Light kisses the top cliffs in the Grand Canyon

Mike Popejoy

Utah Public Lands Director

“A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community.”

— Aldo Leopold

Mike joined the Trust in 2018, immediately diving into some of our most pressing work: public lands grazing reform. He previously taught philosophy, which literally means ‘love of wisdom,’ and believes wisdom should be used to advocate for more sensible treatment of the land and its inhabitants than has been practiced in the past.

Mike is at home in southern Utah and says the Colorado Plateau is his favorite place on Earth. He seeks to ensure the well-being of all species that call the plateau home, and he envisions a future where we learn to live harmoniously with the land.

Favorite plateau species

  • Beardlip penstemon
  • Alligator juniper
  • Piñon jay
  • Pronghorn antelope

Hobbies

  • Mountain running
  • Canyon exploring
  • Banjo picking

Favorite books

  • Ethics by Baruch Spinoza
  • East of Eden by John Steinbeck
  • Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
  • Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey

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