This international observance day can be traced all the way back to 1992. This is when Chapter 12 of Agenda 21 was adopted by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. It was entitled “Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development” and brought the world’s attention to the importance of mountains and mountain ranges to the world.

On December 11th, and every day, MSI celebrates why mountains matter. Did you know almost one billion people live in mountain areas? And over half the human population depends on mountains for water, food and clean energy?

At Mountain Studies our work is foucsed on better understanding mountain ecosystems. From our work on forest health, to water quality monitoring, to educating the next generation of scientists, mountains impact each and every part of our work.

So today, celebrate mountains with MSI. Post your favorite mountain photo on our Facebook page. Share with us why mountains matter to you!