Meg Carney, ’14, turned a lifelong love of nature into a full-time career in writing. There always have to be people who are protectors of wild places, she said. “I decided that would be my calling.”

Carney is now an author, podcast producer and host, and freelance journalist for some of the top outdoor and environmental publications. Her book, "Outdoor Minimalist: Waste Less Hiking, Camping, and Backpacking," and podcast of the same name, cover sustainable outdoor gear production, conservation, inclusivity, and “anything that would intersect with climate change in the outdoors.”

Carney works to motivate consumers as well as manufacturers to decrease the environmental impacts of outdoor recreation. “The outdoor industry is often viewed as a champion of environmentalism and conservation, when in fact they're a big contributor to many of the issues that we see with exploitative industry,” she said. “Our goal is to raise more awareness that leads to action in the outdoor industry and beyond.”

"Outdoor Minimalist" has helped expand her reach, her credibility as an author and a journalist, and has connected her with new clients. “Without the podcast, I wouldn't have had the growth that I had,” Carney said. “It changed my life in many ways.”

After the show’s success, Carney co-founded Black-Footed Ferret Productions to produce more podcasts, both for her and for outside clients. “We have the blueprint, right?” she said. “Let's just turn that into another show.” Her next series, "Forever Chemicals," quickly rose to number one in its category on Apple Podcasts.

She credits UMD with instilling a passion for lifelong learning, something that applies to all of her projects. From writing a book to unpacking challenging topics in hard sciences, “that continuous pursuit of learning is rooted in my background in education and my desire to improve."

“I am always looking for what's next,” said Carney. Alongside podcasts, she continues to write for major outdoor and news outlets. She is currently working on her next book. “I just want to keep writing.”