Fall 2023 Annual Conference Program Schedule

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  Session Descriptions

   

  Opening	Keynote Video. Strengthening Indigenous Leadership During Collapse    Jade Begay Jade Begay, one of North America’s most effective Indigenous Rights activists, shares her insights on how far Indigenous leadership has come and what we can do to strengthen and embolden it. Welcome Address President Donald B. Taylor Donald B. Taylor became the 26th president of the University of Detroit Mercy on July 1, 2022. Taylor previously served as president of Cabrini University, and Provost and Chief Academic Officer of Benedictine University. His research interests in higher education have included problem-based learning, effective partnerships in science education at the K-16 level, and educational technologies. He has published more than 40 peer-reviewed abstracts, manuscripts and reviews in scientific journals and has given and participated in more than 60 presentations on science and higher education. Taylor has received 20 awards for teaching, research and service and secured millions of dollars in extramural funding, including large awards from the Department of Energy, Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the National Science Foundation. Opening Song Chantal Gros-Louis Chantal Gros-Louis is a holistic medicine practitioner, Ayurvedic consultant, artist, ecology activist, Huron Wendat First Nation member and Earth Charter endorser. She has studied art, substance abuse counseling, early childhood education, music, holistic therapies and Ayurveda, an age-old holistic medicine of India. Emcee: Yvonne King Yvonne King is the assistant dean of Student Academic Success & Inclusive Excellence in the College of Health Professions & McAuley School of Nursing. She is also the administrative manager of the GLBD Conference. Introducing Bioneers and Thanking our Sponsors  Sarida Scott is an assistant professor and director of the Community Development Department in the School of Architecture + Community Development at University of Detroit Mercy. As a community development professional, her unique background in engineering and law have influenced an approach that is collaborative, data-driven and centered on people development. Scott's work is focused on advancing resident voice in Detroit. As a native Detroiter, ensuring that Detroit has an equitable recovery and return to its once-legendary vibrancy is a professional and personal passion. Scott has extensive nonprofit management experience through her leadership roles at Community Development Advocates of Detroit (CDAD), serving on multiple boards and management training through numerous fellowships. Her legal work in and on behalf of the community includes roles of city attorney, child advocate, and nonprofit legal director.
  A1   Keynote	Keynote Video. Weaving the World Anew Nina Simons With sublime clarity and heart-warming passion, Nina Simons describes Bioneers’ history and its core values rooted in reverence for the natural world and biological and human diversity, stressing the need to balance the inner and outer in our quest to give birth to a new civilization based on relationships rather than the possession of things.
  A2	Indigeneity, Colonialism and Nuclear Proliferation: An Integral Ecology Approach to Environmental Justice Prasad Venugopal and Matt Mio, Ph.D. Radioactive colonialism is a term used to describe the global exploitation of indigenous lands and nature in order to extract fuel for nuclear energy production, nuclear weapons production and testing. In many cases, the radioactive waste products of these environmentally destructive processes are disposed on native lands. Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si', emphasizes that achieving a world without nuclear proliferation involves a long-term process, based on the awareness that “everything is connected” within the perspective of an integral ecology. In this learnshop, participants will explore and apply the integral ecology approach to case studies involving environmental justice struggles on nuclear proliferation and radioactive colonialism. Prasad Venugopal is a professor of Physics and affiliate faculty in African American Studies (AAS) at the University of Detroit Mercy. In addition to teaching courses in Physics and Astronomy, Venugopal has developed and teaches a course for the AAS program called Science, Technology and Race which is part of the core curricular offerings at the University. He is also a board member of the Michigan chapter of Peace Action, the largest grassroots peace organization in the U.S., and is also active in other local peace, labor, and anti-racism organizations. He served as president of the University of Detroit Mercy Professors Union for several years, and currently serves as a faculty fellow in the Office of Mission Integration at the University. Matthew Mio, Ph.D., is Chair and Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Both speakers have been involved in the University’s efforts to live out the values outlined in the Pope’s encyclical, Laudato Si, at UDM.
  A3	Keynote Video. May the Farce Be With You Kenny Ausubel Bioneers’ founder takes us on one of his renowned, tour de force surveys of the current zeitgeist, this time masterfully tracking the diabolical machinations of the fossil fuel industry and oligarchs seeking to derail global economic decarbonization, but offering us genuine pathways to building a green and just world together, if we put our shoulders to the wheel.

