Coalescence, Contemplation and Creation
Protecting the Places and People We Love
Sunday, March 14; 3:30 - 5 p.m.
With Dr. Mallory McDuff, author and teacher of environmental education at Warren Wilson College
Mallory McDuff joins contemplative documentary photographer Susan Patrice in a conversation moderated by Adult Education Programs Manager Rebecca Caldwell about protecting the people and the places we love. At the center of this conversation are questions about how we take action to address climate and ecological crises. Can thoughtful (contemplative) time spent in nature restore a sense of belonging and connection? Will that lead to a renewed commitment to environmental stewardship and climate-solution action? In a time of global pandemic and measures taken to protect ourselves and others, we've been made to ponder mortality in a very real and intimate way. Where do end-of-life planning and caring for our planet intersect?
Coalescence, Contemplation, and Creation is a series of conversations on coalescence — crossing mediums and bridging disciplines — to discuss a nature-inspired practice of creating, community building and healing.
Mallory McDuff writes and teaches environmental education at Warren Wilson College, a liberal arts school that integrates academics with work and community engagement. She lives on campus with her two daughters in a 900-square foot house with an expansive view of a herd of sheep, a donkey named Tallulah, and the Appalachian mountains of Western North Carolina. Her writing examines the intersection of people and places for a better world.
She is the author of the books Sacred Acts: How Churches are Working to Protect Earth’s Climate (2012), New Society Publishers; Natural Saints: How People of Faith are Working to Save God’s Earth (2010), Oxford University Press; and co-author of Conservation Education and Outreach Techniques, 2nd Ed., (2015), Oxford University Press. She has published nearly 20 articles in academic journals and her essays have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, BuzzFeed, and more. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Florida, M.S. from the University of South Alabama, and B.S. from Vanderbilt University.
Susan Patrice is a documentary photographer, community artist, and founder of Makers Circle. She recently launched PhotoTerra, a community-art project that encourages photographers of all levels to fall in love with the natural world. This unique project uses the power of art and insight to deepen our connection to place, promote awareness, quicken change, and inspire stewardship through a renewed sense of belonging. Susan's own photography and public installations focus primarily on the Southern landscape and its people and feature intimate images that touch deeply into the questions of place and belonging. Susan’s work is on view through May 1st at the NC Arboretum Baker Center Gallery.
Rebecca Caldwell is a writer and educator who serves as the adult education programs manager at The North Carolina Arboretum. She has taught literature and writing at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Clemson University, and Western Carolina University. She is also trained as a counselor specializing in expressive arts and ecopsychology. While working in Student Affairs at Western Carolina University, she started the Women’s Center, a resource, advising and advocacy center open to all students. Her doctoral coursework and research at the University of Virginia focused on creativity, intrinsic motivation, and the adult learner.
