Join CEBE (Center for Ecology Based Economy) at The Gem on Friday, February 20th 6:00pm, for two Protect Our Winters (POW) film screenings and a discussion on how warming winters are affecting outdoor recreation in the region. We will be screening Purple Mountains, Live Free or Die (31 mins) and Mountain Guides: Barometers of Change (7 mins). Join us for a social hour at 5:00 and meet Ania Wright and Richy Ainsworth from CEBE too!

Following the film, we will be joined by a panel of filmmakers and outdoor recreation professionals for a discussion on how our changing winters are affecting us in western Maine. This event intends to bring together snow lovers to consider what challenges we are facing and what collectively we can do.

Raffle prizes including ski passes and outdoor swag will follow the films and discussion! 

Film Synopsis for Purple Mountains, Live Free or Die: Professional snowboarder and POW founder Jeremy Jones has always had a deep connection to the outdoors. Itʼs not just his escape—itʼs his identity, his passion and his legacy. Growing up in New England, Jeremy carved out his beginnings in the mountains, but in the years since, heʼs witnessed troubling changes: wilder weather, fewer snow days and mountain towns struggling to survive. In this sequel to Purple Mountains, Jeremy returns to his roots in New Hampshire, revisiting the mountains that shaped him. Motivated to protect the places he loves, Jeremy embarks on a journey to bridge the political divide over climate change. He finds common ground with outdoor enthusiasts from all walks of life, understanding their hopes and fears while tackling the issue head-on—from the Mount Washington Valley to the unfrozen waters of Lake Winnipesaukee. With stunning visuals and raw emotion, Purple Mountains Live Free Or Die offers a timely perspective: we may stand on different sides of the climate debate, but our shared love for the outdoors can bring us together.

Film Synopsis for Mountain Guides: Barometers of Change: In 2010, POW Athlete Alliance Member Angela Hawse became the 6th female IFMGA mountain guide in the United States.

Mountain Guides – Barometers of Change, created by POW Creative Alliance member Chris Shane, follows Angela into the Arctic, where her life’s work collides with a rapidly shifting planet. As a guide, she’s spent decades leading people into some of Earth’s most awe-inspiring places and witnesses the impacts of climate change with her own eyes.

Guides stand on the front lines of our warming world. Angela believes that gives them a powerful voice, one that can inspire, educate, and mobilize people to protect the places we love most.

Created in collaboration with Polar Bears International and Black Diamond Equipment, and filmed during the 2025 UN International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, this story highlights how firsthand connection to threatened landscapes can turn all of us into lifelong ambassadors for the places we love.

Many thanks to CEBE for making this event possible!