Hannah Bacon ’15 (CLAS) loved spending time at places like Horsebarn Hill during her student days at UConn. She especially loved hiking with her friends, many of whom shared her love of nature.

It made sense, then, that after graduating with a degree in Spanish and human rights, the New Milford native started working for an environmental nonprofit.

After she lost her job because of the COVID-19 pandemic, in October 2020 she flew across the country to visit friends in California.

Bacon was spending so much time reading and studying environmental issues that she made a decision during her time on the West Coast: she was going to walk home to raise awareness around the climate crisis.

That’s right – travel across the country on foot. Bacon started her journey on November 21, and plans to finish in Virginia sometime in the summer. She walks around 20 miles a day, and has made it to Texas as of this writing. Bacon typically sleeps at camp sites, and generous people along the way have provided her with hot meals and a place to say inside from time to time.

Her journey is being documented online at Miles For Climate, and donations are being accepted to benefit the Sunrise Movement, a youth-led grassroots organization making strides toward nation-wide policy on renewable energy, green jobs, and environmental justice.

Bacon’s trek can also be followed on Instagram at @milesforclimate.