Comments on the Bioneers Conference

"No conference on Earth celebrates more fully the possibilities of creating a world that is conducive to life. Bioneers is central to the re-imagination of what it means to be human." - Paul Hawken, 2004 Bioneers presenter & Author, Natural Capitalism

"Bioneers articulates a new vision for the environmental movement -- one that lifts our spirits, is socially aware and action oriented; is grounded in practical solutions, and integrates public interest and innovative science along with a commitment to the health of our spirit, our bodies, diversity in our culture and the arts, and accomplishes all this simply by bringing together the people who are living these values and providing us all with an opportunity to connect. - Claire Hope Cummings, 2005 Bioneers presenter & Journalist

"The Bioneers Conference is one of the most important educational, networking and motivating experiences available today." -Tom Hayden, 2005 Bioneers presenter & former CA State Senator

"When I arrived at Bioneers in 2001 I felt the country begin to come alive again after the agonizing and bewildering paralysis after 9/11. I knew then that our movement was alive and well and more relevant than ever." -Nancy Jack Todd, 2005 Bioneers presenter & Vice President, Ocean Arks International

"Bioneers is my Mecca. I go there to be renewed and watch the magic happen afterwards." -Diane Wilson, 2005 Bioneers presenter & 4th generation fisherman

"A gathering of inspiration and innovation...Bioneers is creating a community of social change." -Terry Tempest Williams, 2004 Bioneers presenter & Author, Refuge & Leap

"Wow, what a collection of people! I came away feeling revved up with enthusiasm and a sense of a growing movement." -David Suzuki, Scientist, Environmentalist and Broadcaster

"The people I met at Bioneers inspired me to continue to share my voice in words and song with biological pioneers who are committed to learn about a shared struggle for undoing environmental and economic racism and biotechnological injustice of Indigenous peoples and our traditional knowledge." -Tom Goldtooth, National Coordinator of the Indigenous Environmental Network

"The Bioneers were instrumental in helping me frame issues and find sources for the piece. Especially for the 'Beyond Organic' angle, you guys were indispensable." -Michael Pollan, New York Times Magazine contributing writer and author of The Botany of Desire

"It is rare that environmental conferences consider the economics of low-income people. A vision of a sustainable environment where low-income communities have income and assets to take care of themselves as well as the environment is a vision that emerged for me from the Bioneers Conference." -Connie Evans, The Women's Self-Employment Project

Producers' Biographies

Since 1990, Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons have been assembling Bioneers for an annual conference, a gathering of scientific and social innovators who have demonstrated visionary and practical models for restoring the Earth and communities.

Themes Addressed by the Bioneers

Bioneers 2007 Afternoon Sessions Categorized by Areas of Interest*

*Please note: Many sessions have strong connections to more than one, or even several, of the domains listed below. In some instances, we have listed them in more than one place. There are really no boundaries to the work of these bioneers. We're all connected.

Ecological Design
Gimme Shelter: Green Building in an Age of Mega-Cities and Meta-Collapse  (B1) Fri. 4:30 pm
Clean Tech Comes of Age (A7) Fri. 2:45pm
The Biomimicry Revolution: Imitating How Nature Does It (A11) Sat. 2:45 pm
From Bangalore to the Bay Area: Mapping for the Sustainable City and Countryside of the Future (B10) Sat. 4:30 pm
Alternative Futures: Scenario Planning for a Precarious World (A25) Sun. 2:45 pm

Restoring Our Ecosystem
No Nukes or Green Nukes? The Debate over Global Warming and Nuclear Power (A8) Fri. 2:45pm
Saving People and Place: Collaborative Conservation Strategies (A12) Sat. 2:45 pm
The Ocean Revolution (A22) Sun. 2:45 pm
The Lives and Fates of Earth’s Animals (B18) Sun. 4:30 pm
Food Activism: Food Fights from Frankenfoods to Organic Sub-Standards (B22) Sun. 4:30 pm

Food & Farming
Building Local Living Economies and Successful Social Ventures (A2) Fri. 2:45pm
Cultivating the Land and the Narrative (A5) Fri. 2:45pm
Food, Labor, and Justice: Fair Wage Farming (A13) Sat. 2:45 pm
Seed Exchange (C1) Sat. 6:30
Farmers and Chefs Reception (C2) Sat. 6:30 pm
Community Food Sovereignty (A23) Sun. 2:45 pm
Food Activism: Food Fights from Frankenfoods to Organic Sub-Standards (B22) Sun. 4:30 pm

