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Mark Johnston

Nauvoo, Alabama
Activist
Alabama Chapter

Alabama native Mark Johnston was ordained an Episcopal priest in 1980, and the next year was named Alabama's Outstanding Young Religious Leader. "I was a carpenter, and I helped build a rural church whose membership and community involvement grew very fast," he explains. An Alabama Volunteer of the Year award followed for his work with retarded citizens, and in 1985 he started the West Alabama Food Bank, which gives away more than 1 million pounds of food a year.

Johnston says he always cared about the environment, but it was getting angry that turned him into an activist. "Strip mining was harming the watershed where I lived, but when I tried to do something about it I was lied to by miners and members of state agencies, my life was threatened, and powerful people tried to get my bishop to rein me in." But he persevered, and for eight years he led the fight to restore wetlands and water quality and protect 226 acres of national forest lands. "Through my work I've met others who were up against the same forces. Now I have a way to effectively channel my anger."

Since 1990 Johnston has been executive director of Camp McDowell, an Episcopal camp and conference center. In 1991 he started the Camp McDowell Environmental Center, and more than 55,000 children have since gone through the residential program. "I think it will change Alabama," he says.

Johnston recently spearheaded a citizen drive to reform the Alabama Department of Environmental Management. He also found the time to build a new home at the end of a mile-long driveway. "I love this state," he says, "mostly for the people, but also for the incredible natural beauty and biodiversity here."

Published: March 16, 2007