Annual Prairie Fire Bioneers Conference to be held February 8-10

By Shruti Mungi '19

Knox College is hosting the eighth annual Prairie Fire Bioneers Conference on February 8-10. The conference will bring the Knox, Galesburg, and surrounding communities together to listen and learn from experts in the field of environmental studies and sustainability.

The event includes video recordings of nationally recognized plenary speakers combined with in-person workshops and presentations by local experts who have practical and visionary solutions for the world's most pressing environmental and social challenges. View a full schedule of the conference.

The conference will take place in the Ford Center for Fine Arts on the Knox College campus. The event is free to all participants. Complimentary meals will be provided to those who pre-register to attend.

The keynote address on Saturday will be presented by Sarah Tallman, an attorney with the National Resource Defence Council Litigation team. Tallman’s work has focused on reducing water pollution and protecting waterways and aquatic life from its effects. In her keynote, titled “Fighting for Safe Water in Flint, Michigan: Perspectives on Community-Driven Lawyering,” Tallman will explore the use of litigation and citizen advocacy to help address the Flint water crisis.

Tallman will also lead a Sunday afternoon workshop “How Did You Get There?” with Bob Connour II from Blanchard River Watershed Partnership and Sara Dreiser from Davey Resource Group.

Workshops will be held by various local and national organizations including the Knox College Nature Club, Illinois Citizens for Clean Air & Water, Food Rescue Partnership, and Borrego Solar.

This year’s plenary speakers that will be broadcast during the event include Rebecca Moore, director of Google Earth; Kenny Ausubel, CEO and founder of Bioneers; and May Boeve, executive director of 350.org.

The Prairie Fire Bioneers Conference is sponsored by the Office of Sustainability and the Mary Filosa Brown Endowed Memorial Fund for Community Service. The event is affiliated with the National Bioneers Conference in California in connection with its parent association, Collective Heritage Institute.