On Digital Advocacy Saving the Planet While Preserving Our Humanity

Whether you hike, bike, camp, climb, hunt, ride, paddle, paint, garden—whatever way you get out and enjoy nature, you leave an impact on the outdoors every time you step out your front door. Every step your boots take down dusty trails, every bolt your clip draws into, every time you cruise down a dirt road, till the soil, you leave an impact.  
 
Outdoor recreation inherently leaves an impact on the land, but we can work to offset that impact by advocating for earth in our own circles, online and in our neighborhoods. The question is, can we use the digital space to protect the outdoors while still protecting our human spirit?
 
We all share a responsibility to protect our planet––especially those of us in the outdoor industry––and in the digital age, access to advocacy is abundant. Social media hands us the tools to get educated, gather resources, organize and empower ourselves on whatever slice of the “save the planet” pie tickles your appetite to do good. The opportunity and potential for digital advocacy is dizzying––but what happens when we begin to tangle our personal identities with our pursuit of saving a dying earth? As users of public lands, we have an ethical responsibility to the planet. As inhabitants of our identities, we have an ethical responsibility to ourselves, too.
 
Inside, the book covers topics like:

• The two types of advocacy
• Becoming an advocate for the outdoor industry
• Voting for the outdoor spaces you love the most
• The advocacy retention cycle
• Online bullying and stalking

 

Katie Boué is a Cuban-American outdoor advocate, freelance writer + social media expert, professional adventurer, climber, public speaker, former van-dweller, and public lands wonk. She is Miami-raised and traded flat Florida swamps for a life of exploring mountains, camping in the desert, and playing in the snow. Boué currently lives in Salt Lake City, UT with her partner Brody Leven and dog named Spaghetti. Katie’s love of being outside and sharing wild spaces is the focus of her work in the outdoor recreation industry. She sees opportunity for empowerment, empathy, and action in every outdoorist–and she wants to help the outdoor community do good, from public lands policy + sustainability, to better access + inclusion in our parks and in the media. In 2019, Katie founded the Outdoor Advocacy Project, an initiative building a powerful collective of outdoor advocates through education and action on stewardship, sustainability, and community ethics. As a consultant, Katie has brought her social media expertise to organizations like Outdoor Alliance, Outdoor Industry Association, American Alpine Club. In the media, she’s been featured by CNN, Outside Magazine, BACKPACKER, The Denver Post, and more.

 
 
 
 
Contents
 
 
 
ForewordbyTomThibodeau................................... xi
Opening............................................................... 1
Orientation: Intention of the Work......................... 7
Interviews with Servant Leaders: Stories and
Insights from the Field....................................... 9
PAST:ReflectingonFoundationsofthe
Journey(WhereWeHaveBeen)................ 11

• Earliest Examples................................. 11

FUTURE: Creating Our Aspirations of the Horizon (Where We Are Going)............................................. 33

• Mission of Our Era................................ 33
• Nurture the Next Generation................. 55

PRESENT: Living with Intention as We Walk (What We Are Doing)................................................... 67
ix
x                          Cultivating a Servant Heart

• Personal Mission and Values................. 67
• Renew Your Soul................................... 97
• Most Important Task.......................... 109

Terms: Leadership, Servant Leadership, and the Inward Journey 121
Reflection........................................................ 133
Your Inward Journey......................................... 137

• Self-Reflection Questions.............................. 137
• Action Plan................................................. 143

Notes............................................................... 147
Bibliography..................................................... 151
Biographies...................................................... 155
About the Author............................................... 161