Conservation Leader to Explore the Role of Sacred Natural Sites in Landscape Stewardship at MCLA

March 23, 2026

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts will welcome Jessica Brown, Executive Director of the New England Biolabs Foundation, as part of its Green Living Seminar Series on Wednesday, March 25, at 5:30 p.m. Brown will present "Caring for the Sacred in Nature: The Role of Cultural and Spiritual Values in Landscape Stewardship."

Drawing on examples from diverse regions, Brown will explore how cultural and spiritual connections to nature underlie conservation practices worldwide. She will examine community-led care for sacred natural sites, including sacred mountains in Latin America and Asia and sacred groves and caves of West Africa, as well as the role of spiritual values in regional, national, and international conservation designations such as UNESCO World Heritage. The presentation will introduce concepts including biocultural diversity, intangible values, and stewardship through the lens of living landscapes.

Brown brings more than 30 years of experience in community-based conservation across Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Mesoamerica, Andean South America, Central Europe, and the Balkans. As Executive Director of the New England Biolabs Foundation, she supports grassroots conservation projects focused on agroecology, traditional ecological knowledge, sacred natural sites, and endangered species protection.

A recognized leader in her field, Brown serves as Vice Chair of Groundswell International and co-chairs the Global Conservation Program of the Biodiversity Funders Group. She is a member of the ICOMOS/IFLA International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes and of IUCN's World Commission on Protected Areas, where she led its Specialist Group on Protected Landscapes for many years. She has also served as international faculty with the World Heritage Leadership Programme and as a consultant with the UNDP/Global Environmental Facility Small Grants Programme. Board service includes Terralingua, International Funders for Indigenous Peoples, and Network of Engaged International Donors.

Brown has published widely on community-led conservation and biocultural landscape stewardship. She holds degrees from Clark University and Brown University and is an associate member of the Graduate Faculty of Rutgers University in Cultural Heritage and Preservation Studies.

All presentations take place Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. in MCLA's Feigenbaum Center for Science and Innovation, Room 121 and will be recorded as podcasts available at mcla.edu/greenliving. The event is free and open to the public.

MCLA's Green Living Seminar Series brings environmental experts, scholars, and practitioners to campus throughout the academic year to engage students and community members in conversations about sustainability, ecology, and our relationship with the natural world.

For more information, contact Elena Traister at elena.traister@mcla.edu or 413-662-5303.

About MCLA
At MCLA, we're here for all — and focused on each — of our students. Classes are taught by educators who care deeply about teaching, and about seeing their students thrive on every level of their lives. In every way possible, the experience at MCLA is designed to elevate our students as individuals, leaders, and communicators, fully empowered to make their impressions on the world. In addition to our 130-year commitment to public education, we have fortified our dedication to equitable academic excellence. MCLA has appeared on U.S. News & World Report's list of Top Ten Public Colleges for 11 consecutive years, earning the No. 6 spot on the list of Top Public Liberal Arts Schools in the nation for 2026. The College's focus on affordable education and economic prosperity is reflected in additional 2026 U.S. News rankings: No. 6 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for liberal arts colleges in the state and No. 4 for Top Performer on Social Mobility for public liberal arts colleges in the country. These rankings measure how well schools graduate students who receive Federal Pell Grants