The Collective
Caro Arévalo
“My family comes from the jungle in Peru and through Amazonian heritage, I embrace the notion that we are all connected.”
A Peruvian visual artist based in Woodstock, NY, Caro’s artwork explores the plant and fungi kingdoms in the field and through the microscopes. She is fascinated by the taxonomy and physicality of living beings as well as the invisible yet powerful spirit they carry. She starts by doing research in nature, followed by capturing plants and fungi under microscopes. She then works on paintings that express her microscopic observations and what she noticed outdoors. She embraces the importance of rituals and ancestral wisdom, embracing our unity with nature in our daily lives. Through her paintings and videos she invites us to cultivate more love towards ourselves and our planet in order to stay creative, curious and aligned with our purpose in the world.
Vanessa Chakour
“Nature, a boundless creative force, is our flesh and bones.”
Author, naturalist, former pro-boxer, and WVC founder Vanessa Chakour fosters intimacy with inner and outer wilds through writing, visual art, herbalism, martial arts, and land stewardship. With over a decade of experience, she has facilitated courses and retreats in partnership with wildlife organizations like the Wolf Conservation Center and the Jaguar Rescue Center, and is a Project Coyote Ambassador. Vanessa is the author of Awakening Artemis, a memoir told through the lens of 24 medicinal plants, and Earthly Bodies: Embracing Animal Nature that delves into the parallels between human struggles and the experiences of our wild neighbors, offering insights on self-discovery and coexistence. She lives in Massachusetts where she coaches boxing, advocates for the wild, stewards her local ecosystem, and is a devoted student of nature.
Scout Cuomo
“My brother asked the birds to forgive him: that sounds senseless, but it is right; for all is like an ocean, all is flowing and blending; a touch in one place sets up movement at the other end of the earth.” ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky
Scout Cuomo is a visual artist based in Western Massachusetts whose work is deeply inspired by the natural world. From the underwater realms she explores to the forests she wanders with her dog, Theo, Scout finds endless inspiration in the beauty and complexity of her surroundings. In her practice, she delves into themes of adaptation, identity, and the changing nature of our world. Through her vibrant and expressive paintings, she explores how individuals can navigate the tides of change while maintaining their sense of self. With a focus on liminal spaces and metamorphic figures, Scout’s work invites viewers to contemplate the uncertainty of our times and the importance of finding solace in art, hope, compassion, and connection.
Katrina Goldsaito
“Writing is the medicine I know. And I’m here to make space for your unfolding.”
Katrina is the author of the award-winning THE SOUND OF SILENCE, which Maria Popova called “An illustrated serenade to the art of listening to your inner voice amid the noise of modern life.” It was named a Book of the Year by NPR, People Magazine, and many others, and has been translated into six languages. She is a former journalist (NPR, NHK-World, CNN) and performer (New York NeoFuturists) and is the co-creator of ReachYou, an augmented reality transmission from the future, built for the tenderness of now. Katrina’s next book, WHEN CHERRY BLOSSOMS FALL (Hachette / Little Brown & Co) is forthcoming in 2026 and is about the beauty in grief. Katrina is newly exploring ecological grief and our connection with the natural world as she translates the Japanese haiku of her great-grandmother who lost her entire family to the atomic bombing in Hiroshima. She lives in the woods in Amherst with her partner and two small beings.
Nina and Sonya Montenegro,
“Our practice crosses disciplines to work toward an ecologically-viable and socially-just future.”
Sisters Sonya and Nina Montenegro, are designers and makers of The Far Woods. The things they make reflect their deepest desires about the world. They seek to contribute to a great Culture Shift in which there is a land ethic, a reverence for nature, a rejection of the dominant throw-away mentality, and direct connection to where our food and the things we use come from. Many of their artworks serve as educational tools and inspiration for deepening relationship to nature, food, and community.
Carlos Christian Rivero
“I draw upon my unique blend of cultural experiences, combined with my deep-rooted connection to the natural world as a driving force in my creative journey.”
Born in Venezuela and based in Barcelona, Carlos is a filmmaker and director who unleashes the essence of stories through dreamy visuals. When not creating commercial work he pours his heart and soul into personal projects across short films and documentaries, related to social / environmental impact, music and sports. As he explores different landscapes and immerses himself in diverse environments, he finds endless inspiration to make films that offer fresh perspectives, and reveal untold and inspiring stories. Current projects include a documentary about La Ceiba Nature Preserve. Saving La Ceiba Nature Preserve is a WVC advocacy effort.
Moni Vargas
"By immersing ourselves in nature, we spark our creativity and heal our spirit, reminding us that in protecting Earth's diversity, we nurture the very wellspring of our art and humanity."
Moni Vargas is a Colombian-born, AfroIndigenous filmmaker and healing arts facilitator with a passion for gender justice and radical inclusivity. With over two decades of experience, she has directed a wide range of projects, earning four journalism awards and three Emmy nominations with screenings at renowned institutions worldwide. As a co-founder of Friends We Love, a Latine media production company, Moni amplifies voices of the global majority through storytelling. Moni enjoys creative time with her family, especially cooking, living room sound baths and dance parties to her radio show.
Michael Vargas
Michael Vargas is a two-time Emmy-nominated filmmaker, visionary artist, and co-founder of Friends We Love, based in Los Angeles. With a dynamic career that blends cinematic storytelling and bold visual art, Michael has created content for global brands while also collaborating with film and television studios. His documentaries have been showcased at prestigious venues like The Bronx and Brooklyn Museums, and his visual art has gained attention through recent exhibitions, including a 2023 group show at Transformative Arts in Los Angeles and on his MichaelVargas.art platform. Michael will be creating art to raise funds and awareness for La Ceiba Nature Preserve.
Owen Wormser
"The incredible regenerative powers of the natural world can be unleashed and significantly accelerated with human support and collaboration. Collaboration is key here. This is about working with the genius of nature."
Owen was born and raised off the grid in rural Maine, surrounded by the presence of the natural world. That connection inspired Owen to pursue a career working with plants and design and he received a landscape architecture degree in 1998. Since then, he has gone on to design and build hundred of landscapes with a focus on sustainability, regeneration, and beauty. He is the founder and principal of Abound Design, which provides landscape design and installation services in Western Massachusetts. Owen also co-founded a nonprofit, Local Harmony, that initiates and installs local regenerative landscape projects built entirely with volunteers and community support. The second edition of his first book, Lawns Into Meadows: Growing a Regenerative Landscape, was released in November, 2022.