Meet Adam Macon, Dogwood’s New Our Forests Aren’t Fuel Campaign Director
Way back in 2007, as an environmental science major at UNCA, Adam had his very first internship with none other than Dogwood Alliance. All these years later, he’s come back to us to fill the role of Our Forests Aren’t Fuel Campaign Director. Working with Dogwood was Adam’s first taste of challenging abusive corporate power, and it empowered him, showing that he could make real, lasting changes in the world and that he was good at it, too.
“My internship with Dogwood was pivotal. It activated me and set off a chain reaction. I’ve spent my time away really preparing myself for this role as Campaign Director. I’ve been a field organizer on-the-ground, working directly with people, and I’ve been a national campaigner, working to build high-level coalitions. I’ve also built and developed online communities. Seven years later, this constant stream of experiences has led me back to Dogwood. It’s wonderful to come full circle. I’m excited to be a part of this next chapter of Dogwood’s story.”
Adam also has a deep passion for the outdoors that was cultivated all throughout his upbringing in rural Williamsburg, Kentucky, playing in the woods and later when he became a rafting guide. For Adam, there is a deep spirituality that connects him to forests.
“I feel at home in nature. It’s something that’s a part of me, defining who I am and why I’m here. I’m obsessed with natural design. Natural design IS sustainability. The way trees grow together, animals work together, and the way symbiotic relationships form. When you appreciate the way a tree grows, it helps us appreciate ourselves for the natural, biological creatures we are.”
Excited to finally be back in Asheville, Adam is ready to get to work. He’s a firm believer that the key to global change is the South. He says, “If we change the South, we change the United States, and if we change the US, we change the world.”
When Adam isn’t working to save the forests of the Southern US, he loves hunting for waterfalls, riding his bike around town, writing letters to people, listening to music, and making mixed CDs.