A new campaign in the Mad River Valley aims to reshape how residents and visitors think about recreation — not as a right, but as a shared responsibility grounded in care, respect and gratitude.
Led by a coalition of conservation and recreation groups, the initiative — known as “Attitude of Gratitude” — is the latest outcome of the Mad River Valley Conservation and Recreation Visioning Project, a three-year effort to align outdoor use with environmental stewardship across the region.
The campaign launches June 4 with a public event at the Big Picture Theater, Waitsfield, where organizers plan to debut a short film, introduce a new website and invite the community to take part in a broader cultural shift around recreation.
INTERACTING
“This is really a project for today and a living project for the future,” said Misha Golfman, director of the Mad River Path. “What we’re trying to do is create a gentler, more responsible way for people to interact with the land — and with each other.”
Part of the campaign is a short, narrative-driven video that imagines the valley through the eyes of a future resident — someone who benefits from the choices people make today. The script evokes a place where forests, rivers and trails are not just used, but cared for: where dogs are leashed during bird nesting season, muddy trails are avoided and landowners are respected.
“I know none of this happens by accident,” the narrator says in the film. “You found balance between joy and care — between playing in this place and protecting it.”
RESPONSIBLE RECREATION
Golfman described the video as an entry point — a way to emotionally connect viewers to a broader set of principles that define responsible recreation in the valley.
Those principles, developed collaboratively by 16 local organizations, form the backbone of the campaign. They include being present in the moment, honoring the natural world’s right to exist, recognizing that access to land is a privilege, choosing care over convenience and welcoming others.
“We worked for years to articulate what responsible recreation actually means here,” Golfman said. “This is our synthesis — something that brings together ideas people may recognize, like Leave No Trace, but makes them specific to this place.”
SUSTAINABILITY
Laura Arnesen, director of the Mad River Valley Recreation District, said the effort reflects a growing need to balance increasing outdoor use with long-term sustainability.
“This was one of about 15 projects identified during the CRV process that we wanted to pursue beyond the initial planning work,” Arnesen said. “It’s really the first major project in what we’re calling the next phase.”
Attitude of Gratitude is designed to be both practical and participatory. In addition to the video and guiding principles, the campaign includes a website offering activity-specific guidance for everything from hiking and mountain biking to fishing, paddling and snowmobiling.
Some of that content builds on existing frameworks, such as the Vermont Mountain Bike Association’s rider responsibility code. In other cases, local groups created new material tailored to The Valley. For example, a chapter of Trout Unlimited contributed guidance on responsible fishing practices specific to area waterways.
VOLUNTARY PLEDGE
“We wanted this to be relevant,” Golfman said. “Not just general advice, but something that reflects how people actually use the land here.”
A key feature of the campaign is a voluntary pledge, which individuals, businesses and organizations will be encouraged to take. While symbolic, organizers hope the pledge will serve as a unifying gesture — reinforcing shared values across a wide range of users.
“The end goal is for as many organizations and businesses as possible to embrace this and integrate it into how they interact with their customers,” Golfman said.
That could take many forms, Arnesen said. The video may be shown before movies at local theaters, incorporated into orientation materials at outdoor recreation hubs or presented as part of the visitor experience at major destinations like Sugarbush Resort.
Organizers also plan to install signage at roughly 50 trailhead kiosks throughout The Valley, each featuring a QR code linking to the campaign’s website and principles.
VISIBLE AND ACCESSIBLE
“We want this to be visible and accessible,” Golfman said. “Something people encounter naturally as they’re out enjoying The Valley.”
Beyond infrastructure, the campaign includes plans for community engagement and education. In the months following the June launch, organizers hope to bring programming into local schools, offer workshops for businesses and continue refining the initiative based on feedback.
“There’s still work to do in terms of how we encourage people to take the pledge and really engage with it,” Arnesen said. “We want individuals to feel part of this, not just organizations.”
The project itself reflects that collaborative spirit. According to Golfman, funding came entirely from within The Valley, with contributions from conservation commissions, recreation groups and local businesses.
GRASSROOTS NATURE
“Everybody pitched in,” he said. “This is something that was built by the community, for the community.”
More than 30 volunteer actors participated in filming the campaign video, further underscoring the grassroots nature of the effort.
For organizers, that sense of shared ownership is essential. The campaign is not intended as a one-time message, but as an evolving framework — one that can adapt as recreation patterns shift and new challenges emerge.
“We envision this continuing to grow and improve over time,” Golfman said. “It’s not static.”
HAND IN HAND
Ultimately, the goal is to foster a mindset where stewardship becomes second nature, and where recreation enhances — rather than diminishes — the landscape.
“Responsible recreation and conservation don’t contradict each other,” Golfman said. “They go hand in hand.”
As the Mad River Valley prepares for the campaign’s public debut, Arnesen said that organizers want the message to resonate — not just with longtime residents, but with anyone who recreates in The Valley.
