Plateau Magazine June-July 2023

GROUP PHOTO SERENA SMITH' PHOTO OF JENNIFER PHARR DAVIS, KEITH WRIGHT
the years, she worked diligently to ensure
that both of her businesses, Blue Ridge
Hiking Company and JPD Trailblazer
Speaking & Writing, promoted sustainability
initiatives. For example, in the past
two years, her hiking company planted a
tree for every person who booked a hike
with them, and when she books a flight to
give a talk, she offsets the carbon emissions
by donating to clean energy nonprofits,
as well as offering to speak for free at
a school in the area. Last summer, she
and her family partnered with Sawyer
Products, a Florida-based water filtration
company, on an international service trip.
They traveled to remote villages in Fiji
to ensure the proper use of home water
filtration systems and to follow up on how
the established systems were working.
On an Instagram post during the trip,
Pharr Davis commented on her concerns
about traveling with young children
while also including them in the service
work, “I worried they might make everything
harder, but they actually made it so
much easier. They connect with people
immediately.”
Connections and community are at the
heart of what Pharr Davis hopes to promote
through her speaking, writing, and
advocacy efforts. Although businesses
may fear losing profits if they establish
environmentally friendly policies, Pharr
Davis explains that she found as she focused
on creating “healthy places” and
enacting sustainability initiatives, her
businesses' long-term profits improved.
Change doesn’t come without challenges,
and this summer, she’ll trade the cool
mountain air of Western North Carolina
for the warm, dry breezes of California
where she will sacrifice precious family
time in the short term as she begins
her studies at Berkeley. Referencing the
six-week separation from her loved ones,
Pharr Davis noted that she discussed it
with her children by sharing from one of
their favorite children’s books, The Lorax
by Dr. Seuss, wherein the Lorax states
that someone has “to speak for the trees.”
In 2020 when the world was consumed
by the chaos of the pandemic, Pharr Davis
released Positive Forward Motion, a short
film about the significance of connecting
with nature. “Time and time again, I saw
the trail give people what they needed.
This is a form of beauty, and encouraging
people to find beauty and make time for
beauty in their lives is important.” Com-
ing from a place of practical experience
uniquely positions her to use her voice to
make a positive difference and encourage
others to encounter the transformative
power and beauty of the environment.
Earning a Master’s degree in Public Affairs
is the next step in her journey to
speak from a place of knowledge and understanding
as she champions “all living
things.” P
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