Conversations for Conservation: More-than-human Illuminations video screening with Lauren Judge

Please join us at the Slit Barn for the Conversations for Conservation season's finale, and learn how to co-create art with nature!

Light refreshments will be provided as we watch narrated videos or "accessible workshops" that will take us through the process of making and installing temporary works of art on rare's river trail. The videos will provide some friendly instruction and inspiration for community members to learn how to have their own co-creative experiences with non-humans in natural spaces. The purpose of this project is to illuminate the creative abilities of non-humans, to make the co-creative experience accessible to everyone, and to ultimately strengthen our relationships with nature.

About the Project

This project illuminates the co-creative abilities of non-humans. From them, I've gained inspiration, knowledge and materials to create visual artworks in natural spaces. The visual artworks are constructed with non-humans, and with assistance from my students, Gayathri Mavila and Emma Parsons (Laurier). Without harm to the environment, the art pieces are left in place on rare's River Trail for visitors to engage with from October 15 to November 15, 2025. The process of making and installing these artworks was recorded in narrated videos or "accessible workshops" and will be made freely available to the community in December of 2025, on YouTube and this website. 

This project was made possible by a grant from the Region of Waterloo's Art Fund and a partnership with the rare Charitable Research Reserve.

About the Artist

Lauren Judge is an Assistant Professor in the department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. She has a PhD in Human Geography (Laurier 2024), an MA in Public History (Waterloo 2005) and a BA (Hons.) in History and Humanities (York 2003).

Lauren is an interdisciplinary artist specialized in research-creation. Her scholarly research is intertwined with her professional artistic practice. Using arts-based methods she investigates landscapes and other-than-humans to design more-than-human futures.

She enjoys teaching sustainability and environmental studies, degrowth, environmental communications, and environmental philosophies.

To learn more about Lauren and her works, visit laurenjudge.com

Pay What You Can

rare strives to host community events for everyone with a 'pay what you can' model. If you are in a position to make a contribution, all proceeds help us to offer meaningful events and activities for our community to engage with and learn about our natural world.

The Conversations for Conservation series is supported by the City of Cambridge.

Questions? Contact Amanda Humphreys, Events & Development Coordinator, at Amanda.Humphreys@raresites.org or (519) 650-9336 x122.