   

  	TOURS (Thursday)
  	1	Tour of Center for Leadership in Environmental Awareness and Research (CLEAR) facilities and current projects Brendan O’Leary The CLEAR program is a multidisciplinary research program that focuses on the biological and human impacts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and remediation strategies at Wayne State University. The tour will feature two research facilities and two project demonstrations of work central to the CLEAR program. This will include chemistry and engineering labs, and a field (groundwater and air) sensor demonstration. The tour will feature short talks from multiple researchers in the CLEAR program. Brendan O’Leary is a post-doctoral fellow at CLEAR at Wayne State University. Currently, he is developing field screening techniques and numerical modeling approaches to understanding the subsurface transport of VOCs. He recently received a dual titled doctorate in civil engineering and urban sustainability from Wayne State University. Also guiding the tour will be Carol Miller and Rahul Mitra.
  	2	Sanctuary Farms – Closing the Food Loop Parker Jean This tour will show people how we convert food waste into nutritious compost used to grow food, thus closing the food loop! Learn firsthand how the practice of regenerative agriculture builds the soil with compost that helps feed hundreds of native plants to improve the local ecosystem. Parker Jean, of Sanctuary Farms, will introduce you to this urban farm and nature sanctuary located on the lower east side of Detroit. At Sanctuary Farms, there are three clear objectives: 1) cultivate organic produce, 2) create nutritious compost, and 3) provide equitable green spaces to historically disadvantaged communities. With these aims the farm fosters a thriving community where people are safe, healthy and connected to their local environment and food by actively being involved in closing the food loop.
  	3	Solar Power in a Net Zero Warehouse (D2 Solar and Solar Party Detroit) Diane Van Buren & Diane Cheklich This tour will take place at our solar warehouse on Mt. Elliott, a former truck and auto repair shop that we are converting to a net zero all-electric facility and home of two solar companies: D2 Solar and Solar Party Detroit. The tour will consist of a view of the warehouse and two solar installations including an off-grid panel installation and the main building 25 kW solar system. The sneak-peak of the building will include future plans to convert the building into warehouse, office space and event space. Participants will also learn about Solar Party Detroit, a solar-powered battery rental program for off-grid solutions to power outdoor events and view a solar-powered short movie featuring Solar Party Detroit Earth day events. Diane Van Buren and Diane Cheklich are co-owners of D2 Solar, a woman-owned, Detroit-based solar company specializing in consulting, solar panel sales and off-grid solutions.
  	4	Resist Monocultures: Tour of Taproot Sanctuary en Sawyer Monoculture production is one of the primary features of conventional food production where only one crop is grown over several acres. It also is a mindset that squeezes multi-dimensional dynamic possibilities of life into narrow categories. Come join this tour to see how we can find ways to let the land around us flourish and in turn let our own lives flourish as well. The action is simple: Know that we live in critical times and that we have to shift from a “me” to a “we” mindset. en Sawyer is a father, husband, woodworker, writer, permaculture designer and amateur mycologist. His passion is to do things with the least amount of money and the most amount of enchantment.
  	5	Cadillac Urban Gardens – We Grow More than Fruits and Vegetables, We Grow Community Leaders Sarah Clark & Dolores Perales Tours of Cadillac Urban Gardens will introduce participants to the history of the garden, our partnerships with other farms, businesses, community organizations, Universities, schools, and residents; as well as our mission to reduce food insecurity throughout SE Michigan; all the while educating, empowering and employing youth and residents economically through jobs, paths to higher education or trade schools. Sarah Clark is one of the original co-founders and the designer of Southwest Detroit’s Cadillac Urban Gardens established in 2012. She has extensive experience in grant writing, planning, design, project implementation and managing place-based green infrastructure and urban agriculture projects. She holds an English degree from Dartmouth College, a professional certification in Landscape and Nursery Management from Michigan State University, and a master’s degree from the University of Michigan in Urban Planning with a concentration in Landscape Architecture. She is passionate about developing intergenerational leadership through a wide variety of community engagement strategies and neighborhood beautification projects. Clark is working collaboratively with community leaders, partners, resident, and youth to establish Cadillac Urban Gardens as its own non-profit organization.
