What began last year in an effort to create a more personal, collaborative and interconnected workshop experience, our presenters will explore a wide array of issues—including the environment, social justice, green business, spirituality, peak oil, education and holistic healing. As last year, selected workshops pair up nationally and internationally recognized presenters with local leaders to create interactive experiences. Plus, each workshop will offer attendees rare insight into the practical, innovative solutions that are being developed to help solve these challenges—both in the world at large and here, in our local communities.

Due to the influx of Bioneers by the Bay: Connecting for Change workshop proposals we have created a form for 2009 workshops. Please download the form below, fill it out and email it to info@connectingforchange.org. Please keep in mind that Bioneers by the Bay is focused on visionary and practical solutions for restoring the earth and its inhabitants. We look forward to your submissions.

2009 Workshop Proposal Form

All dates and times are subject to change.


Friday
1:30 – 3:00 PM

Biological Cancer Treatment – The Principles and the Tools Dr. Rau’s Prostate and Breast Cancer Treatment: Stopping and reversing cancer and avoiding metastases by following the body’s metabolic needs
Dr. Thomas Rau
Zeiterion Theatre
Cancer is a result of a long term metabolic load, based on changes of the inner milieu and lacks of trace elements and wrong nutrition. Reversing cancer and avoiding metastases is only possible by removing cancer’s causes. Dr. Rau’s Paracelsus Biological Medicine provides therapeutical and nutritional programs to treat cancer solely or together with orthodox methods. And Dr. Rau explains why cancer must never be treated only with orthodox methods. Many tips will be provided.

How to Green Your School
Lehman Alternative Community School, UMass Dartmouth, Real Foods Challenge, and Academy of Urban Planning
Whaling Museum
Schools are like small cities when you think about how much energy, water, food, and other resources they consume and the waste they produce. For those of us in school, doing initiatives on campus is sometimes the easiest way to make significant positive change. With this workshop, we will explore different ideas for how to “Green” your school, from starting recycling programs, to buying energy from renewable sources, to starting a school farm, garden or buying local healthy food for school lunches, to purchasing and hiring practices, to introducing sustainability curriculum and beyond. Students and teachers will share information and anecdotes about the process through which their public and private high schools and colleges have moved towards sustainability.

Carbon-Free Remodeling Projects
Rebekah and Stephen Hren
UMASS Dartmouth Star Store
Rebekah and Stephen Hren, authors of The Carbon-Free Home 36 Remodeling Projects to Help Kick the Fossil- Fuel Habit will share the history of their remodeling that eliminated fossil fuel use in their home, as well as simple yet effective projects that both home owners and renters can accomplish. This workshop will help to give the attendees practical solutions to create a carbon free home.

Renewal: Muslim, Jewish Paths and Other Faiths to Environmental Activism
Martin Ostrow, Leora Mallach and Rabia Terri Harris
UMASS Dartmouth 800 Purchase St
Addressing environmental challenges is creating extraordinary opportunities for multi-faith action. Renewal is the first feature-length documentary to capture the breadth and vitality of America’s growing religious-environmental movement. Along with Jewish and Muslim environmental activists, the producers of Renewal explore the exciting potential to heal our planet and promote interfaith understanding.

Wampanoag Nation Traditions to Lead to a More Sustainable Life
Kitty Hendricks-Miller
National Park CMLC
This workshop will be led by Kitty Hendricks-Miller of the Wampanoag Nation Singers and Dancers from Mashpee, Mass. Kitty will share Native American knowledge, tradition and craft making with the attendees. She will share insight on how to live a sustainable life by taking only what one needs and living off of the land.

By Land and By Sea
Mark Smith, Dr. William Langbauer, and Joyce Powzyk
Ocean Explorium
Presenters will discuss environmental degradation and large mammal extinction (whale, mammoth, primate) — both on land and sea. Each presenter will bring a deep understanding of their topic; Mark Smith - marine biology, Dr. William Langbauer - large land mammal extinction, and Joyce Powzyk - the endangered Lemur in Madagascar. The presentation will include an introduction to shark biology and discuss the challenges facing shark populations around the world, the necessary outbreeding of the Lemurs for survival and our affects as humans on the survival of large mammals.

