Filmmaker, photographer, and author Dudley Edmondson to deliver Carleton convocation on his career in nature

Dudley Edmondson—nature photographer, filmmaker, author, and advocate for nature—will deliver convocation at Carleton College on Friday, February 9 from 10:50 to 11:50 a.m. in Skinner Chapel. His address, “My Career Working with the Natural World,” details his unique personal experiences sharing and living in nature. Edmondson has spent more than three decades as a photographer of nature and wildlife. His passion and love for the outdoors motivated him to create his groundbreaking book, Black & Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places (2006), which profiles the lives of many African Americans who are deeply connected to nature. Edmondson’s work highlighting Black outdoor role models contributes to his goal of helping more people of color explore the outdoors. 

Edmondson’s belief that nature has an innate ability to heal the mind and the body has led him on a life path of sharing his love and passion for nature with others. He has worked with a multitude of communities across the country in order to help urban youth and youth of color to experience the beauty of the natural world. His first-hand experience watching the ways that young people’s lives are changed for the better with exposure to nature has reinforced his desire to inspire people to discover their personal understanding and respect for everything that nature has to offer. 

“In wilderness the ability to embrace freedom and be your true self is the healing medicine the mind needs,” Edmondson explains on his website. 

Edmondson is also the author of What’s that Flower: A Beginner’s Guide to Wildflowers (2013), which breaks down the most common wildflowers of the eastern United States. Over the course of his career, his work has been featured in over 100 publications and his photographs have been showcased in a plethora of national galleries. 

Edmondson attended Ohio State University and now calls Duluth, Minnesota home, where he enjoys recreational activities including birdwatching, fly fishing, and trail running, among many others. 

This convocation will also be live streamed—please register in advance to receive information on how to attend via Zoom. Carleton convocations are free and open to the public. Find upcoming events and archived recordings (including in podcast form) on the convocations website. For more information, including disability accommodations, call 507-222-5461 or email nponder@carleton.edu.