This portal page changes regularly and we invite your contributions to it. We are looking for brief visual exploratory stories about human-biospheric-universal-spiritual dimensions like the presentation below. You can submit an abstract about your presentation via the message section of our Contact page. If selected, we’ll design a format to fit your content.
This image is like
the luminosity of Self shining
through the thinning bars of self
The description of the dense, moon-lit forest is based on the non-duality principle of Advaita Vedanta, an ancient perennial Indian philosophy. The lowercase "self" is our superficial identity: the ego, our personal anxieties, and the rigid boundaries that make us feel separate and isolated from the rest of the world, much like the obscuring branches of a thick forest.
The uppercase "Self," however, represents our essential self the ultimate Source of everything. It is the pure undivided consciousness that connects all existence in interbeing. When we quiet our minds and the rigid, dense bars of our individual selves begin to thin, universal light of Self shines as the open empty Presence only through which forms can appear and dissolve. Emptiness is a prerequisite for form because if the Source were already "something" specific (dense or occupied), it would have no room to become "everything.” This capacity is analogous to a mirror reflecting an infinite variety of objects because the mirror itself is inherently clear and colorless.
Non-duality refers to the unity of the superficial and ultimate self. Advaita is a philosophy, not a religion, because non-duality supports all forms of spirituality as well as the foundations of physics. The "Source” is capitalized here to express recognition of the Absolute Self but the term perfectly connotes “all as one” in lowercase.
Just as the moonlight in the photo metaphorically reveals our unchanging infinite being, the literal moon recently served as a way to reflect upon our ever changing physical appearance.
Joyfully awake in the vacuum of space
Reclaiming “woke”
The Artemis II (April 1–11, 2026) mission around the far side of the moon showed the dramatic contrast between the peace of space and a world embroiled in crises with, at that moment, thousands of bombs wreaking havoc in the Holy Land.
During an interview, Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman referred to the “fragile planet in the vacuum of space” that he was seeing, and his conclusion beautifully applies to the Ecollective’s conception of spiritual ecology:
“We’re very fortunate to live on planet earth... our purpose on the planet as humans is to find joy, to find the joy in lifting each other up by creating solutions together rather than destroying.”
Wiseman's emphasis on joy, mutual uplift, and cooperative problem-solving, most directly embodied by the bio-geo-diversity of his four-member crew (one Canadian, one woman, one black American, and a white American), serves as a reminder of the authentically awakened (the original meaning of “woke”) aspect of spiritual ecology: diverse, inclusive, and equitable. After all, biodiversity is essential in environmental ecologies.
As a philosophy, wisely-applied DEI is a synthesis of the world’s great spiritual traditions and the archetypal insights of indigeneity. In the Artemis II example, the gender aspect (three men, one woman) and the racial aspect (three white people, one black person) still reflect the systemic algorithms of demographic skewing, in this case, women and black people being historically underrepresented in the STEM fields that feed aeronautics.
The Ecollective’s spiritual ecology approach compensates for these imbalances by maintaining the flexibility to expand and contract: we can zoom out to contemplate the broad, cosmic implications of subjects like space exploration, while also focusing in on environmentalism from a black and POC point of view.
Ultimately, a key parallel between the ancient wisdom of Advaita and the modern Artemis II experience is the realization of joy.
In Advaita Vedanta, the ultimate reality of the Source is described as sat-chit-ananda: truth/being, consciousness, and bliss (or joy). This ananda is not a fleeting emotional high, but a boundless, foundational joy that naturally arises when we transcend isolated "self," recognize our interconnected existence on Earth and unity with "Self."
We saw a magnificent dimension of ananda in the "moon joy" experienced by the Artemis II flight and ground crews as they viewed the celestial orb so closely. As described in a April 7, 2026 New York Times report, "Houston, We Have No Problem. But We Do Have a Lot of ‘Moon Joy,’ " this wasn't just a technical triumph; it was a deeply spiritual, collective euphoria.
