There are two things about me that everyone knows. One, I've ALWAYS got a water bottle with me; a big 40 oz HydroFlask, covered in stickers from notable fishing and outdoors brands. Also, I will turn my nose up at you if you're drinking out of a plastic, disposable bottle.         

Two, I'm outspoken and fiercely passionate about public lands.

A few months ago I was approached by a company in my own state of North Carolina to see if I'd be interested in partnering up with them to be a brand ambassador. I mostly ignore these requests or just send a polite "no thank you." But, this one caught my eye.

Recover Brands is a company based in Charlotte, NC that turns plastic water bottles into clothing. It's a truly fascinating process!

The make everything from t-shirts, athletic shirts, hats, pullovers, hoodies, socks, and more. I've personally got one of the sport shirts and it is seriously my go-to running shirt, working especially well with high humidity!

In addition to finding something wonderful to do with all those pesky plastic bottles, they've got a collection of different shirts for specific organizations, with a portion of the proceeds going to help everything from the Arbor Day Foundation to my personal favorite, Protect Our Parks.

I have to admit, the real selling point for me with this brand is their desire to make things better, in a great big way. It's not just what they're choosing to make their clothing from, but how they've decided to help out along the way and the diverse organizations they're advocating for.

I've worn my Protect Our Parks shirt on several occasions, each time it sparks a conversation with a stranger. 

"Hey, what's your shirt say? Oh, well what needs protecting?"

And so, the conversation begins, with most asking how they can help their favorite piece of land, monument, or family vacation spot. 

It's turned out to be one of my favorite possessions, along with my water bottle.