Join Matanzas Riverkeeper and Florida Humanities for an insightful presentation by Dr. Victoria Machado, entitled “Exploring Florida’s Sacred Waters”.

This thought-provoking program utilizes the framework of ‘spirituality’ and the critical insights of the environmental humanities to investigate how Floridians might perceive and value the state’s vital water resources as something sacred, holy, or even divine. Through an exploration of historical attitudes towards water and an analysis of current environmental activism, Dr. Machado will illuminate the intricate cultural bonds that exist between Floridians and their water bodies, revealing the diverse range of environmental stewardship practices that arise from these profound connections.

Victoria Machado (she/her) is a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Studies at Rollins College, teaching Nature Writing and Nature Spirituality in the fall. While working on her PhD in Religion and Nature at the University of Florida, she explored the underlying spirituality of Florida’s environmental activists. Her chapter, “Bioregionalism and the Catholic Worker Movement”, was published in Watershed Discipleship: Reinhabiting Bioregional Faith and Practice in 2016.

Florida Talks is one of Florida Humanities’ longest-running public programs. Their 2024-2025 Speakers’ Bureau features more than 40 exceptional scholars, journalists, authors, and humanities experts and over 80 brand new and returning programs. Florida Talks offers nonprofit organizations across the state an accessible way to host engaging speakers who present Florida’s history, heritage, and culture through historical and contemporary lenses.