Emily Tidwell has been a TREW ambassador for many years now, which means that we have gotten to watch as she has grown and evolved into the climate activist and inspirational storyteller that she is today. We count ourselves so incredibly lucky to have her in our small TREW family, and we hope that her candid reflection on her path to advocacy with POW and beyond can help to inspire, break down barriers, and show that there is nothing wrong with a little fear when doing good. Enjoy!

"Why can caring be so paralyzing?"

That was me. That’s how I had felt for years. Paralyzed.

I’d already been in the action sports industry for nearly a decade, living in mountain towns and spending my life capturing photos in the outdoors. Most of that time I had spent on Mt Hood, one of the mountainous areas of the Lower 48, rapidly losing its glaciers. I had worked as a tour guide at one point, educating people from far and wide about our incredible hiking trails and the delicate balance of our decaying ecosystem. While I was living there, I watched as once-healthy glaciers downgraded to snowfields, snow caves collapsed, and the increasing need to preserve our summer ski season turned to tons and tons of added salt on our snowpack.

In case you didn't know, Emily is an insanely talented photographer and storyteller.  

I had always been fascinated by the outdoors, climate; I’d taken the classes in college, read the books. But here I was. Knowing that the spaces around me were decaying, but I was completely stuck in fear. I’d never become the scientist I wanted to be; I was no expert in any field, not even photography, so who was I to stick my neck out? What would that do? My voice alone would never be enough to save the world. So why bother at all?

By the time I had heard about Protect Our Winters, I had moved to Reno. While I had seen the stickers before, slapped on ski lifts, Thule Toppers, Nalgenes, I’d never known what “POW” was. At that time, I was still in the funk of non-starting, and it was beginning to become a bother. I was having a harder time standing idly by, and I steadily found myself becoming “POW Curious”.

It was one day while I was perusing LinkedIn that I saw the announcement that a photo editor I had worked with had recently taken a job at POW. On an impulse, I sent him a message:

“Hey, I see you just started working at POW. Dude, SICK. I would absolutely love to be involved with anything that you all are doing. If there are ever any opportunities in the future, I would love to help.”

About two months later, I got invited to an event hosted by POW.

“SICK!”, I thought.

Wow, I’m finally going to get to do SOMETHING for our planet! I wonder what they want…but wait…why do they want me? What can I do? I’m just a photographer….Sure, I care, but I’m not a scientist; I’m no expert in any field, not even photography. Who am I to be invited to work with POW? What would that do? My voice alone would never be enough to save the world. So why bother at all?

I actually considered not going. But I stuck out my neck, and next thing I knew, I was in a room of incredibly intimidating creatives all there for the same reason, to pitch our next greatest idea to POW.

My SICK immediately went to SH*T.

I’d never pitched anything before, let alone anything about the climate, let alone to a huge group of people who I all considered better qualified for the job than I would ever be. After two days of brainstorming, I was still coming up blank.

Wow, I’m not meant for this space - after this whole thing? I’m going back to my wallow hole of unknowing. But, my name is up on the board, I have to present something, anything. I can’t back down now. Just go up there and give it your best.

I opted to pitch my “idea” second, I learned as a kid that if I was nervous, it was always best to get it done quickly. So I walked up, stood in front of my peers, all of whom I respected, and said,

“Hi. My name is Emily Tidwell, and I give a f*ck.”

A few nervous laughs and smiles came across the room,

“I give a f*ck about the bees, about the trees that grow in my backyard, about the planet, and about Winter. And that’s what I wanna do. I wanna tell stories about the places and things I love, and I’m so ready to.”

It was that piece of courage and curiosity that ultimately gave me the opportunity to join the Creative Alliance at Protect Our Winters. That led me to becoming the Creative Alliance Member of the Year in 2022, and led me to producing my first film about climate and climate anxiety in 2024, and becoming the Captain of my team last Fall.

There’s a concept we talk about a lot at POW: the act of imperfect advocacy. It’s the understanding that just because we are imperfect on our journey, it does not negate our willingness to try and improve. And if we wait for the day that we are “perfect” to begin a journey of change, we’ll simply never start. 

For years, I had been paralyzed. Paralyzed by caring, paralyzed by the fear that I would never be enough in that caring to do anything to push the needle. Paralyzed by my imperfect nature. It was the people and the community at POW that showed me my power. And what is that power? Caring and the willingness to share my story. 

I’m proud now to stick out my neck, to care, and to work with an organization continuing on the mission of clean air, clean water, and a healthy planet. Of knowing that together, we can protect our winters. Together we can make change. And that can be as simple as one story at a time. 

So take a leap, no matter how small.

Learn more about Protect Our Winters and consider getting involved in any way that feels right to you! As skiers and snowboarders, we love snow - and regardless of what side of the aisle you're on or your political leanings, the snow, mountains, and the very essence of our sport needs our help. 

The easiest thing to do is join team POW online. It's free and has zero commitment, but it gives you a look into the organization, offers you a huge wealth of educational resources, and provides you with a like-minded community where you can connect, ask questions, and learn.