Centering Black Wisdom in Ecology

Dr. Maria Miriti, a Professor at Ohio State University, speaks and writes widely about the roles of Black wisdom in the field of ecology.

As this Black History Month comes to a close, the Black Ecologist’s Section of ESA would like to shine a light on the importance of centering Black cultures, values, and systems of knowledge in the natural sciences. Scientific inquiry is shaped heavily by the perspectives it privileges; centering Black knowledge allows us to expand the suite of approaches used to understand and address multidimensional problems in complex natural systems. Issues like species invasions, restoration, climate change adaptation and mitigation, conservation, and disease management all benefit from these kinds of contributions. 

Dr. Maria Miriti, our new Senior Ecologist, discusses this in depth, including an overview of plantation ecologies and legacies of displacement of Black communities in her 2022 Ecological Applications paper:”The history of natural history and race: Decolonizing human dimensions of ecology.” The 2023 book “Been Outside: Adventures of Black Women, Nonbinary, and Gender Nonconforming People in Nature”, edited by Dr. Shaz Zamore and Amber Wendler, also delves into this through a compilation of essays and stories. 

Over the next few months, we will highlight the work of Black ecologists whose research draws from Black systems of knowledge. If you would like your work to be featured in this series, please complete the attached google form. 

You can contribute to our ongoing efforts in supporting the well being and professional development of Black ecologists by making a donation to our section: https://ecologicalsocietyofamerica.org/blackecologists/donate/.

And don’t forget to cite Black ecologists in your next paper.

Happy Black History Month!