On Digital Advocacy: Saving the Planet While Preserving Our Humanity (Speaker’s Corner)

by Katie Boue

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  

Genres: Nonfiction

160 pages, Paperback

Published July 18, 2023

Reviews

[Hatie Parmeter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not an insider look at vanlife and being an outdoor industry darling. It's a playbook for advocacy in this highly digital time. Expect insight into the changing digital landscape as "influencers" became a thing and posting stopped being about a pretty picture. Read this book if you're a human interested in community advocacy and the outdoors, an organizer looking for info on how to use social media for positive change, or a burned out social media user wondering how to reconnect with purpose while setting boundaries online.

[McKenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m inspired and taking away a lot from this read

[Michelle Presley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond the parasocial weirdness of the internet, I see so much of my own story in Katie Boué’s. If you’re a Florida transplant who loves climbing and struggles with leaving the planet better than you found it, I think you will find resonance here too. Reading Katie’s book felt like being seen, no doubt because she has a serious knack for connecting with people right where they are. Perhaps the most poignant advice in this book for me was the reminder to be the whole, weird human that I am - that we are. Part memoir and part advocacy guide, On Digital Advocacy was a joy to read.

[Rayychel Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Be the weird you wish to see in the world”

Katie Boué reminds us that the internet (and real life) is not a place to show off or make ourselves seem cooler. By being your authenticate self you will attract like-minded folks. Highly recommend Katie’s book to anyone who feels lost and confused about their presence in this world and on the internet. And to anyone who would like to work hard on protecting our one glorious planet.

[Alanna Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the outdoors but have always felt overwhelmed and inadequate. This was the perfect combination of educational and heartwarming. I highlighted most of the book but this quote especially stuck out to me “I was taught early that we take only memories and leave only footprints. But leaving footprints is still leaving something.” and “I believe that once we take honest ownership of our impact on the outdoors, we’re more empowered to do something effective about it.”

[Gale Straub · Rating 5 out of 5]

I expected to be both entertained and left with solid advice on how to better utilize social media and digital marketing to galvanize change. And I wasn't disappointed! But what I enjoyed most (and what I didn't expect) was getting taken along on Katie's honest social media journey, from a talented storyteller rapt with the medium to almost getting swept away by its force. So not only is this a book for people who want to digitally advocate for humanity and our climate - it's also a book for anyone grappling with the weight of burnout. This book is an invitation to focus on what's important. And don't we all need that?

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a time where it feels like there's so much to fight for, Katie's book provides not only the practical tools to do the work, but offers first hand advice on how to practise sustainable advocacy. Her advice to stay weird, spend more time in the garden, and be your true authentically weird self, I've taken to heart. A fantastic book for anyone who wants to be in the advocacy space for the long haul.

[Brittni Willie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little book that was informative and easy to implement. Really found it cool to hear the backstory of some of these campaigns and also behind the term “Outdoorist”. Also a helpful reminder that if “25 people like your post it feels lame, but if 25 showed up to your event that would be considered a success”.

[Brody Leven · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took notes and highlighted and circled and learned a lot that I believe will be useful in helping to make a world more like that in which we want to live. Well, the world isn't the problem--we are--and after reading this book, I can better address the "we".

[Iris Bratton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few in-text errors (misnaming a public land and a grammatical error), but overall, the book is well written and the author is a great storyteller.