On December 11th, 2019, the world paid special attention to mountain peoples and places for International Mountain Day (IMD). Government officials, researchers, mountaineers, environmentalists, mountain communities and students gathered with the objective of making mountain issues prominent for decision-makers.
Since 2003, the United Nations has designated December 11th as “International Mountain Day” to call attention to the world about the importance of mountains to life. IMD 2019 was celebrated in over 27 countries with conferences, talks, discussions, film screenings, and music and art performances. These celebrations come at a crucial time for mountain systems, which face unique and unprecedented threats to their sustainability.
IMD is a very special day for CMN: months went into planning a social media campaign, infographics, outreach materials and a special edition of the Canadian Mountain Podcast. CMN also sponsored IMD-themed events across the country, which included the 3rd Annual Haines Junction Mountain Festival in Jaines Junction, Yukon, and the Life @ Altitude 4.0. Mountain Culture Films at artsPlace in Canmore, Alberta.
CMN cupcakes at the IMD 2019 reception hosted by the University of Alberta
Infographics highlight key messages
The Canadian Mountain Network developed infographics for IMD 2019 to highlight key facts and figures showing the importance of mountains for all life on earth. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) also released fact sheets and presentations for the occasion.
Click on the images to download CMN’s infographics:
Special IMD podcast brings together mountain experts
CMN’s special edition podcast for IMD 2019 brought together a panel of experts discussing the impacts of climate change on mountain ecosystems and communities. The discussion features the perspectives of mountain researchers and guides who have contributed to The Alpine Club of Canada’s annual State of the Mountains Report.
Recipe and photo contest showcases mountain traditions
The Mountain Partnership Secretariat (MPS) held a photo contest focusing on healthy recipes reflecting the traditions of mountain peoples. The recipe contest received over 70 entries from 27 countries (view all the entries here). The winner was Ashmita Lama from the Sinja Valley in Nepal, who submitted the recipe for “Jumla Special Kwati”. She is value chain officer for Organic World and Fair Future, an eco-social company in Nepal and a member of the Mountain Partnership (MP).
Social media campaign reaches millions
This year, tweets using the hashtag #MountainsMatter reached more than 110 million users, and more than 100 articles were published by major national and international news outlets.
CMN’s social media campaign included 30 tweets for the event, which generated 145,297 impressions and 4,854 engagements in Twitter. A series of social media ads helped increase the reach and engagement of key mountain facts highlighted CMN’s infographics. CMN also shared FAO’s materials, the Alpine Club of Canada’s State of the Mountains Report and Canadian Geographic’s map of Canada’s mountains, among other materials from our partners.
Samples of CMN’s IMD tweets:
CMN thanks to all who joined us for IMD on December 11th, 2019! We hope even more mountain enthusiasts will join for the 2020 edition.