When Reid Wiseman speaks of finding joy in "lifting each other up," he is translating cosmic ananda into tangible, human action. It is the pure joy of the universe recognizing itself, shining brightly through the dark vacuum of space, and inviting us all to recognize that we ourselves are fundamentally and forever this witnessing light. Tat tvam asi.
The non-dual Advaita to Artemis rationale also reflects the racial identity case style of the Ecollective. We recognize that the identities "black," "brown," and "white" comprise a seamless continuum and encourage African descendants who do not know their original racial and (upper-case) ethnic identities to discover them through DNA testing.
In this way, our ethnic identities become specific while our generic racial (i.e., black, brown, white) identities are lowercase.
Regarding the subtitle, Reclaiming “woke”: In the black vernacular speech which created the original “woke” terminology, the term was an emphatic way of referring to some one who has exceptionally wise, admirable and humane qualities. This meaning was undermined by the MAGA movement and is being reclaimed here.
Photo: Ricardo Gomez/Unsplash
Artemis 11 flyby view of Earth from the far side of the moon. Credit: NASA
Artemis 11 crew Christina Hammock Koch, Jeremy Hansen, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman
When NASA administrator Bill Nelson announced the Artemis 11 crew in 2023, he emphasized the diversity aspect as can be seen in the video within this article. No performative, virtue signaling in this emphasis; just pride and lifting-each-other-up joy. “This is humanity’s crew,” Nelson said.
Soul Fire Farm events
The team at Soul Fire Farm continues their incredible work rooted in the agricultural traditions of the diaspora. They have "Community Work & Learn" days scheduled for May 5 and May 19, 2026, offering hands-on farming experience. Additionally, they are hosting a "Hands-On Introduction to Carpentry" specifically for the BIPOC community on May 14 to help build vital infrastructure skills.
Children of the Land: Soul Fire Farm’s Approach to Raising and Mentoring Young People
Live Online Course with Leah Penniman
DEC. 1 - 22, 2026
TUESDAYS 12 - 1:30 PM (PT)
In this live course, Leah Penniman invites participants into the teachings and stories of Soul Fire Farm, where young people are raised through shared responsibility, earth-based learning, and intergenerational cooperation. Grounded in Afro-Indigenous wisdom, the course offers caregivers and educators practical insights for nurturing children who are rooted, connected, and supported in discovering their unique paths. The course is sponsored by Bioneers. Register here.
Biter Kalli. Photo by Kamal Ali
Mounted: On Horses, Blackness, and Liberation book by Bitter Kalli
Drawing on their personal history as a former urban equestrian, black queer person, and child of Jamaican and Filipino immigrants, essayist and art critic Bitter Kalli contends in this book that the horse should be regarded as a critical source of power and identity in black life.
Historic Anacostia Community environmental resourcefulness
In her new book, Tiny Gardens Everywhere: The Past, Present, and Future of the Self-Provisioning City, historian Kate Brown provide a history of urban food production. A striking example in the book is the Anacostia communuty in Washington, D.C. During the 1910s and 20s, black residents there faced systemic neglect from city planners who refused to provide basic infrastructure like sewers or garbage pickup. In response, these residents developed an impressively resourceful closed-loop ecosystem. They managed waste through innovative composting systems and pig farming, and engineered their own water filtration systems using roof runoff and gravel—effectively inventing sustainable urban living. As Brown notes, they “were doing all the things that would be considered green architecture today.”
Community
Bulletin Board
Experience the American landscape through a new perspective in Beronda L. Montgomery’s When Trees Testify. Part scientific exploration and part ancestral reclamation, this compelling narrative reveals how the histories of black Americans are rooted deep within the soil and branches of our most iconic flora. From the pecan trees domesticated by the expertise of enslaved Africans to the sycamores that served as silent sentinels on the path to freedom, Montgomery, an award-winning plant biologist, transforms these "material witnesses" into storytellers. It is a vibrant, soul-stirring look at black botanical mastery and a reminder that while the stories of the past are often hidden, the trees have always been listening—and now, they are finally answering.
Have an announcement? Send details in the message section of our Contact page for the announcement to be reviewed for posting on this board.
