Welcome to Black History Month at Tremont! To celebrate, we’re highlighting the stories and work of some incredible naturalists and environmentalists that we admire. (Why is this important?) This post was originally published in February 2023 but has been updated (and will continue to be updated) with new stories and inspirations.
Featured naturalists and conservationists
John Francis, The Planetwalker. John Francis stopped speaking on his 27th birthday and didn’t talk again for nearly two decades. Under his vow of silence, he took off on foot to explore the world, silently spreading a message of environmental respect and responsibility. Watch his TED Talk.
Rahawa Haile, writer and thru-hiker, aimed to create a library of Black excellence along the Appalachian Trail, where she was one of the few hikers of color. In this She Explores podcast episode, she shares why this literary project was important and how her experience was different than that of her white colleagues.
J.R. Harris, solo backpacker, adventurer, and author. J.R. has been exploring the outdoors and sharing his adventures for decades, often defying what was expected of him as a New York native. The Exploration Museum in Húsavík, Iceland has awarded him their Leif Erikson Exploration History Award for “your lifetime of exploration, as well as your tireless efforts to promote diversity in exploration.” Watch J.R.’s TED Talk, “Trail Wisdom from an Old Dirt Kicker” and follow his adventures on social media.
Hazel Johnson, community organizer for environmental justice. Hazel Johnson is fondly nicknamed the mother of the environmental justice movement. When she realized her neighborhood had the highest cancer rates in Chicago, she dug to find out why. She found that Altgeld Gardens, a federal housing project for African American World War II veterans, was not only built on top of an industrial sludge dump, but was also surrounded by chemical companies, refineries and steel mills that dumped their industrial waste into the river. Read how she organized to fight this kind of environmental racism.
J. Drew Lanham is an author, poet, and wildlife biologist who combines conservation science with personal, historical, and cultural narratives of nature. Get to know Drew by listening to this episode of the On Being podcast. (Keep an ear out for his awesome bird impressions.)
Derick Lugo is a hiker, author, and host of the Unlikely Stories Podcast, which highlights stories of people who aren’t always represented in the outdoors. As part of Tremont’s library spruce-up, we recently added Derick’s book, The Unlikely Thru-Hiker, to our collection to inspire staff. Plus, his sense of humor and punny jokes make him an excellent social media follow.
Rue Mapp, founder of Outdoor Afro, helps others feel welcome and confident exploring the outdoors. Listen to this REI interview to hear how she and the Outdoor Afro leadership team are addressing barriers to outdoor access – including some good ole southern-style hospitality.
Alexis Nikole Nelson, educator and forager. Alexis, lovingly known as Black Forager on social media, creates wildly entertaining videos teaching people how to forage edible plants in urban environments. She’s witty and funny, and she knows a thing or two about botany! In fact, she hosts Crash Course Botany – animated videos that make science accessible. Check out this interview on NPR’s The Food Connection.
Corina Newsome, wildlife biologist and cofounder of Black Birders Week, never saw a Black person working with wildlife as she was growing up, so she didn’t even consider that an environmental career was an option for her. That is until she had the opportunity to work with a Black zookeeper, which opened her eyes to a new world of possibilities. Now, she’s spreading the word that representation matters. Read more.
Day Scott, disabled biologist, conservation photographer, writer and educator. Day has been questioned in nearly all aspects of her outdoor experience – her intentions as a birder, her skill as a photographer, and her credentials as an outdoor educator. Check out this article, where she shares how she addresses these doubts and finds space to be herself, and follow her at @thewildernessgoddess to learn more about her disability advocacy work.
Captain Charles Young, first Black national park superintendent. Though he was born into slavery, Charles Young became the first to achieve many of his life’s accomplishments, including becoming the first Black national park superintendent. During his service, he led teams to construct roads at unprecedented rates, allowing the public to access sequoia groves and other points of interest for the first time. Learn more about him.
Other incredible people and organizations to follow
- Blackpackers – meeting those at the intersection of underrepresentation and economic vulnerability. Follow them at @coblackpackers.
- Colour The Trails – a community for BIPOC and allies interested in the outdoors. Follow at @colourthetrails.
- Christian Cave, a young naturalist who is taking social media by storm. Follow at @christian_caveman.
- Phil Henderson, leader of the first all-Black expedition up Mount Everest. Follow at @phil_henderson.
- Alice Lyn, host of Color Out Here, a documentary series about the experiences Black people have in nature. Follow at @alicelynsnarrative.
- Zenovia Stephens, creator of Black Kids Adventures, an organization that creates opportunities for Black and Brown kids to experience the outdoors. We welcomed this group to Tremont for the first (but not last) time in 2023!
- The Unpopular Black – An organization committed to educating and inspiring Black outdoor adventure by providing representation, information and access. Follow them at @theunpopularblack.
- Black People Who Hike – Empowering, educating and reengaging Black people to the outdoors. This group recently received a grant from the National Park Service ParkVentures program to increase the representation of Black people (about 6% of all visitors) in national parks. Follow at @blackpeoplewhohike.
- Wild Diversity – Creating a personal connection to the outdoors for BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ communities through adventures, skillshares and education. Follow at @wilddiversity.
We’re not done yet! Follow us on social media to join the Black History Month celebration. Know a Black naturalist who we should feature? Get in touch!
