Our second annual Prairie Fire Bioneers Conference on October 26-28, 2012 features interactive workshops, local food, renowned speakers, and more! View the schedule below, and be sure to check back for updates.

Friday, October 26

Time	Event	Location
6:30 p.m.	Registration	In front of Round Room, Ford Center for the Fine Arts (CFA)
7:00 p.m.	Opening Ceremony and *Plenary Speakers Gabor Maté, MD (bio) Toxic Culture: How Materialistic Society Makes Us Ill Gretchen Daily, Ph.D. (bio) Harmonizing People and Nature: A New Business Model Rev. Fletcher Harper (bio) Greening our Faiths: From Belief into Action for the Environment and Environmental Justice Alternative: Second City for President Comedy Revue Orpheum Theatre, 57 S. Kellogg Street. Begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are half price for Bioneers registrants.	Round Room, CFA
9:00 p.m.	Election 2012 Roundtable Discussion of environmental issues	CFA

Saturday, October 27

Time	Event	Location
8:30 a.m.	Local Breakfast and Registration Prepared by Cornucopia and Uncle Billy's Bakery	CFA
9:00-10:30 a.m.	Morning Activities Yoga Integrate your practice on the mat with your social justice and environmental endeavors. This workshop, led by certified yoga teacher Laura Bush, includes 60 minutes of asana practice with journal and discussion elements created to honor the interconnectedness of life. Open to all experience levels.	Auxiliary Gym
	Admiring Life Walk Ever had time to walk around and notice what else is living here among us? This is your chance. Led by Peter Schwartzman, associate professor and chair of environmental studies at Knox.	Meet outside Kresge Recital Hall, CFA
10:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.	*Plenary Speakers Nikki Henderson (bio) Flavas of a Whole Community: Ingredients for Food Access in Historically Under-Invested Communities Marina Silva (bio) The Challenge of Sustainable Development: New Models Youth Leadership Presentation	Kresge Recital Hall, CFA
12:00-1:00 p.m.	Local Lunch Prepared by Q's Cafe	CFA
1:00-2:15 p.m.	Local Interactive Workshops Why We Need You to Become a Yeoman Farmer John Curtis, Barefoot Gardens CSA People who work and live on the land are in the best position to care for it and solve environmental problems. Join John in discussing why the country needs more small holder farmers in hopes for a sustainable future.	CFA
	The Public Health, Ecological, and Social Impacts of Industrialized Animal Production Karen Hudson, Illinois Citizens for Clean Air and Water Learn what Illinois may encounter with the possibility of a new packing plant of unprecendented size. Karen, a teacher and farmer in Peoria County and an environmental consultant to the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project, will also offer information on upcoming pollution control board hearings and recent ICCAW activities.	CFA
	Getting Others Involved Drew Thomason, Illinois Stewardship Alliance Need help in getting your message out? Drew discusses how to leverage the Internet and traditional media to excite and involve more people in sustainable living.	CFA
2:15-2:30 p.m.	Break
2:30-4:00 p.m.	*Plenary Speakers Carol Jenkins (bio) The Public Square is Empty (Aside from the Occasional Hanging) Ai-Jen Poo (bio) A Caring, Sustainable Economy for the 21st Century Bill McKibben (bio) The Climate Fight Gets Hotter	CFA
4:00-4:15 p.m.	Break
4:15-5:45 p.m.	Local Interactive Workshops How to Start Growing Food Now, Where You Are John Lane Learn about transplanting, improving soil fertility, using space efficiently, and the tools and techniques you need to be a grower.	CFA
	Community Building John Hunigan, Galesburg Community Relations Commission It's time we all work together. Let's figure out how!	CFA
5:45-6:00 p.m.	Break
6:00 p.m.	Local Dinner Prepared by Baked	Lincoln Room, Seymour Union
7:30 p.m.	Keynote Address Julia Butterfly Hill is an environmentalist and activist who lived in a redwood tree for 738 days to promote awareness of the plight of ancient forests. A book signing will immediately follow.	Kresge Recital Hall, CFA

Sunday, October 28

Time	Event	Location
10:00-11:30 a.m.	Morning Activities Bike Ride Bring your bike for a nice, 90-minute ride. If you don't have a bike, e-mail knoxenvs@gmail.com and we'll try to find one for you to borrow. Organized by Knox's Biking Club and Cyclists of Galesburg (COG).	Meet in Kresge Recital Hall, CFA
	Sustainability Walking Tour There is a lot going on within walking distance ... we are actually becoming more and more sustainable. Find out how and let's consider ways to enhance what we're already doing. Led by Peter Schwartzman, associate professor and chair of environmental studies at Knox.	Meet in Kresge Recital Hall, CFA
11:30 a.m.	Local Brunch Prepared by Cornucopia and Uncle Billy's Bakery	Lobby, CFA
12:30-2:00 p.m.	*Plenary Speakers Michael Brune (bio) emPOWERed: Activist Successes Against Big Coal Sandra Steingraber, Ph.D. (bio) The Whole Fracking Enchilada	Round Room, CFA
2:00-2:15 p.m.	Break
2:15-3:15 p.m.	Local Interactive Workshops Asha for Life Community Tom Colclasure The Asha for Life Community provides relief to victims of human trafficking and modern slavery, educates others about the consequences, and provides holistic health care, education, housing, and employment training and opportunities. Find out what they've been doing and ways to get involved.	CFA
	From Changing Your Flat Tire to Changing Your Community Biking Club of Knox College & COG The title says it all. If you're interested in biking, you won't want to miss this!	CFA
	Sustainable Business Center: Promoting Entrepreneurs and Sustainability in Galesburg The Sustainable Business Center (SBC) was created to capture the following synergies in one place: renewable energies, energy efficiencies, conservation, and local food. Since opening in 2010, the SBC has worked with entrepreneurs to start and expand their sustainable business ideas. This breakout session will focus on what the SBC has to offer entrepreneurs in West Central Illinois and the amazing center of sustainability Galesburg is becoming. A representative from Sitka Salmon Shares, a tenant of the Sustainable Business Center, will also share their experiences starting a sustainable business in Galesburg.	CFA
3:15-3:30 p.m.	Break
3:30-4:30 p.m.	Local Interactive Workshops Bats and Building Bat Houses Knox Advocates for Recycling and Environmental Support (KARES) Illinois is home to several different bat species, and although no one likes them in their homes, these creatures do an excellent job of controlling insect populations. Unfortunately, much of their habitat has been destroyed and some Illinois species have become endangered. Learn about the benefits of bringing bats back into the neighborhood and how we can restore some of their habitat in our own backyards.	CFA
	Sustainability is Sexy Students' Health Advocacy Group (SHAG) Learn about the environmental impact of contraceptives and other products people bring into their sex lives. Explore environmentally friendly alternatives and take home free samples.	CFA
	The Past, Present, and Future of Organic Agriculture Dr. Joel Gruver, Soil Science and Sustainable Agriculture at Western Illinois University Join Joel in a dynamic exploration of the historical roots of organic agriculture, the current status of organic agriculture today, and potential future developments.	CFA
4:30-4:45 p.m.	Break
4:45-6:00 p.m.	*Plenary Speakers and Closing Greg Sarris, Ph.D. (bio) The Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria: Making Home Once Again Paul Hawken (bio) Regeneration	Round Room, CFA

*Note: The plenary speakers will present at the National Bioneers Conference in California the week prior to the Prairie Fire Bioneers Conference. Their presentations will be rebroadcast for our audience on a large theatre screen.

The Prairie Fire Bioneers Conference is sponsored by the Knox College Department of Environmental Studies and the Eleanor Stellyes Center for Global Studies.