Saving the Environment, One 390-Mile Journey at a Time

What’s the best way to get from Bar Harbor, Maine to Boston? By BIKE of course! Last month, MassCEC’s Lisa Dobbs and Anna Stern biked 390 miles through scenic Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts as part of the “Climate Ride Northeast.” Dobbs, Stern and their 117 fellow riders raised over $424,000 for organizations supporting clean energy and practices before embarking on a five-day ride down the coast. Each rider set up a fundraising campaign and chose whichever of the over 100 “environmentally friendly” beneficiaries Climate Ride supports.

For Climate Ride Northeast, the riders began in Bar Harbor, Maine and hit the finish line in our very own Boston Common. The bikers’ average ride was 50 – 100 miles daily through challenging yet beautiful landscapes. At the end of each day, they settled into a campground to rest. Speakers presented along the ride about a range of environmental topics from ocean conservation to how climate change affects women's health.In the seven years since the first Climate Ride, participants have raised over $2 million for sustainability, green technology, climate change remediation and active transportation. Climate Ride strives to raise awareness about climate change and demonstrate the ability of the bicycle to be a carbon-free, practical method of transportation. All Climate Ride events ban plastic bottles, while every support vehicle runs on vegetable oils. Climate Ride’s office buys carbon offsets to decrease their carbon footprint. 

If you are interested in learning more or participating in the next Climate Ride, visit www.climateride.org.