  B1.	Keynote Video. Preserving Animal Cultures: Lessons from Whale Wisdom Shane Gero (Shown with captions in the Ballroom, and with sound in SU208) As whale pods lose mothers and grandmothers, they lose wisdom inherited across generations on how to survive. In this talk, whale researcher Shane Gero shares some of what he has learned from the thousands of hours he has spent in the company of sperm whales, including how fundamentally similar their lives are to our own.
  B2.	Keynote Video. The Materials Metabolism – Rethinking our Molecular Relationship with Nature John Warner Most of what we produce is fundamentally unsustainable and dangerously incompatible with living systems. However, John Warner, one of the founding progenitors of the entire field of “green chemistry,” explains how we can embrace and emulate nature’s “materials metabolism” to create the products we need without endangering the web of life. Talk back with Stokes Baker Baker is a plant molecular biologist interested in integrating molecular technologies into undergraduate instruction. He has developed inquiry-based laboratory instructional material involving like DNA barcoding, next generation sequencing and genetic engineering.
  	Lunch by Chef Dominique and Plated Catering Chef Dominique “Dom” Black is a chef from Detroit with over 13 years of experience. Not only is she the chef and owner of Plated Catering, she has worked at some of the most notable restaurants in Detroit including Vista Maria, DMC, Beaumont, River Bistro and Coop Detroit. Black started Plated Catering in January 2020, but quickly had to close due to the global pandemic. This prompted her to pivot to selling meals to family, friends and other clientele through referrals. People of Detroit and surrounding areas traveled for her weekly pop-ups where she served signature dishes such as stuffed crab salmon pasta to go, which went viral on social media. Plated Catering specializes in providing food cooked from the heart for celebrations, corporate, social gatherings, and personal chef services. Black also works as a chef at Make Food Not Waste, a nonprofit that saves food from Detroit landfills and cooks 1,200 nutritious, delicious meals for the community weekly. If you ever get a chance to volunteer at Make Food Not Waste, you can often hear her saying her tagline, “Hook ‘em’ up, they’re hungry.” This expresses her love to provide food to the highest standard, no matter who is receiving it.  Lunch talk by Danielle Todd Danielle Todd is executive director of Make Food Not Waste, a nonprofit organization working to keep food out of landfills and slow climate change by creating lasting solutions to food waste through education, food upcycling and advocacy.
  C1	The Healing Power of Nature, Poetry, and Writing Academy of the Americas Students, and Monica DeGarmo Academy of the Americas High School is located in SW Detroit. Students will lead a writing workshop focused on nature and poetry. Participants will have an opportunity to read and reflect on examples and then have guided time, craft their own nature inspired poem, and share them, if they wish, at the end of the workshop.
  C2	Youth Learnshop: Sculpting with Clay Deanne Bednar The Earth is our home, and also a sculpting and building material. Participants will get to experience making a small model of their choice out of local clay-sand subsoil. Deanne Bednar shares natural building and sustainable living skills through the Strawbale Studio Program. Formerly a middle school art, humanities and eco-futures teacher, she also has illustrated three books related to natural building. She loves to forage for materials and craft.
  C3	Keynote video for youth. Storytelling for Social Change Amara Ifeji Having come to realize that her passions for the environment and racial justice were completely intertwined, Amara Ifeji shares how this awakening shaped her subsequent work as a remarkably effective organizer and advocate who centers storytelling to realize environmental justice, climate education and outdoor learning for all youth.
  C4	The Great Recycling Race Fatima Herrera Calling all young environmentalists! Are you ready to learn how to help the planet and have some fun at the same time? In this learnshop, you will discover how to sort recyclables like a pro. We will have a sorting race where you will test your knowledge of where waste goes and will learn about the three Rs of waste reduction (reduce, reuse, and recycle). You will explore how you can reduce your waste and make a difference and have a chance to get creative while reusing. We will give you items, and you’ll get to use your imagination to come up with new and creative ways to reuse them. Fatima Herrera is majoring in Biology at University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) and will be joined by another Titan Equity Nourish Network (TENN) member, Katie Runho. TENN is a UDM student-led nonprofit that partners with the community to engage student passion and community wisdom to raise awareness, address immediate needs, and combat food insecurity in Detroit.
