Baltimore Bioneers Conference – November 7-9, 2008

Please note, the schedule is subject to change

Thursday, November 6, 2008

In recognition of the central role art has always played as an emblem of cultural identity, the Baltimore Bioneers ‘08 Conference has elected to weave an art element into each main stage live presentation. Immediately preceding each speaker’s presentation, Peter Bruun, Artist/Director of Art on Purpose, will briefly share with the audience a work of art that invokes, illuminates, or echoes in one way or another the topic upon which the presenter will speak.
read more

Friday, November 7, 2008

Greg Watson, senior advisor for Clean Energy Technology within the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs and vice president for Sustainable Development with the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative – “Twelve Degrees of Freedom: Lessons Learned from 35 Years of Environmental Activism” DVD presentation

Mike Tidwell, founder and director of Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Author and Filmmaker – "Mandating Clean Energy in Maryland"

Ray Anderson, founder and chairman of Interface Inc. – “Sustainability in Action” DVD presentation

Tony Geraci, Baltimore City Public School’s Food and Nutrition Director and Dr. Antonia Demas, founder and director of Food Studies Institute – "School Food and Nutrition: Baltimore as a National Model for Local Farm to Cafeteria and Food Education"

Paul Stamets, fungi mycologist, explorer and author – "Solutions from the Underground: Using Fungi to Help Save the World" view video

Janine Benyus, a dazzlingly brilliant naturalist and the author of six books, including the groundbreaking Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature – “Nature’s 100 Best: Top Biomimicry Solutions to Environmental Crises” DVD presentation

Becoming a Powerful Healing Presence – Special 2 ½ Hour Workshop. Distinguished lecturer, author and practicing acupuncturist Tom Balles, will present this powerful 2 ½ hour experiential workshop. The conversation of how we sustain and restore life on Earth is the same conversation as how we sustain and restore the life of our families, friendships, workplaces, organizations, and communities. In this workshop you will learn dozens of principles and practices grounded in the Chinese wisdom tradition that will allow you to more effectively serve life in all these domains. The workshop will blend short instructional pieces with demonstrations, partner work, and discussions in the large group.

Building Salvage: Re-use/Re-cycle/Re-source Panel. "Green/Brown" utilizes salvaged and re-used materials and by doing so, lowers the cost of home building and renovation, creates green jobs, and diverts still-usable construction material from entering the waste-stream. Join a dynamic panel of local business/non-profits and experienced innovators that are redefining the scale of recycling. Moderated by Chris Parts from Hord Coplan Macht working on building reuse, rehabilitation and historic preservation. Panelists include Leslie Kirkland, Executive Director of the Loading Dock and VP of Reuse Development Organization Inc. (ReDO); Mark Foster, Director of Second Chance Inc.; Chris Council, Manager of Chesapeake Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore; and Marc Shaener, Director of Market Development from EnviroSolutions, Inc.

Climate Action Now. Join Mike Tidwell and others to discuss solutions to carbon emissions and hear about what we can do now! From home energy audits to biofuels, we have many choices for both reducing our energy consumption and considering alternative fuel sources for our cars and homes. With Peter Van Buren of TerraLogos Green Home Services; George Peters, Sustainable Urban Infrastructures, Inc (SUI); Richard Deutschmann from Chesapeake Solar; and Ilya Goldberg from the Baltimore Biodiesel Co-op. Moderated by Claire Broido Johnson. download presentation (PowerPoint)

The DIY At-Home Urban Greener (Also offered Saturday). Join Master Gardeners and the Parks & People Foundation in a workshop to learn the how-to’s of several projects that will help to conserve and green your home and community. Participants will see examples of ‘Do It Yourself’ projects and will be provided with take-away directions for at-home construction as well as more information about upcoming workshops in Baltimore. Project examples will include the Master Gardener-designed ‘Salad Table’, rain barrels, composters, and other creative urban greening tools.

From Farms to Cafeterias. Farm to School programs are popping up all over the U.S. These programs connect schools to local farms with the objectives of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving student nutrition, providing health and nutritional education opportunities that will last a lifetime, while supporting local small farmers. Moderator Ted Rouse, CSBA co chair, will facilitate a discussion between Tony Geraci, Baltimore City Schools Food and Nutrition Director; Lester Dietz, local farmer who supplies city schools with Carroll County tree fruit; and Anupama Joshi, National Farm to School Network Director.

Green Entrepreneurs Panel. The green revolution will depend heavily on startup companies greening the business cycle. Join Prescott Gaylord, co-founder and president of Baltimore Green Construction, and panelists Paul Wittermann of Greenspring Energy, E. Rachel Baird of Tilt Studio, John Gasparine of JG Architectural Supply, Garry Skulnik of Clean Currents, and Shelley Birnbaum of Renew Organic Day Spa to discuss starting and running green businesses. If you have them, bring your business plans or ideas for comments and suggestions from the panel. If you don’t, come and get ideas for starting a green business of your own.

