Adirondacks for All
This is a virtual event to take place on Zoom.
Throughout history, scholars, writers, artists, and activists have looked beyond the dominant cultural attitudes of their era to re-evaluate the way we organize our relationship with the natural world. The “Romantic Revolt” of Emerson and Thoreau, the conservation ethic of Gifford Pinchot, John Muir’s passion for wilderness preservation, and Rachel Carson’s ecocentric critique of scientific progress have pushed the boundaries of environmental stewardship and continue to inform more contemporary commitments to sustainability and environmental and social justice. These environmental values, among others, have equally influenced the trajectory of conservation, preservation, and stewardship in the Adirondacks. As one of the nation’s first “Forever Wild” nature preserves, Adirondack Park stands as a foundational achievement of environmental preservation, but the work is far from finished. The challenge of climate change has only brought greater urgency to the critical work of protecting biodiversity and promoting ecological stability. This panel of artists, storytellers, students, and teachers will explore the ways we might reimagine Adirondack stewardship–incorporating ecocentric and rights of nature perspectives–and discuss the socio-economic barriers that have historically prevented underrepresented communities from engaging in these conversations. It is critical that Adirondack stewardship transcend the racial and class boundaries and anthropocentric positions that have traditionally defined environmental circles and instead, empower people from all walks of life to participate in decisions and policies that will determine the future of the region.
About The Speaker:
Blake Lavia (all pronouns) is a multimedia artist and community organizer, currently living in the Kaniatarowanneh / St. Lawrence River Valley, at the foothills of the Adirondack Mountains, Haudenosaunee Territory. Through their work with the environmental storytelling group Talking Wings, Blake Lavia has organized numerous conferences, curated in person and virtual art exhibitions, and produced visual storytelling pieces that spotlight Water and Earth Guardians. Their art practice dances between filmmaking, writing, photography, animation, and mixed media illustration, and spotlights structural violence, cultural memory, and our current climate crises. In recent projects, such as the North Country Rights of Nature Symposium, Blake Lavia is striving to bring communities together to discuss how to build an ecocentric and just reality for the region and the world. 
Tzintzun Aguilar-Izzo (they, elle) is an environmental artist and movement weaver, who is currently working to spotlight stories of regenerative solutions to the climate crises in the North Country, Haudenosaunee Territory. As part of Talking Wings, they have collaborated with Blake Lavia on several art and community-centered environmental projects, such as the “North Country Art, Land and Environment Summit” and “Confluence: A Tapestry of Rivers and their Guardians.” Talking Wings is currently embarking on a new endeavor in which they are weaving together a regional collaboration to co-create an ecocentric governance system for waterways and draft a Bill of Rights for North Country rivers. 
Jen Kretser, Director of Climate Initiatives at The Wild Center, leads the Center’s climate change engagement programs including the Youth Climate Program, which was highlighted by the Obama White House Office of Science and Technology; interpretive programs for visitors; the new Climate Solutions exhibit; and other climate related initiatives and community partnerships. In 2015, she represented The Wild Center and the Association of Science Technology Centers (ASTC) at the UN COP 21 climate talks in Paris and is working to help seed youth climate summits around the world. In 2022, she led The Wild Center’s delegation at the UN COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland. Kretser is an active member of the NYS Climate Resilience & Education Task Force, serves numerous boards including the Climate Literacy Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN), Adirondack Mountain Club and the Adirondack Diversity Initiative. Jen also serves on the U.S. Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) Coordinating Team and is working on new national education guidelines for climate change and climate justice. Jen grew up in and is grateful to call Saranac Lake home. 
Caroline Dodd is a lifelong Adirondacker, climate activist, and cross-country ski coach. She was a founding member of The Wild Center’s Youth Climate Program, where she continues to serve on the Youth Advisory Board. She studied environmental science and policy at Cornell University, where she researched climate change mitigation for the Kingdom of Tonga, traveling to the United Nations Climate Negotiations in Poland. Caroline has since served as a legislative advocate for the Adirondacks, a ski instructor, and a winter sports events coordinator. She will attend graduate school in Environmental Policy this fall. She can also be found playing her flute and singing at Chapel Island on Upper Saranac Lake. Caroline plans to carry her passions for climate justice and local climate solutions into the climate policy space. 
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