  C5	The Earth can No Longer Afford Wildfires Chantal Gros-Louis Many wildfires are associated with climate change challenges, deforestation, and population growing at numbers surpassing ratios of ecological balance of the ecosystem. These fires have impacts on the entire Earth, including human survival, loss of forests and loss of forest inhabitants such as animals, birds, fish, plants, medicinal plants and trees. Trees are the lungs of the Earth. The Earth can no longer afford wildfires. How can we address the problem? What are our options? Is it too late? Perhaps inspirations of the ancient civilizations, including my tribe, offer ways to address these ecosystem challenges. Chantal Gros-Louis is a holistic medicine practitioner, Ayurvedic consultant, artist, ecology activist, Huron Wendat First Nation member, and Earth Charter endorser. She has studied art, substance abuse counseling, early childhood education, music, holistic therapies and Ayurveda, an age-old holistic medicine of India.
  C6	Can the U.S. lead a fight on Climate Change while Pursuing Imperialism? What can citizens do? Jim Rine President Joe Biden promotes the United States as a leader on fighting climate change by rejoining the Paris Climate agreement, hosting a leaders’ summit, participating in COP26 and 27, and passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA). But the United States is not credible when it spends 20-30 times more on its military than on climate change and it maintains approximately 800 bases worldwide. Why should Detroiters care? Money spent on war is not spent in our communities. Emissions by the military-industrial-complex disproportionately impact vulnerable communities. Learn the nuts and bolts on how to lobby your law makers. Jim Rine is a retired research geologist and adjunct professor at Wayne State University who has published on the intersection of climate change and the U.S. petroleum industry. He is a U.S. Army veteran who served in West Germany and is a member of the Veterans For Peace -- Climate Crisis & Militarism Project.
  C7	The Balloon Project - Whatever Goes Up Must Come Down Nisha Singhi Did you know that more than 18,000 pieces of balloon debris have been found in the Great Lakes – or that seabirds are 32 times more likely to die by ingesting latex balloons than hard plastics, or that mylar balloons conduct electricity and are responsible for thousands of power outages every year? This learnshop will engage in two experiments: 1. Demonstrating that a balloon does not disintegrate even in boiling water – highlighting the lack of biodegradability. 2. Demonstrating that mylar is a good conductor of electricity by connecting it to a simple open circuit (lighting a bulb) – highlighting that it can cause electrical short circuits. Participants will become aware of the harmful effects of balloon releases – so they can use alternatives and/or dispose of balloons properly. Nisha Singhi is a senior at the International Academy, Bloomfield Hills, who has been working on The Balloon Project since eighth grade to raise awareness about the harmful effects of balloon releases on the environment, marine life, wildlife and the economy. Singhi has helped to introduce bills in the Michigan legislature to ban the intentional release of balloons.
  D	Youth talk back session With Amara Ifeji
  E1	PLENARY. The Campaign for Water Affordability in the City of Detroit: Past, Present and Future Cecily McClellan, Gwendolyn Y. Howard and Norrel Hemphill Providing clean, safe, and affordable water in Detroit has been a revolution. Detroit has come from a position of denying access to water by shutting off water primarily because residents lacked the ability to pay to enact a moratorium on shutoffs during COVID-19. We The People of Detroit, and other water advocates have worked to promote income-based water affordability and debt forgiveness by providing feedback on the current Detroit Lifeline Program. We aim to ensure that Detroit codifies water affordability in an ordinance, protecting the right to water for all, regardless of income. We invite participants to contact the Detroit City Council and the mayor to encourage them to support a water affordability ordinance for the city and voice their support for the water ordinance/program at the Board of Water Commissioners’ monthly meetings; take the water affordability pledge at https://www.wethepeopleofdetroit.com/water-affordability-pledge to get information on water affordability in Detroit as it develops; and share information on water affordability with their family, friends, and community. We The People of Detroit (WPD) was founded in 2008 in response to Emergency Management over the city of Detroit and Detroit Public Schools. As a community-based grassroots organization, WPD aims to inform, educate and empower Detroit residents on imperative issues surrounding civil rights, land, water, education and the democratic process. Speakers will include Cecily McClellan, Gwendolyn Y. Howard and Norrel Hemphill.
  E2	Adult Learnshop: Cording and Lashing out of Local Fibers Deanne Bednar The Earth is our home, and also a sculpting and building material. Participants will get to experience making a small model of their choice out of local clay-sand subsoil. Deanne Bednar shares natural building and sustainable living skills through the Strawbale Studio Program. Formerly a middle school art, humanities and eco-futures teacher, she also has illustrated three books related to natural building. She loves to forage for materials and craft.
