TEDx Talk: The Canvas of Nature: Painting a Future with Art and Advocacy
Taking place January 19, 2025
5 PM- 8 PM EST
Talk description:
Dive into the vibrant intersection of art, conservation, and activism with Isabella Cortes Lara. Through her transformative work and innovative projects like Rana Chiva and rural Community Murals, Isabella showcases how creativity becomes a powerful tool to inspire environmental stewardship and empower communities. Her work harmonizes music, visual storytelling, and traditional wisdom, painting a future where culture and conservation thrive together.
Click here to RSVP for the virtual event
Click here to attend our in-person watch party with Sara Inés Lara from 5pm to 8pm on Sunday, January 19th, at Old Bust Head Brewing Company in New Baltimore, VA. Click here to RSVP to this in-person watch party!
“When we understand that nature is woven into everything, and that protecting life is protecting us then we will see conservation differently.”
Isabella Cortes Lara
Colombian Activist & Artist of Indigenous Ancestry, Co-founder and Executive Director of Women for Conservation
Isabella Cortes Lara, also known as ISAVIBE, is a renowned Colombian conservationist and artist of Indigenous Yanakona descent, stands at the forefront of empowering women to protect some of the world’s most vulnerable ecosystems. As Co-founder and Executive Director of Women for Conservation, Isabella combines over a decade of experience in conservation leadership with a profound commitment to linking biodiversity protection, women’s empowerment, and community well-being. Raised in Colombia’s ProAves reserves, Isabella’s lifelong dedication to conservation was cemented when the critically endangered Eriocnemis isabellae hummingbird was named in her honor.
Holding a Master of Science in Conservation Project Management from the University of Kent, Isabella has led initiatives protecting critically endangered species like those in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta while creatively directing innovative projects like the Rana Chiva Bus, a mobile conservation classroom that has educated over 40,000 children. Her visionary leadership continues to inspire a global movement where women and nature thrive together. Her song “Agüita de Páramo,” composed for the Rana Chiva project (Reinita Chiva 2.0), serves as a conservation anthem, incorporating the sounds of Colombia’s unique ecosystems to inspire action. Her art and music are featured in murals, galleries, and nature reserves, powerfully advocating for indigenous rights, reproductive justice, and environmental sustainability. Beyond conservation, Isabella, as ISAVIBE, blends her indigenous roots with Latin urban and folklore in her music, raising awareness about cultural preservation.
Website: https://www.isavibe.co
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabella-cortes-lara-76a965184/
“Art is the ancestral language of the soul; through it, we can inspire a collective love for nature. Music, like nature, has no borders. It connects us to the roots of our past and life on Earth. Creativity is our most powerful tool for change-it connects, educates, and inspires.”