Veronica Coptis (she/her) is a Senior Advisor at Taproot Earth. Growing up beside a large underground coal mine in Appalachia, she experienced firsthand the impacts of the fossil fuel industry and was inspired to organize for systemic change. Veronica calls the Appalachian Mountains and the Monongahela River home, places that offer grounding, renewal, and a deep sense of belonging, comfort, and connection on the hardest days.