  F1	Brainstorming a Greener Future for Detroit: Inspiring Detroit’s Environmental Vision – 2025 and Beyond Mike Whitty and Andy Levin with Mikal Goodman An interactive dialogue with former U.S. Congressman Andy Levin, Mike Whitty and the audience seeking ideas and strategies for creating greater public support for stronger intergenerational awareness and action around an environmentally healthier city and society. This session hopes to encourage and motivate youth to create their future lives and include an eco-spiritual aspect to their worldview. Andy Levin has created an environmental consulting company to help cities and counties improve their energy efficiency. He served in the U.S. Congress, as the president of his Jewish congregation and currently consults with a think tank in Washington, D.C. He has spoken throughout the country, advocating for greater awareness of the necessity of a green future. Mike Whitty headed the UDM Institute for Building Sustainable Communities, served as a cofounder of Earth Community in Detroit, and is a member of the Sierra Club, and the World Future Society. He studies trends and forecasts of a possible green future for urban America. He spent 40 years as a business professor at UDM. Mikal Goodman is Executive Director of the Michigan Alliance for Justice in Climate (MAJIC). He is also the youngest member of Pontiac’s City Council.
  F2	A Ritual of Oneness (small workshop – 12 people) Ruby Woods Story sharing is a powerful connector. As we gather to ponder the radical embrace of the natural world (and witness its degradation) it is crucial to be in relation to community and know that we are not alone. Using silence, our stories, singing and movement, we will strengthen our hope that we can rise through these challenging times together. We will also be encouraged to visit, support and volunteer at one of the many urban farms in the city or plant a food or flower garden or visit a neighborhood park. Ruby Woods is a singer, songwriter, poet, ritual performance artist, and massage and reiki therapist. Known for creating sacred space by sharing circle songs, goddess chants and original songs, her message is Goddess/Earth centered, peace loving and evokes unconditional love and awareness of the oneness of all humanity. Woods strives to be in the moment and draws participants in with movement and story sharing.

   

  	FRIDAY
  	The “Ethics of Belonging” of Indigenous Traditions Yuria Celidwen, of Nahua and Maya descent and born into a family lineage of mystics, healers and poets, shares two core guiding principles from her scholarship: kin relationality and ecological belonging. She explains how these concepts can help us access an ever-expansive unfolding of a path of meaning and participation rooted in honoring life.
  G	PLENARY (Youth & Adults) Yvonne King's bio is above. Joe Reilly is a singer, songwriter and educator who writes songs from his heart. The core of his message is an invitation to heal our relationships with ourselves, each other and with the earth. Reilly uses his music to build community across lines of race, class, gender, ethnicity, religion, age and nationality. He is Italian, Irish and Native American (Cherokee/Choctaw) and was raised in Kalamazoo, Mich.  Joe has recorded nine albums, including four children’s albums, and is a member of the Earthwork Music Collective. His most recent is entitled Seeds and was released on the Earthwork Music label in 2023. All of Joe's music can be found on your favorite streaming platform and on his website: www.joereilly.org  Welcoming Remarks Jocelyn M. Boryczka joined the University on Aug. 1, 2022, as dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Education. Boryczka most recently served as vice provost for Scholarly and Inclusive Excellence at Fairfield University, a Jesuit Catholic institution in Fairfield, Conn. Prior to becoming vice provost, Boryczka served as an associate vice provost, professor of Politics and chair of the Politics Department. Boryczka has written two books about women’s education. She has received the Martin Luther King Jr. Visions Award, the Connecticut ACE Women’s Network Award for Distinguished Academic Woman in Higher Education Leadership and the Alpha Sigma Nu Best Teacher of the Year Award. Land Acknowledgement Nick Schroeck's bio is below in Tours. Gail Presbey, Ph.D., Conference Chair, Introducing Bioneers and Thanking our Sponsors Gail M. Presbey, Ph.D. is Professor of Philosophy at University of Detroit Mercy, and Affiliate Faculty in the Department of History and the Women’s and Gender Studies Program. She is Director of the James Carney Latin American Solidarity Archives (2002-present) and is currently Chair of the Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit conference (having been co-Chair the three years prior). She has been Executive Director and then President of Concerned Philosophers for Peace (2003-2010) and is currently President of the Peace History Society. She has authored and edited several books and has published over sixty journal articles and book chapters centered on African philosophy and philosophy of nonviolence.
