Michael Brunson

Member

Born and raised in Upstate New York, Michael spent the majority of his childhood camping and hiking in the Adirondack mountains and exploring the outdoors.  His interest in parks and protected areas grew out of the many family visits to Acadia National Park and travels to other public lands around the country.  An avid backpacker, Michael’s affinity for the Appalachian Trail stems from working with the Appalachian Mountain Club in the White Mountains of NH for a number of years as well as his thru-hike in 2012.

A Certified Park and Recreation Professional (CPRP) and Certified Interpretive Guide (CIG), Michael is currently a faculty member in the Parks and Recreation Management program at Auburn University. He teaches a variety of courses such as recreation programming, environmental interpretation, and outdoor recreation and leadership and his research focuses on visitor use management of parks and protected areas. Before relocating to the Southeast, Michael taught in the Park Management and Conservation Program at Kansas State University.  In his free time Michael enjoys fly fishing, cycling, and traveling with his wife and two daughters.