September 7, 2025 9:30 am – 4 pm, at the Breeding Barn at Shelburne Farms, Vermont, USA
“We stand at a critical moment in Earth’s history, a time when humanity must choose its future.” (Preamble, The Earth Charter)
Join us in this time of social, ecological, and spiritual urgency in bringing a renewal of hope to the heart of Vermont as we celebrate and rekindle the values and principles of the Earth Charter. This day-long gathering will feature Tiokasin Ghosthorse as he shares an ancestral voice of healing, love, and Earth-honoring wisdom. Also featuring Mary Evelyn Tucker, Gus Speth, Paul Winter and more, this event is a rare convergence: a cross-generational, interdisciplinary, and artistic celebration represented by the Ark of Hope, creating momentum for planetary consciousness aligned with respect, care, ecological integrity, justice and peace for the Whole Earth Community.
Speakers and contributors:
Mary Evelyn Tucker is co-founder and co-director of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale University. She is a pioneer in the field of religion and ecology, and contributed significantly to the drafting process of the Earth Charter. She has a Ph.D. in Asian religions from Columbia University where she specialized in Confucianism in China and Japan. Together with her husband, John Grim, she organized a series of ten conferences on World Religions and Ecology at the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University (between 1995 and 1998), which resulted in ten volumes published and distributed by Harvard University Press. Dr. Tucker has authored and edited nearly twenty volumes of books and has published hundreds of articles. Some of her books are Thomas Berry: A Biography (co-authored with John Grim and Andrew Angyal, 2019), Ecology and Religion (co-authored with John Grim, 2014), and Journey of the Universe (co-authored with Brian Swimme, 2011). Journey of the Universe is also an Emmy Award-winning film.
Gus Speth was the founder and former president of the World Resources Institute. He was a co-founder of the Natural Resources Defense Council and was a senior advisor to Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Between 1981 and 1982, he was Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center, where he taught environmental and constitutional law. He served as Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) before he became dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, at Yale University in the USA. Speth is a recipient of the Blue Planet Prize. He is the author of Red Sky at Morning: America and the Global Crises of Environment (2004), The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability (2008) and Angels by the River, a Memoir (2014).
Paul Winter is a saxophonist, composer, bandleader and seven time Grammy winner. His body of work chronicles his wide-ranging experiences in the musical traditions and natural environments of the Earth, as he has long embraced the world’s cultures and the wildlife voices of what he refers to as “the greater symphony of the Earth.” He pioneered his genre of ‘Earth Music”, incorporating inspiration from whales, wolves, seals, and elephants in an effort to bring attention to these animals and their vulnerability in the face of climate change and human destruction. Paul Winter has recorded more than 50 albums with his ensemble, the Paul Winter Consort, and his community of colleagues – some of the finest jazz, classical, and world musicians. He also founded Music for the Earth (MFE) in 1976.
Sam Crowell is professor emeritus from California State University, San Bernardino. He serves as a faculty member of the Earth Charter Education Center for Sustainable Development and has been engaged in the Earth Charter movement for several years. He founded the MA in Holistic and Integrative Education and is a founding member of the Network in Spirituality and Education. He is the former director at the Center for Research in Integrative Learning and Teaching and has been an elementary teacher, a principal, and a school administrator. He has a PhD on Education from University of Virginia. His books include Emergent Teaching: A Path for Creativity, Significance, and Transformation (2013), The Re-Enchantment of Learning, Mindshifts, and two e-books on Earth Charter Pedagogy.
Our Venue
Shelburne Farms is a non-profit organization and learning center. Created in 1972, its mission is to share the beautiful land and resources with the community, and to cultivate learning for a sustainable future. Shelburne Farms is invested in sustainable agriculture and food systems practices, using a complex interconnected system of humans and nature to produce nutritious and humane food, while also fostering healthy soils, water systems, biodiversity, and climate resilience. They are also committed to their climate action plan to reach net zero emissions by 2028 through renewable energy and carbon sequestration. Most importantly, Shelburne Farms offers comprehensive educational experiences for educators and students in sustainability, food systems, and exploration of the natural world to build community and better stewardship of our Earth.