Philanthropy’s Role as a Partner in Environmental Innovation in Baltimore: Three Projects. This engaging panel will highlight three Baltimore based foundations that have played a key role in allowing critical environmental initiatives to be incubated in Baltimore, with promising results likely to be of wide spread benefit. Foundation executives and community activists from Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Blaustein Philanthropic Group and the Abell Foundation will present three recent projects that address environmental justice issues, have achieved measurable results, and are being replicated now on a larger scale.

Urban Herbal Walk. Herbalist and nutritionist Rebecca Snow will lead a fun and educational walking tour from the MICA Brown Center to teach about common plants in our surroundings and their uses. download presentation (PDF)

Join us with special guest Judy Wicks, founder of White Dog Café in Philadelphia and Co-Founder of Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) for dinner at Woodberry Kitchen, and celebrate the bounty of local, seasonal food from local farmers, food artisans and small-scale producers. Chef Spike Gjerde will offer a meal that will inspire you to explore the connection between the earth and the food on your plate.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Rick Reed, co-founder of RE-AMP – “Collaborating on a Grand Scale: Think Systemically and Act Collaboratively” DVD Presentation

Lucas Benitez, a farmworker and co-director of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers – “Fighting for Justice for Farm workers” DVD Presentation

Joseph T. Jones, Jr., founder and president/CEO of the Center for Urban Families – “Strong Families with Strong Fathers Equals Strong Communities”

Rebecca Moore, a computer scientist and longtime software professional who conceived and now manages the Google Earth Outreach program – “Google Earth: Visualizing Change, Mapping the Future” DVD Presentation

Erica Fernandez, 18, born and raised in Michoacán, Mexico till age 10, became a remarkable young environmental activist in Oxnard, California – “Si, Se Puede! (Yes, We Can!)” DVD Presentation view video

Judy Wicks, founder/owner of White Dog Café, co-founder/co-chair of Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE), founder of Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia – "Local Living Economies: Green, Fair and Fun"

Redefining Health – Special 2 ½ Hour Workshop. Join the founders of Tai Sophia Institute, Bob Duggan, MAc (UK), MA and Dianne Connelly, PhD, MAc (UK) for a 2 ½ hour experiential workshop that has the ability to influence the way you relate to others and yourself. Learn ways to set priorities in the context of oneness with others, without opposition and judgment. Redefine your fear, your upsets, your relationships, your career, your life, your future as well as your health with courage. Based on ancient wisdom and anchored in the modern world, you will leave the workshop with 10 practical skills to use immediately. These skills are powerful, effective, and broad based. Participants from around the nation and around the globe have reported that this program has influenced their lives by giving them an empowering, effective framework for daily living.

Baltimore’s Sustainability Commission – A Plan for Protecting Our Future. Mayor Sheila Dixon has made ‘A Cleaner Greener Baltimore’ more than a slogan. From increased recycling rates to dramatically reduced energy consumption in city-owned properties, Baltimore is becoming more sustainable. Last spring, the Baltimore Sustainability Commission was formed and set up 6 working groups open to the public. The goal is to seek diverse views on what Baltimore needs to do to promote sustainability. The Commission is charged with presenting a sustainability plan to the City Council by January. This workshop will offer a close-up view of the goals and outcome measures being developed by the Commission, as well as a discussion of the process of public engagement. Join Beth Strommen Co-Chair of the Baltimore City Commission on Sustainability along with other members from the Commission.

The DIY At-Home Urban Greener (also offered Friday). Join Master Gardeners and the Parks & People Foundation in a workshop to learn the how-to’s of several projects that will help to conserve and green your home and community. Participants will see examples of ‘Do It Yourself’ projects and will be provided with take-away directions for at-home construction as well as more information about upcoming workshops in Baltimore. Project examples will include the Master Gardener-designed ‘Salad Table’, rain barrels, composters, and other creative urban greening tools.

Kids in Nature Panel. A relationship with nature can be both healthy and powerful, but how do parents and teachers create a daily practice for connecting kids to nature? Is it about creating more free time, access or safety? A panel of leaders will discuss their solutions for making nature connections a priority and how to mentor kids toward caring relationships with the natural world and each other. Come join Mary Hardcastle, Maryland Coordinator of Hooked On Nature and a guiding member of the Greater Baltimore Children and Nature Collaborative (GBCAN.org), Bradley Alston, Program Manager of Urban Services from the YMCA Central Maryland, Cate Mulvihill, Environmental Education teacher at the Waldorf School of Baltimore, and Oba Joyner a High school student and member of Holistic Life Foundation Program for a this discussion.