Environmental Education
From Ecovillages to Ecocities (A1) Fri. 2:45pm
Education for a Sustainable World (B12) Sat. 4:30 pm

Ecological Medicine
Herb Walk with Kami McBride (A9) Fri. 2:45pm
Creating Health, Jobs and Justice (A15) Sat. 2:45 pm
Parkinson’s,Asthma,Infertility,Learning Disabilities & Autism:What’s the Environment Got to Do with It? (A16)Sat 2:45 pm
Herb Walk with Kami McBride (A19) Sat. 2:45pm
Staying Healthy in an Unhealthy World (A27) Sun. 2:45 pm

Independent/Alternative Media
Hotfrog Presents: Writing the Revolution (A6) Fri. 2:45pm
Mother Jones Presents: Investigate This! (B5) Fri. 4:30 pm
Alternet Presents: Social Media Activism/Web 2.0 Networking for Change (A24) Sun. 2:45 pm

Social & Environmental Activism
Building Local Living Economies and Successful Social Ventures (A2) Fri. 2:45pm
Race, Class and Power: Structural Analysis and Fairness – Parts 1+2 (A3 + B5) Fri. 2:45pm + 4:30 pm
Becoming Guardians for Future Generations (A4) Fri 2:45 pm
Hotfrog Presents: Writing the Revolution (A6) Fri. 2:45pm
Building & Bridging Youth Movements (Y1) Fri. 2:45pm
Girls Gone Mild? Reclaiming Feminism’s Radical Edge (B7) Fri. 4:30 pm

Social & Environmental Activism (cont’d)
Eco-Art Strategies: Towards a Culture of Sustainability (B8) Fri. 4:30 pm
Theatre of the Oppressed Training – Theater for Change-Makers (Y2) Fri. 4:30 pm
Saving People and Place: Collaborative Conservation Strategies (A12) Sat. 2:45 pm
Food, Labor, and Justice: Fair Wage Farming (A13) Sat. 2:45 pm
Wounds to Warriors: Healing the Trauma of Social Violence and War (A14) Sat. 2:45 pm
Creating Health, Jobs and Justice (A15) Sat. 2:45 pm
Parkinson’s, Asthma, Infertility,Learning Disabilities & Autism:What’s the Environment Got to Do with It? (A16) Sat. 2:45 pm
Mainstreaming Hope through Popular Media (A17) Sat. 2:45 pm
Moving in the Movement: Using Dance & Theater for Social Change (Y3) Sat. 2:45 pm
Women Re-Imagining the World (B9) Sat. 4:30 pm
Art and Social Change (B11) Sat. 4:30 pm
A Conversation at the Crossroads: Race, Power and Restorative Justice (B13) Sat. 4:30 pm
Social and Environmental Justice through Donor Activism (B15) Sat. 4:30 pm
Elections as Metaphors: Broad Organizing Opportunities and Stories of Culture (Y4) Sat. 4:30 pm
Caroline Casey Presents:  In Trickster We Trust (C3) Sat. 8 pm
Voices from the Global South (A20) Sun. 2:45 pm
Social Entrepreneurs: The Angels Made Me Do It (A21) Sun. 2:45 pm
Community Food Sovereignty (A23) Sun. 2:45 pm
Alternet Presents: Social Media Activism/Web 2.0 Networking for Change (A24) Sun. 2:45 pm
Building Successful Campaigns: Interactive Problem-Solving (A26) Sun. 2:45 pm
Fierce Grace: Six Women Organizers Talk about Gender and Social Change  (B17) Sun. 4:30 pm
Rainforest Action Network Presents: Deposing King Coal, Drilling Down on Fossil Fools (B21) Sun. 4:30 pm
Food Activism: Food Fights from Frankenfoods to Organic Sub-Standards (B22) Sun. 4:30 pm
Story-Based Strategy: Interventions and Actions to Change the Culture (B23) Sun. 4:30 pm

