Program

Paul Hawken's speech at the 2006 Bioneers conference.
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2008 Local Keynote Speakers and Topics

Paul Stamets, President of Fungi Perfecti

Solutions from the Underground: Using Fungi to Help Save the World

One of the most brilliant explorers of the deep biology of mushrooms and fungi, illuminates some potentially world changing fungus-based ecological, medicinal and nutritional technologies.

Paul Stamets (www.fungi.com), president of Fungi Perfecti, a mail-order business supplying “mycotechnologies” to mushroom cultivators worldwide, has: discovered four new species of mushrooms; pioneered countless techniques in edible and medicinal mushroom cultivation and in “fungal bioremediation;” and written six books including Growing Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms, The Mushroom Cultivator, Psilocybin Mushrooms of the World, Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World, and many articles and scholarly papers. A dedicated hiker, conservationist and explorer, his passion is to preserve, protect and clone as many ancestral strains of mushrooms as possible from the old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest.

Mike Tidwell, Founder and Director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network and of the U.S. Climate Emergency Council

The Bottom-Up Solutions: a Grassroots Rebellion

A top priority is to get Marylanders to understand that the voluntary "Go Green" movement is enormously insufficient to the task ahead of us. We must work just as hard to achieve immediate statutory policies that mandate a society-wide clean energy transformation.

Mike Tidwell is founder and director of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (www.chesapeakeclimate.org), a grassroots nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. He is also an author and filmmaker who predicted in vivid detail the Katrina hurricane disaster in his 2003 book Bayou Farewell: The Rich Life and Tragic Death of Louisiana’s Cajun Coast. His newest book, focusing on Katrina and global warming, is titled The Ravaging Tide: Strange Weather, Future Katrinas, and the Coming Death of America’s Coastal Cities. Tidwell’s most recent documentary film – “We Are All Smith Islanders” – vividly depicts the dangers of global warming Maryland, Virginia, and D.C. full bio

Dr. Wallace ‘J.’ Nichols, Ocean Conservancy

Jump the Chasm: Are you an Eco Daredevil?

Dr. Wallace 'J.' Nichols has captivated audiences around the globe about the need for an ‘Ocean Revolution’. This leading environmental activist, scientist and educator will challenge us to immediately reverse our harmful impact on our world's oceans and waterways.

Dr. Wallace ‘J.’ Nichols is an internationally recognized expert on marine conservation and ocean communication, and is a senior research scientist at the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy. He was among the experts interviewed in Leonardo DiCaprio’s 2007 eco-documentary, “The 11th Hour.” J. received a master’s degree in environmental management from Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences and a PhD in Wildlife Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Arizona. A central focus of Nichols’ work has been forging new alliances between former environmental adversaries. He works with conservationists, commercial fishermen, landowners, former poachers, coastal communities and researchers worldwide to advance ocean protection. full bio

Judy Wicks, Owner/Founder of White Dog Cafe, Co-Founder of Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE)

Local Living Economies: Green, Fair and Fun

Both an entrepreneur and activist, Judy Wicks will tell her story – from an early experience living with indigenous people, to starting the White Dog Cafe on the first floor of her house 25 years ago, to co-founding the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies in 2001. Her presentation, "Local Living Economies: Green, Fair and Fun" will encourage business owners, citizens and community leaders to work cooperatively in building self-reliant local economies, a vision made urgent in these uncertain times of climate change and peak oil

Judy Wicks (www.judywicks.com) is the owner/founder of Philadelphia's landmark White Dog Cafe, and a national leader in the local, living economies movement. Over the last 25 years, the White Dog Café has become a model enterprise, known nationally for its community involvement, environmental stewardship, responsible business practices, and leadership in the local food movement. White Dog has purchased sustainably grown produce from local family farmers for over 20 years, and is committed to purchasing only humanely and naturally raised animal products and sustainably harvested fish. Many imported ingredients, such as coffee, tea, chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and table sugar are certified fair trade. full bio

Joseph T. Jones, Jr., Founder and President of The Center for Urban Families

Topic: TBA

Joseph T. Jones, Jr. is the Founder and President of The Center for Urban Families. Prior to founding CFUF Joe developed and directed the Men’s Services program for the federally funded Baltimore Healthy Start initiative and replicated the Baltimore affiliate of the nationally recognized STRIVE employment services program. His ability to engage and provide hands-on services to fathers garnered him the reputation of trailblazer in the field. full bio

Dr. Antonia Demas, Founder and Director of the Food Studies Institute
Toni Geraci, BCPSS Food and Nutrition Director

School Food and Nutrition: Baltimore as a National Model for Local Farm to Cafeteria and Food Education

As Baltimore is becoming a national model for sustainable change toward food literacy in public schools and a leader in the Farm to School Cafeteria movement, join both Tony Geraci, former food broker, restauranteur, specialty food manufacturer, New Hampshire Schools Food Service Director and now BCPSS Food and Nutrition Director and Antonia Demas, visiting PHD Nutritionist at JHU, Founder of the Food Studies Institute and provider of the Food Is Elementary curriculum in more than 1500 schools in 30 states to find out how in this informative presentation:  School Food and Nutrition: Baltimore as a National Model for Local Farm to Cafeteria and Food Education.

Antonia Demas has a Ph.D. in education, nutrition, and anthropology from Cornell University. She has worked in various capacities for more than 35 years developing food-based curriculums and teaching food-studies in a variety of educational settings with people of diverse ages, ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds. full bio

Tony Geraci, former food broker, restauranteur, specialty food manufacturer, New Hampshire Schools Food Service Director and now BCPSS Food and Nutrition Director. full bio

Jessica Rimington

Topic: TBA

Jessica Rimington will speak about youth organizing around the world, the movement to achieve the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals, and the untapped power of information-communications-technology to transform the rising generation's conception of what is possible for social change. She will speak about her experiences founding and leading One World Youth Project as a teenager and now young adult – connecting these stories to broader themes. She will also perform spoken word.

Jessica Rimington serves as Executive Director of a non-profit organization she founded called One World Youth Project (www.oneworldyouthproject.org). One World Youth Project is a global sister-school initiative for middle and high school age youth, linking together schools and youth groups from around the world in learning partnerships for cultural exchange and action on the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. This year 48 schools are involved in One World Youth Project from 20 countries and over 12 U.S. States. Jessica is currently an undergraduate student at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service in Washington, D.C. Her involvement in youth activism began over eight years ago when she joined the Jane Goodall Institute’s global environmental and humanitarian program for youth, Roots & Shoots. full bio

Please contact us at bioneers@cultivatingchange.org if you have any questions.