The crowd went quiet as a group of Forest Rangers from the Honor Guard marched towards the flagpole.

First, the rangers hung the American flag, then the New York state flag, and finally they hung what’s known as a Progress Pride flag — which has rainbow stripes, black and brown stripes, and a triangle of white, pink and light blue stripes for the trans community.

Once the final flag was raised, the DEC’s Acting Commissioner Amanda Lefton walked up to the podium and began with a moment of silence for Mecus.

Mecus worked as a state Forest Ranger for 25 years and spent most of her career in the Adirondacks. Lefton, who took the helm of the DEC about a month ago, never knew Mecus but said she’s learned a lot recently from people who did.

Robbi Mecus (Provided photo — Emily Russell/NCPR)

“As I talked to people across the agency and have seen how much she has meant to them and how much she meant to this community and to this agency, it is really an honor to be here today to recognize her and her contributions,” said Lefton.

Mecus played a key role in some of the biggest rescues in the Adirondack High Peaks in the last decade. She pioneered the rangers’ technical rope program and formed a key connection with the local climbing community.

She was also an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, which has increasingly come under attack since President Donald Trump took office. Trump has signed several executive orders that erase trans people from federal policies.

At Wednesday’s flag raising, Lefton said the DEC has a role to play in this moment.

“We’re living in a world right now where there’s fear and there’s challenge, and as a land manager, as a big agency here at DEC, it’s critical that we are allies to show that these lands are for everyone and everyone is welcome here,” Lefton said.

A group of people gathered on Wednesday outside DEC headquarters in Ray Brook to honor Robbi Mecus and recognize Trans Day of Visibility. (Provided photo — Emily Russell/NCPR)

Mecus spread that message of welcoming and inclusivity through her activism. She helped organize the annual Adirondack Queer Ice Fest and mentored other queer climbers around the region. Mecus left a huge mark on this community and many people who knew her came to Ray Brook on Wednesday to honor her legacy.

One person who was very close to Mecus was Forest Ranger Chuck Kabrehl, who spoke about her legacy.

“Robbi believed strongly in making our division better for the next generation of rangers — owning our shortcomings, putting in the work to be better,” said Kabrehl.

Mecus regularly taught the recruits at the Forest Ranger Academy and was known as one of the best rangers in the state. But as Kabrehl said, Mecus was more than that.

“She was a nerd, an athlete, a hippie, a metalhead, and a proud, dedicated parent,” said Kabrehl.

Mecus’s young daughter was in the crowd on Wednesday with her mother’s arms wrapped around her. Mecus didn’t come out as trans to her family, friends, or fellow Forest Rangers until she was in her mid-40s. Kabrehl said that moment was eye-opening for him.

“I had always supported LGBTQ rights, but I hadn’t really considered trans rights an issue for me or my issue because I didn’t know anyone who was trans,” said Kabrehl, “except that I did, I just didn’t know it.”

According to the latest census data, there are more than 2 million trans people in the U.S. and more than 4 million people who identify as nonbinary. New York state and the DEC first recognized Trans Day of Visibility last year.

This year’s event lasted just 15 minutes. Afterward, folks caught up with friends and other rangers in the crowd. It’s been nearly a year since Mecus’s death, but rangers like Andrew Lewis say her absence is still deeply felt.

“Losing her as a source of inspiration and motivation and her technical expertise is huge. For me, personally knowing we were going to tackle something technical that day — if I was with Robbi, I felt safe and knew that everything was going to be just fine and I was going to learn a lot,” said Lewis.

You can’t replace 25 years of strength, skill and passion for the job, but Lewis is an example of someone Mecus mentored. She passed her expertise on to many rangers in the division. Lewis said she also made a broader impact on the DEC and Wednesday’s event was an example of that impact.

“I feel like it’s a testament to her efforts,” said Lewis. “Her experience transitioning and what she put forth in this division led directly to this day, in my opinion. I think she was one of the key leaders making these types of things possible now.”

Mecus changed many people’s lives in the Adirondacks, from the hikers she helped save in the mountains to the Forest Rangers and friends and others she came out to and turned into allies. Her legacy lives on in all those people.