Eco-nomics/Social Entrepreneurship + Green Business
Building Local Living Economies and Successful Social Ventures (A2) Fri. 2:45pm
Clean Tech Comes of Age (A7) Fri. 2:45pm
The Biomimicry Revolution: Imitating How Nature Does It (A11) Sat. 2:45 pm
Social and Environmental Justice through Donor Activism (B15) Sat. 4:30 pm
Voices from the Global South (A20) Sun. 2:45 pm
Social Entrepreneurs: The Angels Made Me Do It (A21) Sun. 2:45 pm
Inside/Outside: The Social Ecology of Corporate Accountability (B19) Sun. 4:30 pm

The Arts
Hotfrog Presents: Writing the Revolution (A6) Fri. 2:45pm
Eco-Art Strategies: Towards a Culture of Sustainability (B8) Fri. 4:30 pm
Theatre of the Oppressed Training – Theater for Change-Makers (Y2) Fri. 4:30 pm
Mainstreaming Hope through Popular Media (A17) Sat. 2:45 pm
Moving in the Movement: Using Dance & Theater for Social Change (Y3) Sat. 2:45 pm
Women Re-Imagining the World (B9) Sat. 4:30 pm
Art and Social Change (B11) Sat. 4:30 pm
Caroline Casey Presents:  In Trickster We Trust (C3) Sat. 8 pm
Crossing the Threshold:  Indigenous Artists Bridging Divides (B20) Sun. 4:30 pm
Story-Based Strategy: Interventions and Actions to Change the Culture (B23) Sun. 4:30 pm

Indigenous Knowledge
Becoming Guardians for Future Generations (A4) Fri. 2:45 pm
Grandmothers Council (A10) Fri. 2:45 pm
Saving People and Place: Collaborative Conservation Strategies (A12) Sat. 2:45 pm
Cycles of Continuous Creation: 13 Indigenous Grandmothers (A18) Sat. 2:45 pm
Original Instructions: Perspectives from First Peoples (B14) Sat. 4:30 pm
Grandmothers Council (B16) Sat. 4:30 pm
Crossing the Threshold:  Indigenous Artists Bridging Divides (B20) Sun. 4:30 pm

Women’s Leadership
Indigenous Visionary Plant Traditions (B6) Fri. 4:30 pm
Girls Gone Mild? Reclaiming Feminism’s Radical Edge (B7) Fri. 4:30 pm
Creating Health, Jobs and Justice (A15) Sat. 2:45 pm
Parkinson’s, Asthma,Infertility,Learning Disabilities & Autism: What’s the Environment Got to Do with It? (A16) Sat. 2:45 pm
Cycles of Continuous Creation: 13 Indigenous Grandmothers (A18) Sat. 2:45 pm
Women Re-Imagining the World (B9) Sat. 4:30 pm
Social and Environmental Justice through Donor Activism (B15) Sat. 4:30 pm
Staying Healthy in an Unhealthy World (A27) Sun. 2:45 pm
Grandmothers Council with Bioneers Youth (A28) Sun. 2:45 pm
Turning Inspiration into Action: An Open Space Workshop for Youth – Parts 1 + 2 (Y5 + Y6) Sun. 2:45 and 4:30 pm
Fierce Grace: Six Women Organizers Talk about Gender and Social Change  (B17) Sun. 4:30 pm
Inside/Outside: The Social Ecology of Corporate Accountability (B19) Sun. 4:30 pm

Nature, Culture & Spirit
Race, Class and Power: Structural Analysis and Fairness – Parts 1+2 (A3 + B5) Fri. 2:45 pm + 4:30 pm
Becoming Guardians for Future Generations (A4) Fri 2:45 pm
Grandmothers Council (A10) Fri. 2:45 pm
Indigenous Visionary Plant Traditions (B6) Fri. 4:30 pm
Wounds to Warriors: Healing the Trauma of Social Violence and War (A14) Sat. 2:45 pm
Cycles of Continuous Creation: 13 Indigenous Grandmothers (A18) Sat. 2:45 pm
A Conversation at the Crossroads: Race, Power and Restorative Justice (B13) Sat. 4:30 pm
Original Instructions: Perspectives from First Peoples (B14) Sat. 4:30 pm
Grandmothers Council (B16) Sat. 4:30 pm
Farmers and Chefs Reception (C2) Sat. 6:30 pm
Caroline Casey Presents:  In Trickster We Trust (C3) Sat. 8 pm
The Ocean Revolution (A22) Sun. 2:45 pm
Grandmothers Council with Bioneers Youth (A28) Sun. 2:45 pm
The Lives and Fates of Earth’s Animals (B18) Sun. 4:30 pm

