The Audubon Naturalist Society will host the 2021 Taking Nature Black Virtual Conference February 23-27.

The Conference, which is geared to Black Americans in environmental fields, is being organized around the theme of Call and Response: Elevating Our Stories, Naturally.

This year the Conference is elevating their stories chautauqua-style with speakers, creators, innovators, scientists, educators, musicians, artists, and entertainers telling their stories about everything from climate change to environmental justice and environmental joy in creative ways.

Keynote Speakers

Speakers confirmed so far for this special event include--

-- Dr. J. Drew Lanham is a powerful, persuasive, poetic and widely sought-after speaker, critically acclaimed writer and author of such books as Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature. He is a Clemson University Alumni Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology, and Master Teacher and Certified Wildlife Biologist.

-- Akiima Price is a refreshing, honest, award-winning creative thinker and doer who links people, places, and programs with stressed, underserved communities. Price is a nationally respected thought leader at the intersection of social and environmental issues and the relationship between nature and community well-being. She currently consults with the National Park Service on programs in Anacostia Park.

-- Derrick Evans, often proposed as a candidate for the MacArthur Genius Award, is an environmental trailblazer, community builder, and indefatigable environmental superhero who has spoken around the world. Evans stars in a dynamic Environmental Film Festival documentary about the battle to save his historic Turkey Creek community from erasure. He is a Civil Rights historian and a sixth-generation native of coastal Mississippi’s Turkey Creek, founded by emancipated African Americans.

-- Dr. Thomas Easley is a compelling speaker who brings spoken word artistry and vibrancy to his presentations, Assistant Dean of Community Inclusion, Yale School of the Environment, a forester and diversity professional who has focused on the recruitment and retention of diverse talent in natural resource disciplines. He now teaches a course on Diversity and Environmental Justice. Dr. Easley is also a musician known as RaShad. His art is called “Save Your Life Music” because he puts a message of love, embracing self and helping others in his music and spoken word art.

The Conference will include virtual events and some select outdoor events that follow governmental guidelines for COVID safety.

To take advantage of early bird registration and for more information, visit the 2021 Taking Nature Black Virtual Conference webpage.

This Conference follows the very successful Naturally Latinos Conference the Audubon Naturalist Society held in December.

Related Articles:

-- Bay Journal: 'Naturally Latinos' Conference Fights For The Environment And Against Stereotypes In Chesapeake Bay Watershed

-- Natural Lands Hosts Feb. 24 Organizing Black Birders Week Webinar With Tykee James

[Posted: January 9, 2021]

1/11/2021