Honoring Black Conservationists, Environmentalists, and History Makers
- 6 days ago
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All sources and suggested readings are listed at the end of this article.
No A.I. was used in writing this article.
In honor of Black History Month, we would like to highlight five history-making Black and African American conservationists, environmentalists, educators, advocates and their contributions. We have also included suggested readings at the end to continue learning about environmental history makers and present day heroes!
Anna J. Cooper
Described by the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Anna J. Cooper's "… life’s mission revolved around writing, teaching and activism, with a strong emphasis on advocating for the education of Black people, especially Black women."
In 1858, future Dr. Cooper was born into slavery in North Carolina. After emancipation, she became a dedicated student and advocated and fought her way into male-only classrooms and subjects at Saint Augustine Normal and Collegiate Institute and later at Oberlin College (NMAAHC).
In the book Wild Girls by Tiya Miles, the author describes Dr. Cooper's contribution to outdoor recreation, particularly for young girls, when she established the first Washington, D.C. chapter of the YWCA Camp Fire Girls.
The accomplishments of Anna J. Cooper are endless, but to briefly highlight some, in 1892, she published her book A Voice from the South; ten years later, she became a principal at Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. and later taught at Lincoln Institute in Missouri; she earned "…her doctorate in 1925 from the University of Paris, Sorbonne, making her the fourth Black woman in the United States to earn a PhD", and became president Frelinghuysen University in 1930 (NMAAHC).
She passed at the incredible age of 105 in 1964.
As an educator, author, and activist, Dr. Cooper fought for the inclusion and accessibility of Black women and men in higher education. She is a history maker.
Brigadier General Charles Young
The National Park Service (NPS) describes Brigadier General Charles Young as a "soldier, diplomat, and civil rights leader…" and commissioned officer in the United States Army.
Charles Young was born into slavery in 1864 in Kentucky; after his father escaped enslavement and joined the military, Charles and his family moved to Ripley, Ohio which NPS describes as "the river town which just happened to be the center of abolitionism." After finding much academic success throughout his primary and high-school years, Young became an elementary teacher for two years.
In 1884, he became one of the first African American men to enter West Point Academy. During that time, "…military leaders would not allow an African-American officer to command white troops…" (NPS) so, at the time, 2nd Lieutenant Young was assigned to the 9th Cavalry at Fort Robinson, Nebraska. The 9th and 10th Calvary were made up of all-Black soldiers and were referred to as Buffalo Soldiers.
After multiple relocations and assignments, Young made history in the summer of 1903 when he became "…the first African-American national park Superintendent when he and his troops were tasked to manage and maintain Sequoia National Park..." (NPS).
It's an honor to know that Brigadier General Charles Young managed and made history in a park so beloved to our local communities!
Learn more about his time in the park by visiting "Brigadier General Charles Young, Early Park Superintendent."
You can visit his tree in the park near the Booker T. Washington Tree.
Aaron Mair
Aaron Mair is an environmentalist and epidemiological-spatial analyst. He was the 57th and first Black president of the Sierra Club. Tom Valtin of the Sierra Club describes that "Mair was also a key figure in leading the fight and securing the Sierra Club's participation in the Clean Up the Hudson campaign, which resulted in a settlement between the EPA and General Electric to dredge toxic PCB sediments from the Upper Hudson River."
The article also describes how Mair got involved in environmentalism. When Mair and his wife moved to Arbor Hill, New York in 1984, they soon discovered soot gathering on their car and "learned that the source was a toxics incinerator due south of our home" (Valtin). Because one of their daughters had a respiratory issue, the Mairs knew they needed to investigate the source of the pollution. Over time, this led to him helping organize grassroots movements within Arbor Hill such as protests against environmental racism and human rights abuse. Mair says this led to his involvement with the Sierra Club as one of their members was present at at a meeting of The Arbor Hill Neighborhood Association (Valtin).
Though Mair is now retired, his passion for environmentalism is not slowing down; in 2024, he founded the Timbuctoo Mountain Club which is a "not-for-profit aims to connect underserved communities with outdoor recreation, addressing what Mair describes as a long-overlooked gap in New York’s environmental efforts" (Escobar).
Audrey and Frank Peterman
Audrey and Frank Peterman are advocates, admirers, and pioneers of our National Parks. In 1995, while visiting Yellowstone National Park, they noticed something about the visitors - they didn't look like the Petermans. In an article published by Audubon, a story from Yellowstone is recalled, "As the black couple surveyed the lodge, Frank struck up a conversation with an older white gentleman. The man spoke wistfully of watching Yellowstone change over the years with the addition of new lodges and visitor centers each time he visited—first as a child with his father, then as a father with his children, and now as a grandfather with his grandkids." This made Frank realize that he wanted to give his "kids the heritage of the national park."
