Life Explorers Speaker Series: Henry David Thoreau - Documentary Film

The Life Explorers series will feature programs for adults interested in expanding and sharing their knowledge on a variety of topics.

Join us! Life Explorers Speaker Series: Henry David Thoreau - Documentary Film

WUCF, Central Florida’s PBS Station, will host a free community screening event at Mead Botanical Garden featuring a preview of the upcoming documentary, Henry David Thoreau. The program will include selected clips from the film followed by a community conversation exploring Thoreau’s enduring ideas about nature, attention, and living deliberately.

Local voices will help guide the discussion, connecting Thoreau’s reflections from places like Walden Pond to the landscapes we experience here in Central Florida. Together, we will explore how our region’s wetlands, springs, and native habitats invite us to slow down, pay attention, and consider our relationship with the natural world. Guests will also be invited to reflect on their own connections to nature and community as we launch Earth Month with a thoughtful gathering in one of Central Florida’s most beautiful gardens.

Chris Doucette is the Education Manager at WUCF, where he develops engaging educational resources and experiences designed to connect families with public media content. In his work, Chris focuses on helping parents, grandparents, and caregivers turn everyday moments into opportunities for curiosity and learning. Drawing inspiration from Henry David Thoreau’s ideas about observation and reflection, he encourages families to practice noticing, wondering, and reflecting as simple ways to engage more deeply with the world around them. Chris also helps lead WUCF’s efforts to create educational materials that families and educators across the country can use to spark meaningful conversations and exploration together.

Brooke Rudow is an assistant professor of philosophy. Her research stands at the intersection of environmental ethics, philosophy of technology, and aesthetics. She is interested in considerations of ethical responsibility, justice, and the role of technologies in mediating relationships with nature. Brooke has published most recently in Environmental Philosophy and Techné: Research in Philosophy and Technology. In addition to being a philosopher, she is a lover of hiking and surfing.

Sarafaith Pekor, founder of Seeds of Inclusion, a community alliance of healthcare and horticulture professionals that specialize in wellness programs designed to enhance human health and to also increase human appreciation for the natural environment. Sarafaith will lead Breathe with the Trees on Thursday May 14, 2026 at 10am at Mead Botanical Garden. Breathe with the Trees is an enjoyable introduction to nature-based relaxation training. Participants will learn the practical magic of "green immersion" through simple exercises that stimulate the senses, release endorphins, enhance mental clarity, neutralize anxiety, lift the weight of fatigue, and replenish the spirit. Cost is a donation of your choice. Click here to register for Breathe with the Trees

Topic: Henry David Thoreau - Documentary Film

Speaker: WUCF Panel

Date: Thursday April 16, 2026

Doors open: 9:30 A.M.

Program Time: 10:00 - 11:30 A.M.

Location: Azalea Lodge, Mead Botanical Garden, 1300 S. Denning Drive Winter Park, FL (See map for location)

Cost: Free - Join us for refreshments and conversation

The Life Explorers Speakers Series is held in the Azalea Lodge of Mead Botanical Garden from 10-11:30 a.m. The program is free of charge with light refreshments and coffee served.

To reserve a spot, please visit eventbrite.com. For additional informationon Mead Botanical Garden and the Life Explorer’s Series, please visit www.meadgarden.org

Major funding for HENRY DAVID THOREAU was provided by The Better Angels Society and its members: The Keith Campbell Foundation for the Environment and Mark A. Tracy. Major funding was also provided by Jeff Skoll, the Mansueto Foundation, Tyson Foods, Inc., and The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations. Additional funding was provided by the Tyson Family Foundation Inc, The Neil and Anna Rasmussen Foundation, Roxanne Quimby Foundation Inc, Jim and Mona Mylen through The HeartSpace Fund, and Elizabeth Kenny.