MIDDLEBURY — The public is invited to attend the annual meeting of Spirit in Nature on Sunday, Feb. 16, at 2 p.m., in the community room at Ilsley Library in Middlebury (use the entrance at back of building). The event will include presentation of the Eco-Spirit award, socializing and refreshments.
This year’s recipient of the Eco-Spirit award is Leif Taranta, a senior at Middlebury College. Taranta has been involved in environmental and social justice issues for many years, including fossil fuel resistance efforts in high school, fighting for trans bathroom rights, and mentoring younger trans youth. At Middlebury College, Leif’s work led to being a core organizer in the successful Divest Middlebury campaign, a key member of the Sunday Night Environmental Group, and a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement in Vermont and leader of its Middlebury chapter.
They (Leif’s preferred pronoun) were a main organizer and participant in the 52-mile Climate Walk in 2019 from Middlebury to Montpelier. They have worked for 350vt.org on many major initiatives, and spent last fall studying Zapatismo and indigenous anti-capitalist resistance movements in Mexico. Leif is currently a fellow with the Climate Disobedience Center.
Previous Eco-Spirit awardees include Bill McKibben, John Elder, and, most recently, Jon Turner of Wild Roots Farm, who will be the presenter of this year’s award. No registration is necessary to attend the event.
Spirit in Nature is a seventy-acre forest sanctuary in Ripton, Vermont comprised of over 14 intersecting paths that represent the world’s major faith traditions and their unique perspectives on nature.