Corina Newsome

Corina Newsome is an American ornithologist, wildlife biologist, and science communicator whose work focuses on avian conservation and environmental justice. Newsome earned a bachelor's degree in zoo and wildlife biology from Malone University and later completed a master's degree in biology from Georgia Southern University. Her interest in ornithology began after studying blue jays in a field class, leading her to research landscape ecology questions that address how birds can thrive amid environmental change.

Newsome worked as a zookeeper at Nashville Zoo, specializing in outreach, environmental education, and animal training. She developed programs to introduce young people to animal care careers, including the Pathway to Animal Care Careers program at Nashville Zoo and the Wildlife Careers Program at Malone University, both designed to help high school students from diverse backgrounds explore science careers. Her research has contributed to conservation efforts for the MacGillivray's seaside sparrow.

Newsome served as Community Engagement Manager at Georgia Audubon and later as Associate Conservation Scientist at the National Wildlife Federation. She has written for Audubon magazine and BBC Wildlife, and has been featured on NPR, PBS Nature, The Weather Channel, Black Entertainment Television, and in publications such as Science magazine, The New Yorker, New York magazine, and The Washington Post.

In response to racism experienced by Black birder Christian Cooper in Central Park, Newsome co-organized Black Birders Week to celebrate Black birders. Black Birders Week has received global attention, featured in National Geographic and Scientific American, and partnered with organizations including National Audubon Society and Monterey Bay Aquarium. Online, Newsome uses the name Hood Naturalist to communicate science and promote diversity in biology and STEM careers, emphasizing that naturalists can come from any background.

Newsome is dedicated to integrating environmental justice with conservation science and practice. Her commitment to ornithology extends into the communities where she lives and works, with a focus on increasing representation and visibility of Black science professionals in STEM. Her work has been recognized with honors including Humans2020 from Motherboard by Vice, Inverse Magazine's Future 50 Forces for Good, and the Grist 50 Fixers award.