  H1	Keynote Video. The Time for Fossil-Free Research is Now Ilana Cohen - Industry funding for climate research has distorted public knowledge and contributed to greenwashing. Ilana Cohen explains how a burgeoning international grassroots movement of students and academics, known as Fossil Free Research, is seeking to combat the industry’s pernicious influence, and how you can get involved in the fight.
  H2	Drought and Deluge (Adult Learnshop) Zigmond Kozicki & Stephanie Baiyasi-Kozicki Climate change has created conditions of drought as well as deluge across the United States. Human behavior is connected to climate change. Adapting to changes in our environment is our challenge. This session offers the opportunity to watch the video “Drought and Deluge” followed by a lively discussion about climate change. Zigmond Kozicki has over 40 years of healthcare experience serving in public and private organizations as a clinician and administrator. He is a population health researcher, film maker and is involved in political efforts to promote wellness. He presents at national and international professional conferences and will present with Stephanie Baiyasi-Kozicki.
  H3	Food and Climate Change: Myths and Reality (Adult Learnshop) John Ouko Climate change is among the greatest threats of our generation and of generations to come. Evidence of climate change includes global temperature rise, sea level rise and extreme weather events. In this learnshop, we are going to explore the extent to which production, distribution and consumption of different types of food contribute to climate change as well as consider some of the myths surrounding food-related climate issues. John Ouko earned a Ph.D. in Philosophy at Michigan State University. Currently, he is a lecturer in philosophy at Eastern Michigan University. He is also an adjunct instructor at University of Detroit Mercy.

   

  	TOURS (Friday)
  	6	Creation Care as a Way of Resistance St. Peter’s Episcopal Church Bob Chapman Tour Guide: Kateri Boucher Gentrification can displace people and devalue green space. This tour will show participants what one Corktown house of worship is doing to resist by pursuing energy efficiency and renewable and green space strategies while continuing to provide services to the homeless and near-homeless in the area. The tour will show how values of the heart such as care for our neighbors and the Earth are made real in the way we use our resources and time. We will ask people to look at their own houses of worship and individual lives and identify ways they can better bring into alignment their values and their personal and collective use of money, time, and resources. Bob Chapman is the former executive director of Detroit based EcoWorks and also Michigan Interfaith Power and Light. He is also a long-time member of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in Corktown. Much of his working life has been centered on what people can do individually and collectively to act in right relationship to their neighbors, the rest of creation and future generations. Kateri Boucher will help lead the tour as well. Kateri Boucher is the Ministries Coordinator at St. Peter's Episcopal Church and a (remote) Masters of Divinity student at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. She grew up in the suburbs of Rochester, N.Y., and has called Detroit home since 2018.
  	7	Resource Protection Changes: Creating and Sharing a Learning Community Gesu School Stephanie Osborn, Anita Sevier & Jane Hammang-Buhl This tour will take place on the six-acre campus of Gesu Catholic Church, 17180 Oak Dr, Detroit. The walking tour from UDM -- crossing McNichols to Gesu -- highlights the demonstration rain garden, native plant garden, bioswales, outdoor school learning lab, dry wells, disconnected downspouts and Gloryland community garden. We will also refer to the school-based current waste reduction project. Gesu students will lead the tour. There will also be time to discuss the process of garden construction to obtain the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department credits; the importance of green stormwater infrastructure (GSI), native plants, and local partners in this work; and explain how citizens working and learning together can protect our precious waters and minimize the impact of a combined sewer system for this area’s watershed. Stephanie Osborn has degrees in Sustainable Business and Biology from Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Mich., and master's degrees in Public Health and Urban Planning from Wayne State University. She works as a staff planner at Giffels Webster, is a member of the Gesu Green Team and is vice president of the board for Make Food Not Waste.
