About
Grounded in the Work. Committed to the Mission.
Blue Spruce Outdoors was founded on a simple belief: the organizations protecting and celebrating the outdoors deserve strategic support that's as serious as the work they do.
JD Tanner
Ed.D., CPRE
Founder, Blue Spruce Outdoors
Meet JD Tanner
For more than 25 years, JD has helped mission-driven organizations strengthen their leadership, build meaningful partnerships, and turn bold ideas into lasting impact. His career spans higher education, national nonprofit leadership, conservation, outdoor recreation, and collaborative public land management — giving him a rare, cross-sector perspective on how organizations thrive in complex environments.
JD has led nonprofit organizations, directed university programs, secured millions of dollars in grants and philanthropic support, and built collaborative partnerships among federal and state agencies, universities, foundations, and community stakeholders. As Director of Education for Leave No Trace, he led the redesign of its national and international education and training curriculum and co-designed the organization's first Science Team and Research Strategic Plan.
JD serves as the Executive Director of NoCo Places, where he works with public agencies, nonprofits, and community leaders to advance collaborative conservation and recreation initiatives across northern Colorado. He brings that same practical, partnership-driven approach to every consulting engagement.
Meet Emily Tanner
Emily is a nonprofit leader, communications strategist, and public lands professional with more than two decades of experience building partnerships that strengthen conservation organizations, public agencies, and the communities they serve.
Emily has worked at the intersection of nonprofit management, education, fundraising, membership engagement, and public lands stewardship. She has led initiatives that connect people, organizations, and agencies around shared missions — developing innovative programs, strategic partnerships, and collaborative solutions that create lasting impact. She currently serves as the Education Manager with the Public Lands Alliance, where she works with nonprofit partners and public land management agencies across the country to strengthen organizational capacity, expand collaboration, and advance the stewardship of America's public lands.
In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Emily is an accomplished outdoor author, having co-authored multiple hiking and outdoor recreation guidebooks. She brings a collaborative leadership style, exceptional organizational skills, and a talent for building trusted relationships across diverse stakeholders — grounded in the belief that the strongest organizations are built through authentic partnerships, thoughtful communication, and a shared commitment to mission-driven impact.
Emily Tanner
M.S. Ed.
Founder, Blue Spruce Outdoors
What We Believe
Mission comes first.
Every engagement is grounded in your mission — not in what's easiest or most billable. We measure success by whether your organization is stronger and more effective when we're done.
Relationships are the work.
Conservation and recreation are relationship-driven fields. We invest in understanding your stakeholders, your community, and your organizational culture — because that's where durable solutions come from.
Practical over perfect.
The best strategy is one your team will actually use. We focus on what's achievable given your real capacity, culture, and resources — not an idealized version of your organization.
The outdoors matters.
This isn't just a sector we work in — it's what we care about. We bring genuine passion for conservation, responsible recreation, and the communities that depend on healthy public lands to every engagement.
Leave No Trace
Blue Spruce Outdoors is an authorized Leave No Trace Level 1 Instructor course provider. We offer virtual Level 1 Instructor Training, equipping outdoor educators, land managers, and recreation professionals with the skills to teach Leave No Trace principles in the field.
Let's Work Together
We're always glad to have a conversation — whether you have a specific project in mind or are just exploring what support might look like for your organization.