Guarding Against Burnout and Fatigue

Justinn Overton of Coosa Riverkeeper joins to discuss how growing up outdoors in Alabama on Logan Martin Lake and the Coosa River shaped her love for waterways and led her into advocacy and Waterkeeper work, beginning with volunteering for Black Warrior Riverkeeper in exchange for concert tickets. She describes the challenge of protecting rivers across 12 Alabama counties with limited funding and staff, and the emotional toll of slow progress, regulatory capture, and issues like PFAS, PCBs, coal ash, and a proposed graphite mine near her rural community. Overton shares burnout tools including reframing “I have to” into “I get to,” setting boundaries to be accessible but not always available, relying on therapy and Waterkeeper peers, staying connected to nature, visiting other Waterkeepers with her team, and finding “joy” after her mother Joy’s death by enjoying the river she protects.