Welcome and Keynote: Alexa Sutton Lawrence

The Place Where Two Parts Join: Honoring Stories at the Threshold of Identity, Water, Land & Memory

Liminal zones are places where kaleidoscopic experiences of nature and humanity occur; in a kaleidoscope, a slight shift in perspective may upend the entirety of one’s view. To work in such spaces — to hear, understand, record, and retell stories of the human and ecological communities that persist in these shifting spaces — requires a deft and adaptable communication style that relies on a deep understanding of history, people, ecology and place to render stories faithfully, honorably, and evocatively. Using the examples of her work with the Great Dismal Swamp and her ongoing study of southeastern Afro-descendant and Indigenous communities, Dr. Alexa Lawrence will discuss the key aspects of this unique type of communication work, and its potential to advance a more just & equitable environmental future.