News from the Ecollective network
New series for Rae Wynn-Grant
Wildlife ecologist Rae Wynn-Grant and National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory are the leads in the Nat Geo series, Secrets of the Bears. Premiering in spring 2027, the series will explore charismatic brown bears and secretive sun bears, and reveal new science and never-before-seen behaviors that show bears are smarter, more adaptable, and even more sociable than people ever imagined.
Dr. Rae Wynn-Grant is shown here in a detail from the cover of Going Wild memoir. For more about the memoir and Wynn-Grant’s like beyond the book, see the Ecollective article, Tears and fears and feeling proud.
Audrey G. Bennett is an interdisciplinary scholar whose work centers on design studies for social justice. Her latest book, published in 2026, is Design/A Quick Immersion. For more about Bennett’s eco-community design solutions including urban farm initiatives, see this Ecollective article.
Black Birders Week Celebration
May 24-30, 2026 is National Black Birders Week. For more about the week’s founders and mission, visit their website.
J. Drew Lanham at the Adirondack Black Birders Celebration (May 30, 2026)
Dr. Lanham will be the featured guest for a conversation and lecture at The Wild Center in Tupper Lake, New York, to close out National Black Birders Week. Program details are here.
GLF Africa 2026: Stewarding Our Rangelands
Dates: May 6–7, 2026 Location: Nairobi, Kenya (CIFOR-ICRAF Campus) & Online (Free to attend digitally)
The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) is hosting its major 2026 Africa conference with a dedicated focus on the continent's rangelands and pastoralist communities. Aligned with the UN's "International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists," this immense hybrid event will gather thousands of community leaders, scientists, and local land stewards.
This conference is especially relevant for those exploring the deep connections between cultural heritage and climate resilience. The agenda centers on how traditional pastoralist wisdom and Indigenous knowledge can be integrated with ecological science to restore degraded landscapes, protect biodiversity, and secure community land rights.
Catherine Coleman Flowers Wins 2026 Reed Award for Environmental Writing
Catherine Coleman Flower, MacArthur "genius" fellow and founding director of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice, has been named a winner of the 2026 Phillip D. Reed Environmental Writing Award.
Flowers was honored in the Book Category for he memoir and manifesto, Holy Ground: On Activism, Environmental Justice, and Finding Hope. The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), which grants the award, recognized Holy Ground for its "unflinching look at the sanitation crisis in rural America and its inspiring call for systemic change."
This recognition cements Flowers' status not just as a leading activist, but as a vital literary voice in the canon of environmental justice. Her work continues to shine a light on the intersection of poverty, race, and climate resilience in the American South.
Opportunities for nature-inspired and environmental justice writing
Panorama journal’s "Reflections" theme seeks essays, poetry, and "new nature writing" from historically marginalized communities to discuss environmental and climate justice. Deadline March 10, 2026. For more info: panoramajournal.org/submissions/calls
Flyway: Journal of Writing & Environment publishes poetry, fiction, nonfiction, short scripts, and visual art that explores the many complicated facets of the word environment and encourages submissions from from diverse voices and under-represented populations, including — but not limited to — international authors, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, those with disabilities, and the elderly. Submission for Fall 2026 issue is 2/1/26 – 3/17/26. For more info: https://flywayjournal.org/about/
The Dodge seeks fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, visual art, and translation focused on the environment. We’re excited by a wide range of forms and approaches, including hybrid and experimental work. We especially seek creative works that imagine a just future for the planet. Given our focus on environmental justice, we’re eager to champion emerging and marginalized voices underrepresented in magazine publishing and eco-writing, including writers and artists who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, people who are trans, gender-nonconforming, and LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities, women, and others. For more info: https://thedodge.submittable.com/submit
Ecotheo publishes poetry, prose and visual art exploresquestions of ecology and spirituality. For more info: https://www.ecotheo.org/submit
Terrain.org welcomes submissions in English (or translation) from around the world, and particularly Indigenous, Native, Black, Brown, and other historically marginalized and underrepresented voices. They pay $50 for all contributions. For more info: https://www.terrain.org/submit/