Encourage diversity in outdoor wilderness areas by reading interviews with 20 people of color who have active roles in nature.

During his travels around the country as a wildlife photographer, Dudley Edmondson made a concerning observation: he was the only person of color in many of the wilderness locations he visited. He began asking himself some important questions:

• “Why am I not seeing many people of color in the parks?”
• “Where are the voices of African Americans when it comes to decisions about wild spaces?”
• “Shouldn’t everyone care about the involvement of all Americans in these issues?”

The matter was far too important to let go. Instead, Dudley turned it into a project, seeking out people of color who thrive in the outdoors and asking them about their experiences, passions, and hopes for the future. He met with policymakers, park rangers, outdoor sports enthusiasts, and others with nature-centered careers. The compilation of his interviews became the groundbreaking book Black & Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places.

In these interviews, Dudley gets at the heart of what drew each individual to the outdoors, how they first became involved with nature, why they value those experiences, and why they believe people of color are underrepresented in this country’s natural landscape. He explores the connection between this topic and issues like social justice, racial prejudice, personal safety, economics, and cultural traditions.

“I am honored to let the insightful individuals that I interviewed during the course of writing this book explain how all of these subjects come together in this complex social problem,” says Dudley.

This 20th Anniversary Edition of Black & Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places features 20 personal stories from across the USA, told by African Americans with strong connections to the natural world. There is a bit of American history—and personal history—in every account. Each takes you on a fascinating journey through the life of a stranger. The portraits are insightful, revealing, and entertaining. They provide a foundation for discussion about the future of our wild places and hopefully encourage people of color to take up the torch of conservation and carry it forward on behalf of all future generations of Americans.

Find inspiration to affect global change with stories and perspectives from people the planet needs now: 25 Black and Brown scientists and activists.

From climate change and industrial waste to social injustice and poverty, the challenges that our world faces are daunting. To make matters worse, many people are turning away from scientific fact in favor of their own beliefs and biases. Yet there is reason for hope. Heroes among us are fighting for a better world—and many of them are Black, Indigenous, and Other People of Color (BIPOC). Acclaimed author and photographer Dudley Edmondson has interviewed 25 Black and Brown scientists, environmental justice activists, and social justice activists to inspire change on a global scale.

People the Planet Needs Now is a compilation of personal stories and perspectives from across the United States (and one from the Philippines), as scientists and activists talk about the work they do and their life experiences. The 25 viewpoints are shared conversationally, as if the reader is having a one-on-one dialogue with each storyteller. You’ll learn deeply personal details about their childhood, physical- and mental-health struggles, and racist encounters—which influence everything, from science and what is considered knowledge to where one might live in a particular city and even one’s quality of healthcare and education.

Complete with Dudley’s full-color photography, the book offers a rare opportunity to see and hear from BIPOC scientists and activists about problems with “traditional” science and the current methods of addressing everything from climate change to city design. Black and Brown people are often most directly affected by these problems, so their unique insights offer the possibility for new solutions. These interviews spark conversations about innovative ways to address social, environmental, and related issues.

“It is an honor and privilege to share this collection of personal stories from Black and Brown storytellers with global origins and perspectives,” says Dudley.

Black and Brown people around the globe have an interdependent relationship with nature, and their perspectives can help us push for positive change. People the Planet Needs Now strives to inspire current and future difference-makers to create a better world together.