Faces of ICL: Meet member Camdon Kay

My name is Camdon Kay and my preferred pronouns are he/him. I currently live in Boise Idaho, and my passions include rock climbing and photography. I was born and raised in Idaho and currently work for Idaho State University. I first discovered the Idaho Conservation League when I was in college studying conservation Biology. I have been a committed advocate for years, but became more involved afterattending Wild Idaho!. Since then, I have written a guest blog, contributed photos, attended the annual Wild Idaho! conference, and I volunteer whenever possible. In 2021, I volunteered as a chaperone for Youth Salmon Protectors at the Red Road to D.C. Event at Hell’s Gate State Park. ICL’s salmon work is initially what drew me to the organization, and what keeps me involved. I was first drawn to ICL through its work on Lower Snake River Dam removal. From there, I realized how closely my own interests—climbing, photography, and recreating on Idaho’s public lands—fit with ICL’s broader mission. Becoming a member felt like a natural way to support the values and places I love. I was exposed to Idaho’s wild places at a young age, backpacking in the Sawtooth Wilderness. Being able to preserve those spaces into the future is extremely important to me. My passions are rooted in access to Idaho’s public lands. Climbing would not be the same without access to wild places. In addition to climbing and adventure photography, I enjoy fly fishing, backpacking, and wildlife photography, particularly of Idaho’s non-game wildlife. What I love most about Idaho is the abundance of public lands and wild places. Recreating on Public Lands is something that I have always been able to do growing up in Idaho. There have always been fish in the streams, pikas on the hills, and lakes and rivers are safe to swim in. However, I recognize that without conservation efforts, this will not persist into the future. On my own, I can take care of places that I visit, but through ICL I know my voice and actions are amplified. My own time and resources are limited. I cannot be in the statehouse or courthouse everyday, but I know that ICL is fighting for the things that I care about when I cannot. I would encourage anyone who cares about Idaho’s natural resources to start small and get connected. In this era, with this administration, Idaho’s wildlife, lands, fisheries and resources need you now more than ever. You don’t have to be an expert—showing up, lending your voice, contacting your representatives, or supporting the work financially all add up.I hope that together we can protect what makes it so special—its clean air, water, healthy wildlife and wild landscapes.