J. Drew Lanham facts for kids
Joseph Drew Lanham is an American author, poet, and wildlife biologist. He received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2022. This award recognized his special way of combining science with personal stories about nature and culture.
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Who is J. Drew Lanham?
His Early Life and Education
J. Drew Lanham grew up in Edgefield, South Carolina. He loved nature from a young age. He studied zoology at Clemson University. Later, he earned his PhD in Forest Resources from the same university in 1997. In 2012, he became an Alumni Distinguished Professor at Clemson. He still teaches classes about birds and wildlife science there today.
What Does a Wildlife Biologist Do?
Dr. Lanham describes his work as "connecting the conservation dots." This means he helps people understand how everything in nature is linked. His research looks at how human activities, like managing forests, affect songbirds, reptiles, small mammals, and butterflies.
He is also very interested in how different groups of people, especially Black Americans, connect with wildlife and care for nature. Dr. Lanham wants to help birdwatchers and hunters work together. He believes this teamwork can lead to better ways to protect our natural world.
Protecting Nature: His Important Roles
Dr. Lanham is a strong supporter of nature conservation. He serves on the boards of several important organizations. These include the South Carolina Wildlife Federation and Audubon South Carolina. He also helps the Aldo Leopold Foundation and the American Birding Association.
In 2016, he was recognized as a Brandwein Fellow for his work in environmental education. He also received the Dan W. Lufkin Prize for Environmental Leadership in 2019 from the National Audubon Society. This award honors people who have dedicated their lives to protecting the environment. Over his 20 years as a professor, he has taught many courses. He has also guided more than 40 students in their studies of woodland ecology and conservation.
Sharing His Message: Books and Media
Dr. Lanham believes that protecting nature needs both science and heartfelt stories. He thinks that culture and personal experiences shape how we see and care for nature. He is a big advocate for including African Americans in natural resource conservation.
Speaking Up for Diversity in Nature
In 2013, Dr. Lanham wrote an article called "9 Rules for the Black Birdwatcher" for Orion Magazine. This piece highlighted the need for more diversity among people who enjoy nature, like birdwatchers. It inspired a short film by BirdNote with the same title, which became very popular. In 2016, he wrote another important piece called "Birding While Black." These writings help everyone understand the importance of feeling safe and welcome in nature.
His Award-Winning Book
In 2017, Dr. Lanham published his memoir, The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature. A memoir is a book about a person's own life experiences. His book tells his personal story and deep connection to the natural world. It received several awards, including the Reed Award and the Southern Book Prize. The Chronicle of Higher Education also listed it as one of the best scholarly books of the 2010s.
Featured in TV and Podcasts
Dr. Lanham has also appeared in various media. He was featured in episode 7 of the 2019 TV series Birds of North America. In 2020, he was interviewed for the "Prairie Warbler" episode of the podcast This Is Love. In December 2020, he received the E. O. Wilson Biodiversity Award. This award recognized his outstanding work in science and advocacy. In 2021, he wrote an essay for Living Bird magazine about whimbrel birds in South Carolina. In February 2022, the Post and Courier newspaper recognized him as one of twelve Black Leaders in South Carolina.
His Family Life
Dr. Lanham is married to Janice Garrison Lanham. She is a senior lecturer in the School of Nursing at Clemson University. They have two adult children. The Lanham family lives in the Upstate region of South Carolina.