  	8	Environmental Justice Bus Tour Nick Schroeck We will visit major sources of industrial pollution and discuss the impacts from these facilities and how participants on the tour can work for change. We will also stop at locations in the city that have transitioned from industrial use to urban gardens, parks and small businesses Nick Schroeck is an environmental law expert whose work focuses on air pollution, water pollution, environmental justice, transportation and citizen suit enforcement. He previously served as executive director of the Great Lakes Environmental Law Center. Schroeck has litigated cases for several prominent environmental advocacy organizations. He joined the Detroit Mercy Law faculty in 2018 as the director of Clinical Programs and associate professor of Law. He previously directed the Transnational Environmental Law Clinic and taught Environmental Law at Wayne State University Law School.
  	9	Grow Your Own Food – CWO Farms, Inc. Marygrove campus Candi Fentress & Mark Fentress Anyone can grow food. Let us show you how. Walk through our garden and see the beauty of what a seed can produce when planted. CWO Farms, Inc., is an Urban farm in Detroit. Candi Fentress and others are the resident farmers for the Marygrove Conservancy where they oversee two of the campus gardens.  They feel that everyone should know how to grow food.
  	10	Protecting Detroit’s Wild Space for Wildlife and Humans Alike Eliza Howell Park & Nicky Marcot This tour of Eliza Howell Park will include a walk down the Eliza Howell Nature trail, following Detroit’s Rouge River, into the 250-acre park, the second largest in the city, composed mainly of meadows and woodland, and a haven for hundreds of species of wildlife and plants. The tour will include a history of the park, especially around the work completed by community members and community organizations in the past several years to preserve and protect this unique wild space in the city, while providing easy access for community members to enjoy and rejuvenate through immersion in and interaction with nature. Participants will be encouraged to find and care for the wild spaces near them, especially when it comes to storm water management and native/invasive species remediation and management. Tour participants are encouraged to wear long pants to defend against possible poison ivy exposure. University of Detroit Mercy alumna, former secondary educator and current community organizer and environmental activist, Nicky Marcot works with the nonprofit Sidewalk Detroit on project/program strategy and management in Detroit’s Eliza Howell Park.
  J1 & J2	Keynote Video. The Great Revolution Saru Jayaraman (Shown with captions in the Ballroom, and with sound and discussion by Rahul Mitra in SU208) Saru Jayaraman is one of the most creative and effective labor organizers of our era. In this talk, she describes her work organizing restaurant and other low-wage workers over the last 20 years and the incredible moment of historic worker revolt currently under way in the United States, one that could have enormous implications for both climate justice and for our democracy.
  	The previous K1 session has been moved to Thursday and is listed as C7
  K2	Smart Farms: Using Seed Sterilization to Improve Plant Reproduction Cycles Haley Christian & Kye Smith Too many plants are going dormant or extinct because of low germination of seedlings due to fungus and bacterial toxins. This has created a gap in the ecosystem for certain plants and flowers, resulting in lower circulation of nutrients; an imbalance in the ecosystem and the establishment of invasive species. This learnshop will discuss research that is being done in Ecotek Lab with United Nations member countries related to seed sterilization and genetic engineering practices. During this workshop, attendees will engage in a sterilization protocol using basic solvents, and examine how seeds are affected by fungus and other toxins that prevent them from germinating as well as field work results related to Arabidopsis thaliana. Haley Christian, sophomore at Detroit Edison Early College of Excellence and Kye Smith, Sophomore at University High in Southfield, Michigan will co-present. They are both senior student researchers at Ecotek Lab-Detroit, and both have conducted research in the College of Natural Resources at Michigan State University. Christian is the project lead for the Global Seed Biobank project, and Smith is the assistant lead and is involved in animal conservation work with the Detroit Zoological Society.
  K3	TapWatch: Designing, Developing and Launching a Hydro-Bank to Monitor and Study Changes in the Quality of Drinkable Water Around the World Bryson Taylor & Corey McKenzie Access to clean drinkable water is a human right. Nearly a billion people around the world do not have access to safe drinking water. In this workshop, students from Ecotek Lab will share information regarding their research work with United Nations member countries to design and develop a global hydro-bank – a system made up of water samples from all five continents in the world. During the workshop, attendees will learn about the importance of drinkable water. They will also perform a few of the water chemistry tests that would be necessary to determine water potability, such as those related to total dissolved solids, pH and dissolved oxygen on water samples from lakes and tributaries across North America. Co-presenters Bryson Taylor and Corey McKenzie are seniors at the Marygrove School and senior student researchers at Ecotek Lab – Detroit. Taylor is the project lead for the Global Hydro-Bank program, and McKenzie is the assistant project lead. Taylor has conducted research in the College of Natural Resources at Michigan Tech University and at Michigan State University. McKenzie helped organize and conduct community outreach workshops at schools across metro Detroit to highlight the importance and benefits of hydro-banking.