Peer-to-Peer: What It Is, Why It Matters, and What’s Ahead. As an eighteen year-old, Bioneers national speaker Erica Fernandez helped mobilize a community to defeat the placement of a liquefied natural gas facility offshore in California. What about youth in Baltimore? Join young people involved with such groups as The Algebra Project, Youth as Resources, and The Safe & Sound Campaign’s Youth Ambassadors in an open-ended discussion on the challenges and triumphs young people face as they work towards sustainability for their own communities.

Urban Agriculture as Urban Economic Development. Urban agriculture is gaining importance as a means of job creation, food security, and education of youth about nature, diet and nutrition. The recently formed Baltimore Urban Agriculture Task Force (BUATAF) has set a goal of creating 600 jobs from urban agriculture within three years. Successful models from other cities will be presented by Roxanne Christensen regarding the growth of Spin Farming in Philadelphia; Roy Skeen, urban farmer, and Adam Kandel, farmers market falafel whiz and urban farmer, as they speak about the state of the art in Baltimore City. Moderated by Ted Rouse, CSBA Co-Chair.

Undocumented Workers & Families: Confronting Adversity. Lucas Benitez’s presentation on fighting for farm workers rights in California (Bioneers Saturday morning session) sets the stage for a local focus on day laborers in Baltimore. Learn from a group of clients and staff of CASA de Maryland, created in 1985 in response to the human needs of thousands of immigrants to the United States, about their day-to-day efforts to overcome wage theft and other abuses, and their vision of a "dream law" that would allow undocumented students to go to college and earn a path to citizenship. download presentation (PowerPoint)

Environmentalism: What It Means to Youth. For youth in the inner city, ‘environmental’ concerns may be gang or illegal drug activities, job opportunities, or litter on the streets; for young people attending Baltimore’s more privileged independent schools, they may have more to do with carbon footprints and plastic water bottles. Hear from students involved in environmental activism at Park School, a K-12 independent school, and with Kids on the Hill, a city-based after-school program, on what they think. How do their “environmental” priorities differ from each other, and how can examining those differences help in the pursuit of environmental justice for all?

Fostering Lifelong Ecoliteracy Panel. Many environmental programs emphasize action, but we must first develop a sense of wonder for nature so that a more profound awareness and understanding can feed our desire to be of service. With Donald Bufano, Upper School Chair at the Waldorf School of Baltimore; Kate Primm, Director of the Charter K-5 Green School of Baltimore, and Charlie Davis from The Natural History Society of Maryland, Inc. Moderated by John Rodenhausen, Discovery Program Manager for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. download presentation (PowerPoint)

Public Policy Panel. How can you participate in helping to pass new and important environmental and social legislation in 2009? This panel will provide innovative strategies, working models and timely information to support citizens, entrepreneurs, activists and public policy makers in creating a more sustainable and equitable future. Join panelists Baltimore City Councilman Jim Kraft, activist and leader in passing environmentally-friendly legislation; Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, Deputy Director of 1000 Friends of Maryland who manages the organization's policy and advocacy campaigns; Alissa Barron is Managing Editor of Small-Mart.org, the online portal for the work of economist Michael Shuman, author of The Small-Mart Revolution and Going Local; and panel moderator, Keith Losoya, Executive Director, Chesapeake Sustainable Business Alliance and Commissioner for the Baltimore City Office of Sustainability.

Recycling: How Times Have Changed. Join Kelley Ray, a member of the former Baltimore Recycling Coalition, for a discussion on the evolution of recycling from roll-offs to single-stream and from white paper to e-cycling. Valerie Androutsopoulos of Vangel Paper, Inc., a Baltimore-based business offering customized shredding and recycling solutions to its clients, will speak on running a successful paper recycling business for the past 20 years. Bob Donald of Baltimore-based CDM eCycling, will share the lessons he learned about successful e-cycling since his business started in 1999. Rounding out the panel is Chaz Miller of the National Solid Wastes Management Association, who will speak about recycling in the 21st Century.

Sunday Streets & Mapping. Join Gayle Carney, Executive Director of Community Technology Services, Aaron Meyers, GPS whiz kid, and others in conversation on how maps and mapping tools can build community through “Sunday Streets”. Sunday Streets is a free, weekly program where partially closed streets between Lake Montebello and Druid Hill Park give way to a festival atmosphere where walkers, cyclists, skateboarders, roller-skaters, joggers and runners of all ages, races and economic backgrounds have a great time together.

