{"id":572,"date":"2026-08-20T15:58:48","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T15:58:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blakelavia.com\/?page_id=572"},"modified":"2026-08-20T17:13:30","modified_gmt":"2026-08-20T17:13:30","slug":"talks","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blakelavia.com\/index.php\/talks\/","title":{"rendered":"Talks"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"We are nature: Ecocentric narratives | Blake and Tzintzun | TEDxTupper Lake\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/wSXaIS2SCDk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What would a river say if they could speak with human words?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As part of the <a href=\"https:\/\/talking-wings.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Talking Wings Collective<\/a>,\u00a0 Blake Lavia participated in the TEDx Tupper Lake. With the fellow artist and life companion Tzintzun Aguilar Izzo, Lavia challenged the audience to see the world through the perspective of other living organisms. This talk wanted to inspire people to rethink the human relationships with nature and expand human understanding of what it means to be part of a community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-divider-size-1\" style=\"color:#ddd\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-divider-size-1\" style=\"color:#ddd\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Honoring Nature&amp;apos;s Voice and Protecting Their Rights \u2022 Daily Dose of Nature\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Qu0Y5UxK8AA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Blake Lavia presented, as part of <a href=\"https:\/\/talkingrivers.org\/\">Talking Rivers, Inc.<\/a>, at the Natural Habitat Adventure&#8217;s <em>Daily Dose of Nature Webinar<\/em>. The talk verged around tales from the perspectives of rivers, whales, fish, and eels, and the concept of \u201cRights of Nature.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-divider-size-1\" style=\"color:#ddd\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-divider-size-1\" style=\"color:#ddd\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Protecting the Rights of Nature\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ihyhR_e5SVk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In this interview with the Adirondack Explorer, Blake Lavia &amp; Tzintzun Aguilar-Izzo talk about how to give a voice to nature through citizen science, art, storytelling, and lawmaking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-divider-size-1\" style=\"color:#ddd\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-divider-size-1\" style=\"color:#ddd\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ADIRONDACKS FOR ALL: The Future of Adirondack Stewardship: Climate, Ecology, and Community\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rm-Iu5JZ0GM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout history, scholars, writers, artists, and activists have looked beyond the dominant cultural attitudes of their era to reevaluate the way we organize our relationship with the natural world. The \u201cRomantic Revolt\u201d of Emerson and Thoreau, the conservation ethic of Gifford Pinchot, John Muir\u2019s passion for wilderness preservation, and Rachel Carson\u2019s 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\u2019s first \u201cForever Wild\u201d 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. Blake Lavia presented alongside a panel of artists, storytellers, students, and teachers, exploring the ways we might reimagine Adirondack stewardship\u2013incorporating ecocentric and rights of nature perspectives\u2013and discuss the socio-economic barriers that have historically prevented underrepresented communities from engaging in these conversations. The panel was organized and hosted by the Adirondack Exprience Museum. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-divider-size-1\" style=\"color:#ddd\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-divider-size-1\" style=\"color:#ddd\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Rights for Great Salt Lake - Webinar with Earth Law Center + Talking Rivers\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MpfsQ6WhtoA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A recording from Save Our Great Salt Lake of the Rights of Nature Webinar on May 4th, 2023 . The panelists were  Grant Wilson (Director of the Earth Law Center) and Blake Lavia &amp; Tzintzun Aguilar-Izzo from Talking Rivers, Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-divider-size-1\" style=\"color:#ddd\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-divider-size-1\" style=\"color:#ddd\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The @talkingwings Collective on \u201cThe North Country Art, Land, and Environment Summit\u201d\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xuLofaX24t4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Interview with Larger, Freer and More Loving about the ways that art, land, and environment intersect, especially the role that art plays in activism for the land and our environments<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-divider-size-1\" style=\"color:#ddd\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-divider-size-1\" style=\"color:#ddd\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Listening to Nature Toolkit: Making Decisions as Part of Nature with Talking Rivers  10.8.25\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/HL_gNO7PUDE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">How do we, humans, make decisions as members of a watershed or ecosystem? How do we make decisions as part of Nature? In this webinar hosted by the Adirondack Diversity Initiative, Blake Lavia together with Tzintzun Aguilar-Izzo from Talking Rivers presented the <a href=\"https:\/\/talkingrivers.org\/listening-to-nature\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/talkingrivers.org\/listening-to-nature\">\u201cListening to Nature Toolkit,\u201d <\/a>an interactive tool for individuals and organizations to make decisions that honor the rights and voice of Nature. The Listening to Nature Toolkit aims to bring an ecocentric perspective to the forefront of all environmental discussions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-divider-size-1\" style=\"color:#ddd\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-genesis-blocks-gb-spacer gb-block-spacer gb-divider-solid gb-divider-size-1\" style=\"color:#ddd\"><hr style=\"height:30px\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"A Conversation with Artist Activists Tzintzuan Aguilar Izzo and Blake Lavia\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Tf0l7pViToU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Blake Lavia was part of a conversation with the Asian American Herald. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What would a river say if they could speak with human words?\u00a0 As part of the Talking Wings Collective,\u00a0 Blake Lavia participated in the TEDx Tupper Lake. With the fellow artist and life companion Tzintzun Aguilar Izzo, Lavia challenged the audience to see the world through the perspective of other living organisms. This talk wanted [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_coblocks_attr":"","_coblocks_dimensions":"","_coblocks_responsive_height":"","_coblocks_accordion_ie_support":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-572","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blakelavia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/572","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blakelavia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blakelavia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blakelavia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blakelavia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=572"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/blakelavia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/572\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":589,"href":"https:\/\/blakelavia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/572\/revisions\/589"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blakelavia.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=572"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}