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.

Audrey's Featured Titles

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 Representation, Black Voices, Environmental Concerns, Memoir & Personal Journeys, 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 Representation, Black Voices, Environmental Concerns, Nonfiction

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 Representation, Black Voices, Civil Discourse & Social Justice, Environmental Concerns, Nonfiction

National Parks: The Glue that Holds America Together

As the National Park System protects the natural, cultural and historic treasures of our country, it inevitably shows the diversity of people involved in getting us to where we are today. Every racial, ethnic and gender group can find the story of their contributions to the development of our country, in the park system.

What Can One Person Do?

George Washington Carver, born into enslavement with no knowledge of his parents, saved the Southern Economy with his agricultural genius. “The Peanut Man” was the first American who was not a President to have a unit of the National Park System named for him. He’s one of many unsung heroes that played a pivotal role in our country.

Wild, Wild Animals

From Everglades National Park in Florida to Denali National Park in Alaska, let’s celebrate the wildness that thrives among us. The Everglades is the only place on Earth where the American Alligator and the American Crocodile coexist side by side. In Denali a grizzly bear walked ahead of our tourist bus, as if leading the way. Wolves, bison, elk, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and Dahl Sheep – I’ve experienced them all and happily share the joy.

Wild, Wild Animals

The History of African Americans in National Parks?

From the island-owning Sir Lancelot Jones who helped save Biscayne National Park, to the trials protected by the “Buffalo Soldiers” enabling the Western Migration and the Giant Sequoia trees that they protected in Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park, the history is heroic indeed.

Effects of Climate Change

Effects of Climate Change observed through my eyes since 1995. Action Steps to which each one should commit.

Seminoles to Sea Level Rise – An evening with Audrey Peterman

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

Meet Audrey Peterman with UNLV OA

University of Utah | 19th Annual Symposium – 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.

Coming Soon!

Honors, Awards & Recognition

APEX Distinguished Service Award | 2023
National Parks Centennial Leadership Award Winner | 2022
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
National Capital Parks – East | 2013 Speaker