Deja Perkins Named Young Conservationist of the Year

Deja Perkins, a Ph.D. candidate in Geospatial Analytics, has been named Young Conservationist of the Year by the North Carolina Wildlife Federation. This honor, part of the organization’s 60th Annual Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards, celebrates individuals and organizations advancing the conservation of North Carolina’s wildlife, habitats, and natural resources. The Young Conservationist of the Year award is specifically designated for individuals under 30 who exemplify leadership, innovation, and dedication to conservation goals. Past recipients have gone on to shape policy, lead nonprofits, and influence scientific thinking on a national scale—placing Perkins in distinguished company.

In March, Perkins successfully defended her dissertation, “The Geography of Participation: A Geospatial Analysis of Socio-spatial Gaps in US Participatory Science,” under the guidance of Dr. Caren Cooper, Center faculty fellow and professor in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources. Her research examines patterns of participation in volunteer-based environmental monitoring and how socio-spatial disparities shape the data produced by such efforts. By identifying demographic and geographic gaps, Perkins’ work highlights the importance of equity and representation in environmental science.

In addition to her academic work, Perkins is a prominent voice in science communication and community engagement. She co-hosts the podcast Bring Birds Back with Purbita Saha, which explores the joy of birds and the simple ways humans can support them. The show was nominated for a 2025 Ambies Awards for Excellence in Audio in the Best Indie Hosts category. Each episode features conversations with bird enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds, offering stories that are educational, timely, and deeply human.

Perkins is also the founder of Naturally Wild LLC, a community-based organization that provides low-cost birding workshops, guided nature walks, and youth programming for urban Black and Brown communities. Drawing on her own experiences growing up in a polluted area of Chicago, Perkins established Naturally Wild to help historically excluded communities build relationships with nature, develop environmental literacy, and participate in scientific discovery.

In 2022, she was recognized by then-Governor Roy Cooper as a Black STEM Leader as part of Black History Month.

Through her research, outreach, and media work, Deja Perkins is redefining what conservation looks like—and who it includes. Her efforts bridge geospatial data science, environmental justice, and public storytelling, making her a standout figure in the movement for inclusive and community-driven conservation.