early 70’s. She became a lover of all the seasons and the outdoor fun Boise offered, but found her best place in the snowscapes of Idaho winters. As a volunteer for WWA’s SnowSchool program since 2008, Liz has seen the wonder and excitement in junior “snow scientists” as they learn how important our snowpack and watershed is to their community, and as they experience (in some cases for the first time) how fun snow play can be on our public lands. 

Liz hopes her small part with SnowSchool and long- term WWA membership will help children understand the importance of respecting and protecting our public lands. She adds: “As I continue to recreate on our public lands each winter,” she adds, “I look out over the landscapes and wonder if what I benefit from today will be the same or better for future generations.”