Welcome to Black to Nature, a podcast about the environment and identity and the many ways we engage ourselves and the natural world. I’m Professor Stefanie Dunning and I’ll be your host. Each episode, I’ll read an excerpt from my book, “Black to Nature: Pastoral Return and African American Culture” and bring a guest on the show to talk about the role that nature plays in helping us know and deepen into who we are. On this show, we’ll be talking about rural life, histories of environmentalism in the black community, and even spirituality--because the natural world is our first temple. Join me, for insightful, funny, and generative discussions about the intersection of being and nature.