  K4	One Health in Cities Amy Bauer This session will introduce the idea of One Health and how it relates to disease in humans and animals in the urban context. Participants will be involved in a simulated outbreak investigation and asked to apply the ideas from this activity to Detroit. Participants will play the role of individuals of different species involved in the outbreak and that of the people charged with investigating the outbreak. They will be provided with information/resources to learn more about One Health and zoonotic diseases (diseases that are spread between humans and animals). Amy Bauer is a faculty member at University of Detroit Mercy. After completing a bachelor of science degree in Zoology at Michigan State University, she went on to earn a doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at Michigan State. Her developing interest in the intersection of human, animal and ecosystem health (One Health) led her to leave clinical practice and pursue a doctorate in Comparative Epidemiology and Public Health at Purdue University.
  K5	Understanding Volatile Organic Compounds’ (VOCs) risk in urban neighborhoods Brendan O’Leary Volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) are a class of pollutants found in post-industrial cities like Detroit. Participants will learn about VOCs, current practices for identifying sites of subsurface pollution and methods for reducing exposure. They will learn how VOCs move in urban neighborhoods and will also be able to map out VOC locations throughout Michigan. Brendan O’Leary is a post-doctoral fellow at CLEAR at Wayne State University. Currently, he is developing field screening techniques and numerical modeling approaches to understanding the subsurface transport of VOCs. He recently received a dual titled doctorate in civil engineering and urban sustainability from Wayne State University. Also guiding the tour will be Carol Miller and Rahul Mitra.
  K6	Thriving Together: Advancing Inclusive Science Communication through Spoken-Word Poetry Detroit Zoological Society and InsideOut Literary Arts staff and students This presentation will start with a spoken-word poetry performance by Thriving Together students. The poems will focus on local environmental topics the students have been learning about this summer, including community gardening and tree planting. Following the performance, Detroit Zoological Society and InsideOut Literary Arts staff will lead a workshop that highlights the benefits of poetry and other forms of creative writing for engaging people in conversations about environmental topics. Stephen Vrla is the curator of humane education at the Detroit Zoological Society (DZS). Along with InsideOut Literary Arts, the DZS co-facilitates a program, Thriving Together, which introduces high school students to local environmental topics and supports them in leading spoken-word poetry performances that promote conversations about those topics among community members. Vrla will be speaking with Jacqueline Suskin of InsideOut Literary Arts and the Thriving Together students.
  L	Youth talk back session
  M	PLENARY. Indigenous Futures: Moving Forward By Looking Backwards Hadassah Greensky This panel will include young Anishinaabe women leaders from the region discussing history, climate change and the future of land stewardship and water protection. Listen to Native voices, learn from our past, remember our relationship to the Earth. Hadassah GreenSky is a Waganakising Odawa (Little Traverse Bay Bands) from Detroit. She is an activist, community organizer, curator, cultural worker and indigenous futurist, who is working as a visual artist, jazz singer, musician, dancer (both modern and powwow), bead artist, seamstress, graphic designer, photographer, videographer and model. She splits her time between California and Michigan to better learn and grow in her vision of starting a communal trade network and sustainable community artist hub.
  N	PLENARY. From Campbell to Connor: Mapping Detroit’s Buried Creeks Joanne Coutts This learnshop will build relationships between Detroiters and the water that is all around us by learning about and mapping the many creeks that are buried under the built environment of our city. We will explore historical maps of Detroit creeks, consider past proposals to mitigate flooding through daylighting creeks, and ask how orienting ourselves to the movement of water through the city might change our relationships with the land, environment and each other.  Participants will use historical maps to find the creek closest to their house or school, and will collaborate to make a map of Parent Creek using a counter mapping technique called Mapping Forgotten Fragments. Items collected along the creek will be embedded in the paper used to create the map. Joanne Coutts is an independent cartographer and activist whose practice is centered on the connections between our relationships with land and water, and our commitment to humanitarian aid and solidarity in response to climate change. Her current projects use counter-mapping to support search and rescue at the U.S./Mexico border and contribute to efforts for water rights, and rights for water, in Detroit.