WESTERN NEW YORK

Meet your chapter leader: Teresa Vincent, she/her

Teresa is a lifelong Girl Scout and avid hiker in Buffalo/Western New York who logged over 125 miles on trails all over New York and Massachusetts in 2022. Her body liberation philosophy is to support individuals of all abilities to explore nature in a safe group free of judgment, weight/diet talk, or gatekeeping. There will be trails regularly included for different ability levels and some with wheelchair-accessibility or for individuals who use mobility aids (despite the fact that too many outdoor spaces are not designed with ALL users in mind). Teresa is also a trained mindfulness facilitator and will create opportunities for intention setting and mindful pauses on all BLHC hikes.

As a member of the Feminist Bird Club of Buffalo, Teresa also has a keen interest in birding and will share some trails that take advantage of Buffalo’s globally unique location as a migratory path for many birds, including bald eagles, snowy owls, and others. Western New York offers varied terrain between two Great Lakes so hikes will be a mix of majestic waterfalls and inspiring gorges, hardwood forests with old growth trees, and quiet natural spots that are often overlooked.

Favorite place to hike? It is too hard to pick one favorite spot to hike in WNY, but any day spent out on the trail is a good day.

Favorite book and podcast? The poetry of “Mary Oliver” and “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer. She is a regular listener of the podcast “We Can Do Hard Things” and was even featured in episode 162.