Black conservationists have long been at the forefront of environmental activism, despite facing systemic injustices and institutional barriers that have limited opportunities for African Americans in the field of conservation.

As we celebrate Black History Month, we hope you find inspiration in the stories of Adjany, Washington, Kari, and Savonala—four Black conservationists that are paving the way for a more diverse and inclusive environmental movement.

Adjany Costa

Adjany Costa, an award-winning wildlife ethno-conservationist, is currently pursuing her PhD focused on the development of a community-based natural resource management model for the headwaters of the Okavango, Kwando, and Zambezi rivers in the Angolan highlands in sub-Saharan Africa. She has dedicated her career to saving some of the most remote and crucial wilderness in Southern Africa.

Washington Wachira

A native of Kenya, Washington Wachira is a naturalist, a published photographer, a TED speaker, and one of East Africa’s top birders. His work earned him a National Geographic grant and the African Sustainable Tourism Fellowship Award in 2016. Read an interview with Washington HERE.

Kari Fulton

Named a “young leader to watch” by Elle and Glamour magazines, Washington D.C.-based student organizer Kari Fulton is the National Campus Campaign Coordinator for the Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative. Kari supports and mobilizes diverse youth and organizations by building awareness of the connection between environmental and social justice issues. Watch an interview with Kari HERE.

Savonala “Savi” Horne

Savi Horne is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Association of Black Lawyers’ Land Loss Prevention Project and is the recipient of the 2020 American Bar Association Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources Award for Excellence in Environmental, Energy, and Resources Stewardship. Her work assists financially distressed and limited resource farmers and landowners through litigation, public policy, and promoting sustainable agriculture and environment. Hear Savi discuss the Land Loss Prevention Project HERE.

At Great River Greening, our dedication to environmental justice is a key value that informs all of our work. Our Vision for 2030 is grounded in the knowledge that historic and present-day inequities have created systemic barriers of access to natural resources and green spaces for communities of color, Indigenous peoples, and lower-income communities. Today, our work prioritizes new projects that address this historic inequity, focusing on strengthening relationships and working in partnership, increasing access, and creating a more just, equitable, and green Minnesota.

Photo Credits:

• Adjany Costa (Wikipedia)

• Washington Wachira (National Geographic)

• Kari Fulton (@checktheweather on Instagram)

• Savi Horne (Land Loss Prevention Program, by Lise Metzger)