Zev York is an improviser—whether on guitar, teaching ecology, writing poetry, or finding the next foothold up a tree. He finds joy in the unexpected and in the bizarre web of earthly beings he calls kin. They have been part of Touching the Earth’s growth since 2022, when he experienced the program as a participant in the second-ever cohort. Zev holds a BA in environmental studies and religion from Middlebury College, where he entwined scientific, phenomenological, and ancestral streams of knowledge to explore the many ways humans relate to the animacy of all living beings. His thesis, written about the ongoing extinction of Ash trees, included a plan to reforest a section of the campus’ main quad. Zev has taught in classrooms, and worked on educational farms, homesteads, and political campaigns. He feels lucky to be able to return to the relationships he has explored in the land and is doubly thrilled to welcome new folks into the fold.
