Nature Is My Teacher is a documentary and a podcast about a woman’s life mission transforming barren lands into a sustainable ecological paradise.
40 years ago, when New Yorker, Valer Clark, bought a ranch in Arizona, her life was dramatically and unexpectedly changed forever. With it, she left behind an upper class, city art teacher existence to become a nature activist. Her curiosity and passion for the land led her to discover ancient water retention techniques that would eventually mark the beginning of one of the largest private land restoration projects in the world.
How It All Started
The first time I met Valer Clark was three years ago, when I was invited to attend an event at the San Bernardino Ranch in Sonora, Mexico. After crossing the border, we drove for a couple of hours arriving late afternoon. Leaving our car near a small house, we jumped in the back of a pickup truck. I sat on the top of my bags. As we drove for what seemed to be hours at the time, looking up at the stars, surrounded by nature. I thought to myself what a truly special place this is. Waking up the next day, I knew this place was not like any other I had been to before. Our camp was near a beautiful hot spring, build in the rock. This little piece of paradise was magical. I thought I had traveled to many places, but I have never seen anything like this one. Later that day, I briefly met Valer Clark. She arrived riding her horse, of course. She told me she spoke a bit of French, but even before that, I knew I wanted to tell her story.
A Multimedia Project
I am producing a multimedia project about Valer Clark and her impact on Nature. It includes: documentary a podcast series a book an exhibition Photo Credits: Thanks to Bill Steen Landscape Pascal Halim Juliette Roy
