MCLA's Green Living Seminar Returns with "Nature and Spirituality" Series

January 26, 2026

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts’ (MCLA) popular Green Living Seminar series returns this spring with "Nature and Spirituality," a 12-week exploration of how faith, religion, and spiritual traditions shape our relationship with the natural world.

The series launches Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 5:30 p.m., in The Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation, Room 121 with poet David Crews presenting "Land & The Spiritual Journey."

All sessions are free and open to the public.

"This semester's theme examines the profound connections between spirituality and environmental stewardship," said Dr. Elena Traister, MCLA professor of environmental studies and the series’ organizer. "From Indigenous perspectives to climate activism rooted in faith, these conversations are more relevant than ever."

Spring 2026 Schedule (All sessions Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in FCSI 121):

  • January 28 – "Land & The Spiritual Journey" with David Crews, Poet
  • February 4 – "Faith Under Fire: How Religion Shapes Climate Concern in the Middle East" with Dr. Nimah Mazaheri, Professor of Political Science and Dean of Academic Affairs, Tufts University
  • February 11 – "Mindful Birding and the Science of Awe: Improving Our Health & Saving the Planet" with Dave Edson, Educator and Naturalist
  • February 18 – "How Religion Influences Our Relationship with the Environment" with Dr. Alexander de Sherbinin, Director and Senior Research Scientist, Columbia Climate School's Center for Integrated Earth System Information (CIESIN)
  • February 25 – "Tribal Historic Preservation in the Stockbridge-Munsee Ancestral Homeland" with Bonney Hartley, Tribal Historic Preservation Manager, Stockbridge-Munsee Community
  • March 4 – "Nature, Well-Being, and Indigenous Perspectives on the Interconnectedness of People and Creation" with Wahieñhawi "Hawi" Hall, Assistant Director of Counseling and Psychological Services and Community Liaison for Indigenous Students, Cornell Health
  • March 11 – "Emerson's Transcendentalism and Ecology: Politics Beyond Cynicism" with Russell C. Powell, Research Associate, Harvard Divinity School Center for the Study of the World Religions
  • March 25 – "Caring for the Sacred in Nature: The Role of Cultural and Spiritual Values in Landscape Stewardship" with Jessica Brown, Executive Director, New England Biolabs Foundation
  • April 1 – "How the Church Can Engage with the Urgent Moral Crisis of Climate Change" with Rev. Dr. Jim Antal, Denominational Leader, Activist, and Public Theologian
  • April 8 – "How Laws Protecting Birds Strengthen Human Communities" with Meredith Barges, Chair, Lights Out Central NY, PhD Student, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
  • April 15 – "The Call of the Ecozoic: Religions Enter Their Planetary Phase" with Sam King, Project Manager, Journey of the Universe
  • April 22 – "Landscapes of the Secular: Law, Religion, and American Sacred Space" with Dr. Nicolas C. Howe, Professor of Environmental Studies, Williams College

All presentations take place Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in MCLA’s Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation, Room 121 and will be recorded as podcasts available at mcla.edu/greenliving.

For more information, contact Elena Traister at elena.traister@mcla.edu or 413-662-5303.

 

About MCLA
At MCLA, we're here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive on every level of their lives. In every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed to elevate our students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully empowered to make their impressions on the world. In addition to our 130-year commitment to public education, we have fortified our dedication to equitable academic excellence. MCLA has appeared on U.S. News & World Report's list of Top Ten Public Colleges for 11 consecutive years, earning the No. 6 spot on the list of Top Public Liberal Arts Schools in the nation for 2026. The College's focus on affordable education and economic prosperity is reflected in additional 2026 U.S. News rankings: No. 6 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for liberal arts colleges in the state and No. 4 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for public liberal arts colleges in the country. These rankings measure how well schools graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants.