Black & Brown Faces in America's Wild Places - A Picture Book.

Okay, I dropped the ball on Monday Book Reviews. I am very sorry about this. Travel and conferences can take it out of me....And I know that Dissertation Progress Meter hadn't moved much and my deadline is less than 48 hours away. Watch how busy I will be in the next two days.

But thanks to the conference and a session I attended - Chicago Wilderness: Integrating Biological and Social Diversity into the Future , I met the panelists, one of whom told me about Dudley Edmondson and his book Black and Brown Faces in America's Wild Places. I must disclose that I have NOT read this book. But I am recommending it - to myself and to you.

Edmondson is a Photographer and Outdoor Lover who took on the task of documenting people of color enjoying the outdoors. He created this album of photos to dispel the notion that African-Americans do not enjoy the outdoors. Here! Here! And he provides stock photos of people of color engaging in outdoor activities like hiking, mountain biking, enjoying nature as well as general nature, wildlife, and landscape photos. Where was this resource when I was working with the Missouri Department of Conservation trying to do outreach with North St. Louis Communities? At one point, my team and I were trying to put together a display board to would serve as a visual aide to why visiting the natural areas were great. But all of our photos of people hiking, fishing, biking, kayaking, and bird watching were of people who looked nothing like our target audience. If only I had known.

Check out Edmondson's Photography Website: Raptor Works Photography.

I'm getting back to work on the Dissertation now...