Audrey

Peterman

Environmental Diversity Expert

President and Co-founder of Earthwise Productions

Travels from: Fort Lauderdale, FL

“Audrey’s love of nature bubbles over in her writing. Her love for the national parks is equaled only by her love for people.” — Juan Martinez, National Geographic Emerging Explorer

Audrey Peterman migrated from Jamaica to the US in 1978 and lived in New York State until 1985 when she followed the sun to Florida. She met and married her best friend Frank Peterman in 1992. Together they indulged their love of adventure, traveling the capitals of Europe including London, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin. But when they “discovered” the national parks of America on a road trip around the country in 1995 and saw no black or brown people, they resolved to help make a change. 21 years later, January 12, 2017, the Petermans got the call from the White House that their mission was accomplished: President Obama issued an official memorandum to the federal agencies managing the parks and forests, requiring that they actively take steps to invite all communities, with a particular focus on those who have not been included before.

Mrs. Peterman has served on the boards of numerous national conservation organizations, including 15 years as a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Parks Conservation Association, and is a leader in the Next100 Coalition. She and her husband shared their experiences in the parks as coauthors of the book, Legacy on the Land: A Black Couple Discovers Our National Inheritance and Tells Why Every American Should Care, (2009). Mrs. Peterman wrote the travel guide: Our True Nature: Finding a Zest for Life in the National Park System, (2012) and cofounded the Diverse Environmental Leaders Speakers Bureau (www.delnsb.com) in 2014. Mrs. Peterman and her husband have a blended family including 19 grandchildren and five great grandchildren. They live on their sailboat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Audrey Peterman is President and Co-founder of Earthwise Productions, Inc., an environmental consulting and publishing firm focused on connecting the public lands system and the American public.

From My Jamaican Gully To The World: The environmental journey of Audrey Wright Peterman

Audrey Peterman |

July 15, 2020

Memoir

In this riveting book, Mrs. Peterman takes us with her on the journey from her beloved gully in her backyard where, as a child she sat for hours watching janga fish at play; to the United States where she and her husband Frank explore the spectacular National Parks and forests and the boardrooms where she strives to help protect their future; to the landmarks of Europe, Africa and Asia and back to the mystic Blue and John Crow Mountains National Park of her native Jamaica.

BIPOC Authors, Black Voices, Climate Change, Environmental Concerns, Female Author, Memoir & Biography, Sustainability, Travel Narratives

Our True Nature: Finding a Zest for Life in the National Park System

Fideli Publishing Inc |

March 21, 2017

Nonfiction

“Audrey opens up the country to us in a whole new way. She weaves the beauty, history and culture she has found in our national parks into a spellbinding story that makes me want to get out there even more.” — Rue Mapp, founder, Outdoor Afro, California

“Audrey’s love of nature bubbles over in her writing. Her love for the national parks is equaled only by her love for people.” — Juan Martinez, National Geographic Emerging Explorer, Wyoming.

“It’s like reading the Bible. Audrey perceives the special connection between nature and God, and expresses it so beautifully.” — Marie Fabry, educator, New York.

“Audrey’s writing is so vivid, I feel like I am there with her, whether it’s in the wilds of Alaska or the historic town of Harpers Ferry, Virginia. This book is a welcome guide for anyone interested in history, beauty, nature, travel, adventure or just understanding what it means to be an American.” — Al Calloway, historian and writer, Florida.

BIPOC Authors, Black Voices, Climate Change, Environmental Concerns, Female Author, Nonfiction, Sustainability

Legacy on the Land: A Black Couple Discovers Our National Inheritance and Tells Why Every American Should Care

Earthwise Productions |

January 1, 2009

Nonfiction

Opening the door to a little-known world of beauty, history, inspiration and opportunity in our own backyard, Legacy on the Land: A Black Couple Discovers Our National Inheritance and Tells Why Every American Should Care exhorts us to explore these public lands while exposing our children to their birthright; demolishes the common stereotype that people of color are not interested in the environment; reveals the systemic barriers that keep the face of conservation white and Anglo; shows that all Americans have a role to play in the protection of our public lands, and that our environment can only be “saved” when all of us are included and committed to the effort.

BIPOC Authors, Black Voices, Climate Change, Environmental Concerns, Female Author, Nonfiction, Racial Issues, Sustainability

Coming soon!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5kdiAusNh0

Conversation with Julia Browne and National Parks environmentalist Audrey Peterman

Seminoles to Sea Level Rise – An evening with Audrey Peterman

Earth Day 2021 Keynote: Mobilizing Advocates for Our Earth with Audrey Peterman

“Audrey’s love of nature bubbles over in her writing. Her love for the national parks is equaled only by her love for people.” — Juan Martinez, National Geographic Emerging Explorer, Wyoming.

“It’s like reading the Bible. Audrey perceives the special connection between nature and God, and expresses it so beautifully.” — Marie Fabry, educator, New York.

Honors, Awards & Recognition

Environmental Hero Award | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Apex Distinguished Service Award | Black Meetings and Tourism magazine
Marjory Stoneman Douglas Outstanding Citizen Conservationist Award
George Barley Leadership Award | Everglades Coalition