Outdoor Allies: Kristin Murphy

Ever wondered how you can do more for public lands but you aren’t sure where to start? Outdoor Alliance’s Outdoor Allies series explores how other outdoor adventurers got their start in advocacy work and their advice for how you can harness your passion for the outdoors into advocacy for the land and water you love. Kristin Murphy lives in Chicago, IL and is the Government Affairs Associate for Audubon Great Lakes, which is a regional office of National Audubon Society. Prior to her time at Audubon, she worked in Washington D.C. as the Campaign Coordinator for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Coalition, and she was thrilled to see permanent and full funding of LWCF signed into law as part of the Great American Outdoors Act. She is a member of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy Next Generation Advisory Council and has been working in the environmental policy and advocacy field for 3 years.

Tell us about your relationship with the outdoors – what do you like to do outside?

Growing up, I spent summers swimming and playing in freshwater lakes and to this day I have an instinctual need to be in the water all summer long. I didn’t go camping for the first time until I was 20, but now I absolutely love falling asleep under the stars to the sounds of the birds and the bugs, and then waking up to go on a hike through the woods or to a beautiful overlook. I also enjoy taking photos in the outdoors, sometimes on a DSLR but usually just on my phone!

What first got you into the field of advocacy work?

I did an internship with the Student Conservation Association in 2014 at Canyonlands National Park and that year was Canyonlands’ 50th birthday. Celebrating that milestone really put the importance of our environmental laws into perspective for me and it blew my mind that decision makers during the 60s and 70s recognized the damages that humans were causing and worked in a bipartisan way to pass so many of our bedrock environmental laws. I decided then that advocating to protect and improve environmental laws is what I wanted to do professionally and where I felt that I could make the most impact.

What are the big issues that you’re working on right now?

Professionally, it’s definitely climate change. Last year Audubon released a scientific report, which showed us that 2/3 of North American bird species are at risk of extinction due to climate change. But there is hope, and if we take action now we can protect hundreds of bird species and countless people from the threats of climate change. Personally, I’m very passionate about equitable access to the outdoors and modernizing the conservation movement so that it reflects the current and changing demographics of our country. I volunteer on the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) Next Generation Advisory Council where we are working with ATC to build a new generation of trail users, stewards, and advocates that are younger and more diverse.

What do you wish more people knew about getting involved in advocacy work?

It’s not as scary as it sounds and your voice is so important! Being a good advocate is as simple as being a good storyteller and sharing your personal perspective about why you care about an issue. Advocates also hold a lot of power to influence decision makers, and it can be really rewarding to share what you care about and be heard by your elected officials.

What do you hope the future of public lands and the outdoors looks like?

I hope to see that both our public land users and our conservation organizations more accurately reflect our nation’s demographics. I hope to see more protections, not less for our outdoor spaces. And I hope to see meaningful action towards addressing climate change before it’s too late.

Lightning round

An advocacy hero of yours : Teresa Baker

On your reading list : The Home Place by J. Drew Lanham

Long-time favorite piece of gear: Headlamp! Perfect for camping and cleaning that dark corner of your home