Deja Perkins

Dr. Deja Perkins is a Geospatial Ecologist from Chicago, Illinois. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Forestry at Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama. She specializes in engaging communities with birds and nature-based outdoor activities to connect people with science through citizen science and participatory monitoring. Dr. Perkins is an advocate for exploring local nature and promoting equal access to natural spaces. She also co-organizes Black Birders Week to build community, promote Black scholarship in the outdoors, and provide professional development and environmental education opportunities to provide representation and help retain the Black Diaspora in outdoor and conservation fields. She is the owner of Naturally Wild LLC, where she hosts workshops to connect communities to local nature and help break down barriers to participation in science. Most importantly, Dr. Perkins is a birder who has travelled all over the US to work with birds of all sizes (from eagles and hawks to shorebirds and songbirds) and to promote nature in cities for the betterment of both people and wildlife.