This newfound goal led them to becoming outdoor activists and authors with the goal of sharing this "heritage" of the National Park system not only with their family, but also with people of Color.
Their work didn't end there; they later founded Diverse Environmental Leaders Speaker Bureau, Mrs. Peterson was on the Board of Trustees for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) for 15 year, and they have lobbied for the accessibly of public lands through activist groups.
In an interview with NPCA, Mrs. Peterson stated, "Traveling through the park system, I get a bigger picture of what America really is. It is so much more inclusive of all the races. Everybody has contributed to the greatness of this country."
Suggested Reading
Barron, Jess. "11 African American Outdoor Leaders Who Inspire Us." 2020, https://www.hipcamp.com/journal/camping/african-american-outdoor-leaders-who-inspire-us
Fish and Wildlife Service. "National Wildlife Refugees with Ties to African American History." https://www.fws.gov/story/national-wildlife-refuges-ties-african-american-history
Johnson, Alyssa. "Meet the Black Women Fighting for Clean Air and Water in Atlanta." Yahoo, 22 April. 2025, https://www.yahoo.com/news/meet-black-women-fighting-clean-200640039.html
Miles, Tiya. Wild Girls. Norton, 2023.
National Park Service. "African Americans and the Great Outdoors."
National Wildlife Federation. "Farmers, Activists, & Public Officials: 5 Black Conservationists." 25 Oct. 2022, https://blog.nwf.org/2020/02/farmers-activists-public-officials-5-black-conservationists/
San Francisco Environment Department. "Celebrating Black environmentalists during Black History Month." 2 Feb. 2026, https://www.sfenvironment.org/blog/celebrating-black-environmentalists-during-black-history-month-0
Works Cited for Anna J. Cooper
Belle, Kathryn Sophia, "Anna Julia Cooper", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2025 Edition), Edward N. Zalta & Uri Nodelman (eds.), https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/anna-julia-cooper/
Clark, Cat. "Dr. Anna Julia Cooper." Feminists for Life of America. n.d. https://feministsforlife.org/anna-julia-cooper/
C.M. Bell, photographer. Mrs. A.J. Cooper. [between February and December 1903] Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/2016702852/
National Museum of African American History & Culture. "Anna Julia Cooper: Education, Writer, and Intellectual." n.d. https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/anna-julia-cooper-educator-writer-and-intellectual
Works Cited for Brigadier General Charles Young
Library of Congress. [24th Infantry Reg. in Mexico, 1916: Major Charles Young and Capt. John R. Barber]. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2006688696/
Library of Congress. The Wawona tree, Maraposo [i.e. Mariposa] Grove, Cal., U.S.A. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/89712091/
National Park Service. "Brigadier General Charles Young." n.d., https://home.nps.gov/people/charles-young.htm
National Park Service. "Brigadier General Charles Young Tree." n.d., https://home.nps.gov/places/000/bg-charles-young-tree.htm
National Park Service. "Brigadier General Charles Young, Early Park Superintendent." n.d., https://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/historyculture/young.htm
PBS. "Captain Charles Young (1864-1922)." n.d., https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/the-national-parks/captain-charles-young
Works Cited for Aaron Mair
Crews, David. "A Conversation with Aaron Mair." 6 July. 2021, https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/adirondacks-almanack/a-conversation-with-aaron-mair/
Escobar, David. "Environmental activist Aaron Mair bridges conservation and equity to inspire the next generation of stewards." 4 Dec. 2024, https://www.adirondackexplorer.org/stories/aaron-mair-forever-wild-for-everyone/
Valtin, Tom. "Aaron Mair Elected Sierra Club President." 18 May. 2015, https://www.sierraclub.org/planet/2015/05/aaron-mair-elected-sierra-club-president
Works Cited for Audrey and Frank Peterman
Diverse Environmental Leaders Speakers Bureau. "Audrey Peterman." n.d., "https://www.delnsb.com/team/audrey-peterman
Errick, Jennifer. "A Valentine's Day Q&A With Audrey Peterman." National Parks Conservation Association, 15 Feb. 2013, https://www.npca.org/articles/178-a-valentine-s-day-q-a-with-audrey-peterman
Mock, Jillian. "The National Parks Have a Diversity Problem. This Couple Has Been Working for 20 Years to Fix It." Audubon, 27 Feb. 2019, https://www.audubon.org/magazine/national-parks-have-diversity-problem-couple-has-been-working-20-years-fix-it
