The Outdoor Citizen: Get Out, Give Back, Get Active

From world-renowned environmentalist John Judge comes an astoundingly comprehensive plan to save our planet, make the outdoors the epicenter of our communities, and commit to an active outdoor lifestyle. 

In The Outdoor Citizen, John Judge coins the term “Outdoor Citizen” as he delivers an urgent call to action and a remarkably persuasive argument for why we must all become citizens of the natural world, reconnecting with life's most essential foundation, nature, and defending it, embracing it, and advocating for it.

Judge, an international leader in conservation stewardship, covers such topics as how to turn our cities into Outdoor Cities, with a wide range of green spaces, outdoor recreation activities, eco-friendly transportation, and sustainable food sources; how to globally transition to green energy sources; what environmental policies must be implemented and how to enact them; and how to fund a sustainable economy.

At a time when we are facing an unprecedented climate crisis, the continued use of carbon emissions will lead to devastating, irreversible effects on the earth. This unique and riveting volume, brimming with expert advice and case studies, is unparalleled—a game-changer for saving our planet and an entry point into a world of healthier and happier people.

John Judge is an internationally renowned advocate for connecting people with the outdoors, conservation stewardship, and advancing the outdoor economy. He is the founder of Next Ecology, which strives to create a new era of human-nature interdependence. Next Ecology works with partners to advance an outdoors open and accessible to all. From small parks to large conservation lands, they believe high quality user experience and engagement are key to improve living standards for humankind while fostering a new era of conservation stewardship. Judge served as president and chief executive officer of The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees), the oldest statewide land trust in the United States, which cares for nearly twenty-seven thousand acres and welcomes more than two million people annually to its 123 reservations. Prior to his role with The Trustees, he served for ten years as president and chief executive officer of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), which was founded in 1876 and is the oldest outdoor recreation and conservation organization in the United States, with a community of hundreds of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts, program participants, conservation advocates, members, volunteers, and overnight guests. Judge has also served as the chief planning and economic development officer for Springfield, Massachusetts, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, and worked in a variety of nonprofit leadership roles. He is a graduate of Stonehill College and the Harvard Kennedy School, and lives in Greater Boston, MA.

John Judge is an internationally renowned advocate for connecting people with the outdoors, conservation stewardship, and advancing the outdoor economy. He is the founder of Next Ecology, which strives to create a new era of human-nature interdependence. Next Ecology works with partners to advance an outdoors open and accessible to all. From small parks to large conservation lands, they believe high quality user experience and engagement are key to improve living standards for humankind while fostering a new era of conservation stewardship. Judge served as president and chief executive officer of The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees), the oldest statewide land trust in the United States, which cares for nearly twenty-seven thousand acres and welcomes more than two million people annually to its 123 reservations. Prior to his role with The Trustees, he served for ten years as president and chief executive officer of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), which was founded in 1876 and is the oldest outdoor recreation and conservation organization in the United States, with a community of hundreds of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts, program participants, conservation advocates, members, volunteers, and overnight guests. Judge has also served as the chief planning and economic development officer for Springfield, Massachusetts, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, and worked in a variety of nonprofit leadership roles. He is a graduate of Stonehill College and the Harvard Kennedy School, and lives in Greater Boston, MA.

John Judge is is an internationally renowned advocate for connecting people with the outdoors, conservation stewardship, and advancing the outdoor economy. He has served as president and chief executive officer of The Trustees of Reservations (The Trustees), the oldest statewide land trust in the United States, since February 2022. The Trustees was founded in 1891 and is a preservation and conservation nonprofit that cares for nearly twenty-seven thousand acres and welcomes more than two million people annually to its 123 reservations. Prior to his role with The Trustees, Judge served for ten years as president and chief executive officer of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), which was founded in 1876 and is the oldest outdoor recreation and conservation organization in the United States, with a community of hundreds of thousands of outdoor enthusiasts, program participants, conservation advocates, members, volunteers, and overnight guests. Judge has also served as the chief planning and economic development officer for Springfield, Massachusetts, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston, and worked in a variety of nonprofit leadership roles. He is a graduate of Stonehill College and the Harvard Kennedy School, and lives in Greater Boston, MA.