Youth Leadership
Building & Bridging Youth Movements (Y1) Fri. 2:45pm
Theatre of the Oppressed Training – Theater for Change-Makers (Y2) Fri. 4:30 pm
Moving in the Movement: Using Dance & Theater for Social Change (Y3) Sat. 2:45 pm
Elections as Metaphors: Broad Organizing Opportunities and Stories of Culture (Y4) Sat. 4:30 pm
Grandmothers Council with Bioneers Youth (A28) Sun. 2:45 pm
Turning Inspiration into Action: An Open Space Workshop for Youth – Parts 1 + 2 (Y5 + Y6) Sun. 2:45 and 4:30 pm

www.bioneers.org     877.BIONEER

Voices of the Bioneers

For more than a decade, Collective Heritage Institute (CHI) has been bringing the model solutions and strategies of leading social and scientific visionaries to both national and global prominence through the annual Bioneers Conference, which identifies, gathers, and cultivates a culture of solutions and the dedicated people who created them.

Through the Voices of the Bioneers Public Education Project, CHI is bringing this solutions-oriented culture into the mainstream. Formally initiated in 1998, the Voices project conducts public education about the solutions and strategies of the Bioneers through a variety of effective outreach approaches and communications. They include:

Bioneers: Revolution from the Heart of Nature: A radio series produced in conjunction with New Dimensions Radio, this thirteen-part, half-hour radio series is heard on more than 200 stations in the US and across the globe. The series was a finalist for a United Nations Department of Information Award, and the New York Festivals Award in 2004. It has also won the New York Festivals 2002 International Radio WorldMedal Award and the 2001 Communicator Crystal Award of Distinction.

Bioneers Book Series: The Bioneers Book Series highlights speakers from the best of the annual Bioneers Conference and is published by Sierra Club Books, a division of University of California Press.

The first in the series, Ecological Medicine - Healing the Earth, Healing Ourselves (2004) is edited by Kenny Ausubel, Bioneers founder, with J. P. Harpignies and has a foreword by Dr. Andrew Weil. This pathfinding book focuses on pragmatic solutions emerging at the fertile edges between environmental restoration and holistic healing.

The Book Series' second book, Nature's Operating Instructions - The True Biotechnologies (2004) is edited by Kenny Ausubel, Bioneers Founder, with J. P. Harpignies and has a foreword by Paul Hawken. Within the pages of Nature's Operating Instructions lie nature's solutions and alternatives to the persistent toxic technologies and destructive social orders that have defined our era.

The third book in the Series, Eco-Literacy, guest-edited by The Center for Eco-Literacy, focuses on reorienting the way human beings live on the Earth as well as educating children to their highest capacities in our efforts to build sustainable communities for the future.

Media Outreach: CHI works with both the mainstream and alternative media to distribute print and audio excerpts from the conference, and to generate original feature stories on key people and projects within the Bioneers network. The Voices project has reached more than nine million readers through feature articles published in media outlets, including the San Francisco Chronicle, Utne Reader and Natural Home magazine. Increasingly, journalists and media makers are turning to Bioneers as a resource for cutting-edge information and contacts for stories and films.

Beaming Bioneers: This project extends conference access and participation to a wider audience by providing satellite broadcasts of three half days of conference plenary sessions to colleges and community centers across the nation. The host sites are encouraged to organize their own live interactive events, following the broadcasts, to feature issues of local and regional relevance.

Bioneers Web site: An excellent source for accessing information on restorative solutions, the site posts timely articles, regular updates on pressing initiatives, conference information, and other network-related events.

Weaving the World - the Bioneers Sampler CD: Each year, CHI produces a CD for use as a benefit of membership and to introduce people to the Bioneers' work. The CDs feature ten to fourteen excerpts from the past year's conference, which are edited and presented in an inspiring sequence. They provide a strong communications tool for introducing journalists and other key allies to this remarkable body of work.

Bioneers Food and Farming Initiative: Funded in part by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, this initiative increases linkages by promoting the work of food and farming organizations through our publications and website, and offers multi-media communication tools, such as the "Wisdom at the End of a Hoe" Food and Farming Sampler CD. This CD will serve as a valuable tool for other NGOs working on these issues to increase public awareness about effective restorative farming practices and the impacts of our food choices.