By: Mia Ambroiggio ‘26 MEM
Being outside shifts our mood, body, and presence in palpable ways. When Mary Evelyn Tucker arrived for our meeting, she suggested we take the meeting outdoors. I gladly agreed. We dragged lawn chairs over freshly fallen leaves and settled into a shaded spot near the Bioethics Center where Mary Evelyn has her office. Sinking into our seats, grounding ourselves, we began to discuss the Living Earth Community.
Mary Evelyn is the heart of the Yale Forum on Religion and Ecology, which she co-directs with her husband, John Grim. Most recently, the Forum launched the Living Earth Community – a virtual knowledge commons that weaves together scientific, spiritual, humanistic, and legal perspectives on the liveliness, intelligence, and creativity of the natural world.
As we sat beneath the trees, our conversation turned to how the Living Earth Community took shape – how the idea emerged, how it connects with our work at The Forest School, and how it supports our shared role as stewards of an interconnected, living planet.
Mia: To get started, I’m really interested in the Living Earth Community as a conceptual framework and an online forum. Could you speak to how this idea developed?
Mary Evelyn: It’s been brewing for quite a few years. In essence, we felt that ideas like differentiated sentience in the living world – found in Indigenous knowledge, in our film Journey of the Universe, and in Thomas Berry’s work – needed to be brought together. We’re calling it a “knowledge commons,” a place where people can dive in, explore, contribute, and be creative. The ultimate goal is to celebrate biodiversity, to feel renewed and inspired by it, even in the face of political and ecological challenges.
Mia: That leads into my next question. Why now? Why is this platform and concept particularly important at this moment in time?
Mary Evelyn: I just came from Climate Week in New York – [it was] very active, full of inspiring presentations and new ideas. But climate change, as a topic, can be discouraging. It’s complex, politically fraught. Our government has even withdrawn from major climate agreements. But what we’re doing with Living Earth Community is like an intergenerational handshake. Yes, there are obstacles. But we must act for future generations. That’s why everything we build is open-source for students, for the public. This project highlights interconnection, [which is] ecology in its essence. The processes of relationality, communication between species, ecosystems – it’s long been known in science and Indigenous wisdom. Now, we’re weaving it all together. Thomas Berry described Earth as a “communion of subjects, not a collection of objects.” That’s the shift we’re celebrating.
Mia: Why is this convergence of knowledge so important, especially in environmental and forestry spaces?
Mary Evelyn: I love the phrase “convergence of knowledge.” Exactly. Scientific management of ecosystems is necessary, but not sufficient. We’re rediscovering that Indigenous communities have managed forests and watersheds for thousands of years. Last year, a series on Tribal forest management at The Forest School had thousands of sign-ups. The hunger for this integration is real. This triad – traditional ecological knowledge, scientific management, and other cultural ways of knowing – is where the future lies. The next generation is growing up with this openness. We’re moving toward a more holistic relationship between people and nature. Not in a naive way, but in a deeply considerate, intentional way.
Mia: That is a beautiful way to put that. This approach almost feels like a return – yes, it’s a fresh new integration in this space, but also wisdom resurfacing. Do you think this is also a kind of re-enchantment of the natural world?
Mary Evelyn: Totally. That’s a great word: re-enchantment. We’ve stripped ecosystems of their livingness. Even in ecology, we often use purely empirical methods – necessary, but again, not sufficient. When an empirical method of study becomes a worldview, we’ve objectified nature. But people are craving more. Re-enchantment can come from a parent teaching a child, or a teacher in a classroom, restoring awe, wonder, and respect.
Mia: I love that phrase, “necessary, but not sufficient.” It really grounds the idea that there’s more many of us need to tap into to fully engage with this work. Looking ahead, what’s your vision for this platform and community, both practically and in terms of the broader mindset shift you’re hoping to spark?
Mary Evelyn: My ultimate vision is a shift in both consciousness and conscience. That’s how we change how we live and act, recognizing the living presence in ecosystems. Practically, we’re already seeing changes: conferences, online courses, open dialogue. The course on Tribal forestry was a game changer. For the Yale Forest School to take that seriously, and to invite so many Indigenous voices, signals a shift. We’re moving from dismissing these cultural traditions to truly listening. This is an urgent, exciting, and new threshold.
Mia: For the future of The Forest School, or Yale as a whole, what more can we be doing to cultivate this shift in ourselves and in our communities?
Mary Evelyn: This school has a deep legacy, and we are in a threshold moment. Students are opening doors. And being outside, like we are right now, makes a difference. Light, breeze, trees, paying attention to immersive experiences that renew us. We’re creating new rituals – play, joy, reverence. That’s what ritual is: celebration. Of the seasons, the changes, the interconnectedness. That’s what restores our energy for the work ahead in both protecting and caring for forests.
The Living Earth Community website is live! Visit this “knowledge commons” at https://livingearthcommunity.com/.
Fall colors developing at Great Mountain Forest. Photo: Julia Luckkett