Visionary Green Design and Development. What do the next generation of green building professionals have in store for the region, and what new concepts will they push? Come and see a vision conceived and presented by the new wave of emerging creative leaders. Join green developers Thibault Manekin and Peter Garver, Architects Fred Sharman, Eric Leshinsky, Lisa Ferretto, Jonas Risen, urban architecture writer Elizabeth Evitts Dickenson, and green builder Prescott Gaylord as they share a concept for a green-built environment in the greater Baltimore community-shed.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Kavita Ramdas, president and CEO of the Global Fund for Women – “Shakti, Shanti, Sangam: Power, Peace and the Politics of Change” DVD Presentation

Dune Lankard, a native Athabaskan Eyak from the Copper River Delta of Alaska, was a commercial fisherman in Prince William Sound when the Exxon Valdez disaster made him an activist and social entrepreneur, dedicating his life to protecting human rights and the environment – "Sustainable Solutions over Centuries: A New Business Model" DVD Presentation view video

Jessica Rimington, executive director and founder of One World Youth Project, youth Activist, and 2005 Brower Youth award winner – "The Next Generation of Social Change"

Dr. Wallace ‘J.’ Nichols, Ph.D., a scientist, environmental activist, scientist and educator, Founder of Grupo Tortuguero and co-founder of WILDCOAST – “Jump the Chasm: Are You an EcoDaredevil?”

Green Path Medicine. In these times of great change, the indigenous peoples have long prophesied that there will be a time when the red, yellow, black and white people will come back together again, as they were in the beginning of time, each bringing their medicine gift to the New Earth of harmony and peace. This workshop, given by Ipupiara Makunaiman, an indigenous shaman from the Brazilian Amazon, Jenny Clay Toscano, an indigenous shaman from the Peruvian Andes, and Eve Bruce, a white woman devoted to bringing back the Earth based medicines, will deepen your connection to spirit and to Mother Earth, and help you find that inner indigenous person devoted to our walking softly and honoring Earth. Connect with all our relations, and begin the path of finding your own unique "medicine" or gift to help the greening of our planet.

Holistic Life Foundation for Youth. Both staff and students from the Holistic Life Foundation examine tactics, strategies, and environmental programs that help foster feelings of interconnectedness amongst students with the global environment, expanding their outlook from the neighborhood level to the biosphere level. Students voice personal anecdotes on how their view of the environment has changed and even more importantly how to connect to the natural world while living in an urban environment.

Nature Circle. Because simple contact with nature restores the heart, mind, and body, we invite participation in this Nature Circle. A nearby, natural setting will allow us to explore meaningful relationships through activities and sharing. Join Mary Hardcastle, Coordinator of the Maryland chapter of Hooked On Nature and manager of Environmental Education and Community Outreach for the Parks and People Foundation and discover how our urban environment provides endless ways for us to connect with nature everyday.

Recovery Movement Panel. The late Al-Duha, former Director of Penn North Clinic, who had spent many years in Maryland prisons and who became an extraordinary TaiChi master, once said that "heroin was his best friend, if you want me off my heroin then help me build a friendship community." This is what is offered in the Penn North area of Baltimore. Come join the amazing staff and clients of Penn North, Dee's Place, and Recovery In Community. Hear how they offer healing and recovery through services that incorporate the values of on-demand access, community/friendship as healing, NA meetings, acupuncture, movement, and nutrition as effective tools and substitutes for substance abuse. Recovery support does not replace great treatment programs, rather this growing national innovation, makes support available, 24 hours a day, seven days a week and not just by appointment.

Stress Management Workshop. Please join Brianna Bedigian, Stress Management Consultant, Certified Hypnotist, Yoga Instructor and Reiki Master, for this experiential workshop to release your worry and relax your mind. This session will provide you with stress release techniques and expose you to different entry points to the meditative mind in order that you may find your way to inner calm and tread more lightly.

Water and Our City. Water is a primordial element, linking us to the beginnings of life, and sustaining life in myriad ways. Yet water activists often find the general public taking water for granted. How many people understand the role of watersheds in defining the quality of our water and our waterways? Do you know what watershed and sub-watersheds you live in? Why should you care? Watersheds may in fact be the primordial reference points in our territorial identities. Reconnect with water and all things related, with panelists J. Nichols, keynote presenter, water activists, and scientists as they discuss how water shapes our urban environment and how our city affects our water. Moderated by Fran Flanigan.

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

Program

2008 Conference Program and Schedule

Maryland Institute College of Art – Brown Center
1301 Mount Royal Avenue Baltimore, MD 21217
Directions and Parking

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Friday, November 7, 2008

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Program

2008 Conference Program and Schedule

Maryland Institute College of Art – Brown Center 1301 Mount Royal Avenue Baltimore, MD 21217 Directions and Parking

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Friday, November 7, 2008

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Maryland Institute College of Art – Brown Center
1301 Mount Royal Avenue Baltimore, MD 21217
Directions and Parking