The SNO team has been busy over the past couple of weeks attending four conferences that are shaping how we think about our work and sustainability in mountain towns: the Mountain Towns 2030 (MT2030) Climate Summit in Sun Valley Iaho, the inaugural Montana Solid Waste and Recycling Conference, the inaugural Cold Climate Building Conference, and the YTCC Clean Transportation Summit.
Big Sky Sustainability leaders At MT2030
Left to right: Boz Boswell (Yellowstone Club), Amy Fonte (Big Sky Resort), Natacha Sagel (Big Sky Resort), Zosia Skiba (Big Sky SNO), Dani Vincent (Yellowstone Club).
Our Takeaways
MT2030 Climate Summit: Mountain Communities Leading the Way.
The Mountain Towns 2030 Climate Summit brings together leaders from mountain towns, resorts, and rural communities working toward a shared goal: carbon neutrality. This year’s gathering in Sun Valley offered an opportunity to learn how communities like ours are turning climate commitments into action. Zosia, SNO’s Sustainability Coordinator, attended alongside representatives from Big Sky Resort and Lone Mountain Land Company.
How we approach an issue matters. The way we frame a challenge and process shapes the outcome. In mountain communities, connecting sustainability to shared priorities can help turn ideas into meaningful action.
Look for unique ways to do things. The best solutions often come from rethinking the usual approach. It was inspiring to see how mountain communities are creating unique relationships to help create stoke around sustainable actions.
Lean on others for help. No mountain town is solving this alone, and shared knowledge moves us all forward. One standout example was the collaboration among Vail Resorts, Alterra, and Boyne Resorts. Even as competitors, they share an interest in climate action and recognize the value of working together.
Montana Solid Waste and Recycling
In its inaugural year, this conference brought together solid waste and recycling businesses and organizations from across Montana and neighboring states to share challenges, explore solutions, and discuss what’s working in waste reduction and recycling.
Consistency is key. Recycling and composting programs work better when people know what to do. Clear, consistent signage and communication can make participation easier, whether at a community event, a business, or a public collection site.
Team education is important. Public education is essential, but so is training the people who run waste and recycling operations. When staff understand the process and the reasons behind it, that knowledge carries into daily decisions and conversations with the community.
Zosia Skiba (Big Sky SNO) and Garret Wright (MSU Sustainability) at the Montana Solid Waste and Recycling conference
Dylan Hoffman (SNO board member) and Zosia Skiba (Big Sky SNO) at the Montana Solid Waste and Recycling conference
Cold Climate Conference: Building Science for the Northern Rockies
Also in its first year, this conference connected nationally recognized building science experts with regional professionals to exchange ideas, share proven construction practices, and learn from one another’s experiences building in cold climates.
Better buildings start with a whole-building approach. Insulation, ventilation, heating, and other systems all influence one another. Considering them together helps create buildings that are more comfortable, efficient, and resilient.
Everyone on the job can make a positive impact. Practical education helps turn knowledge into action. Bringing builders, designers, contractors, and building science experts together creates opportunities to ask questions, share experience, and apply proven practices to local projects.
Collaboration strengthens our building community. Through Build Better Big Sky, we’re connecting people with the resources and relationships that support better buildings. The conference reinforced how much we can learn from one another and the value of our work bringing people together.
Cold Climate Conference: Build Better Big Sky
SNO’s Executive Director, Lizzie Peyton, talks about SNO’s Build Better Big Sky program at the Cold Climate Conference.
YTCC Clean Transportation Summit
Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities works to reduce petroleum use and advance sustainable transportation through alternative fuels and other mobility solutions. Its Clean Transportation Summit brought regional experts together to explore those solutions and build partnerships.
Sustainable transportation can also mean safer transportation. Expanding transportation options can help people get around more safely, a priority in Big Sky, where traveling the canyon is part of so many people's daily lives.
Regional mobility is important. Every mountain town approaches transportation differently, but many of our challenges cross community boundaries. Connecting local efforts across the region can help us make greater progress together.
How We’re Putting This Into Practice
We’re leaving these four conferences inspired, and we’re eager to bring that energy into our work and share it with the community. With ski season approaching and after last year's difficult winter, our goal is to keep advancing our climate action plan and pass that inspiration on to others so future generations can enjoy many more amazing winters.
