There is a long-standing, but often unknown, connection between African-Americans and the study, use, and protection of nature and the environment. Here are some Black History facts you may not have known:

• In the early 1900's several historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) created nature study guides for grade school children to use. Hampton University even had its own Nature Study Bureau and published 17 issues of a children's nature study guide in 1901, which is available online – look for Hampton Institute Course in Nature Study for Primary Grades.

• Another HBCU that produced nature study guides was Tuskegee Institute. Their guide was written by George Washington Carver. Carver is well-known for his research on peanuts, but did you know he also discovered two species of fungi found on soybeans and helped create over 30 types of dye from soils?

• Charles Henry Turner was the first black person to receive a PhD in Zoology from the University of Chicago in 1907. Much of Dr. Turner's career focused on studying insect behavior. He published over 70 papers and discovered that honeybees could see in color and see patterns! He also discovered that insects could hear and change their behavior based on their past experiences!

• Black history continues to be made even in present times, and locally! Destiny Watford, a teenager from the Curtis Bay neighborhood, received the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2016 for her efforts to block construction of the country's largest incinerator in her neighborhood. Her community continues to push for clean energy options instead of an incinerator.

Black history isn't just for February, it can be a year-round learning process! To learn about the work of current black scientists, check out the hashtag #blackandSTEM on social media (like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter). There are also many books available.  A few examples include: Black and Brown Faces in America's Wild Places by Dudley Edmonson, Black Nature by Camille Dungy, The Home Place by J. Drew Lanham, and for kids Bug Watching with Charles Henry Turner by Michael Ross.