Eradicating Racism: Cause No One’s Free Till We’re All Free
JLove Calderon
YMCA
An interactive workshop and dialogue designed to give people a chance to voice their opinions about the issues of institutionalized racism and white privilege today, and how it impacts our collective ability to create a more just and sustainable world for all. The model of ‘dialogue to action’ will be employed, culminating in individual and collective action plans toward eradicating racism.

A Telling Collective: Speaking Individual Truths, Drawing Collective Power
Nicole le Roux
BCC
An interactive workshop and dialogue designed to give people a chance to voice their opinions about the issues of institutionalized racism and white privilege today, and how it impacts our collective ability to create a more just and sustainable world for all. The model of ‘dialogue to action’ will be employed, culminating in individual and collective action plans toward eradicating racism.


3:30-5:00 PM

Leading From the ‘Feminine’
Facilitator: Nina Simons, Local Panel: Deirdre Healy Jennifer Marshall, Marcelina Pina Christian, Corinn Williams
Zeiterion Theatre
This workshop examines the unique gifts that women bring to sustainability and suggests ways that we can empower our mothers, sisters, friends, and daughters to take leadership roles in local and national efforts.

Word Weapons: the Rhythm & Rhyme of Environmental Action
Michael Cermak and 3rd EyE Unlimited
Whaling Museum
Word weapons is an interactive workshop that focuses on the environmental language used by current environmental leaders, hip hop, R&B, and spoken word artists. The goal is to sharpen the tools needed to make an impact when discussing environmental and social problems. After hearing the history of environmental justice and hip hop, participants will make their own statements.

Let the Sun Shine In: Keep Out the Poison of Uranium Power
Linda Gunter and Marilyn Strong
UMASS Dartmouth Star Store
To address our climate crisis, Nuclear energy advocates argue that it must be included as part of our 21st century energy mix. Linda of Clean Power Now will discuss why nuclear energy is the worst possible energy choice today. Marilyn of Solar Design Associates, Inc. will present a visual overview of renewable, life-affirming technology in use today in residential, commercial, academic, and institutional applications.

Green Chemistry: Chemical Solutions to Global Problems
Amy Cannon
UMASS Dartmouth 800 Purchase St.
Why do we have hazardous chemicals and pollution in our society? Green Chemistry is a new field that is addressing this question by training scientists to design products and processes in a more environmentally benign manner. These scientists can have the greatest impact on preventing pollution by avoiding it before it even begins. Come and learn about Green Chemistry and perform some hands-on experiments that demonstrate Green Chemistry in practice.

Earth Sheltered House and Living Roofs
Rob Roy
National Park CMLC
Do-it-yourself underground housing is discussed and illustrated, with the accent on low-cost techniques such as plank-and-beam roofing and surface-bonded concrete block wall construction. The detailed construction of light and medium weight living roofs is covered, including seven good reasons why all our roofs should be living.

Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), the Current State of Beekeeping and Organic Solutions
Ross Conrad
Ocean Explorium
The honeybee faces many affronts to its immune system in these days of tracheal mites and pesticide overload. The so-called “Colony Collapse Disorder” now facing industrial beekeepers makes it all the more imperative that local farmers and gardeners learn healthy ways to assist the honeybee. From natural pest and disease management, to feeding and breeding techniques that will increase hive health and reduce the chance for CCD to strike, this workshop covers the nuts and bolts of the long-term solutions we need for healthy hives.

Fresh Food From Small Spaces: Building Sustainability from the Ground Up
R.J. Ruppenthal
YMCA
Frustrated by high gas prices and the increasing cost of food? Sustainability means producing more of our own food. Yet, city gardeners cannot grow enough fresh food to make a difference…or can they? Come learn how to grow fresh vegetables, mushrooms, fermented foods, and more in ANY sized space. R.J. Rupenthal is author of Fresh Food From Small Places.

How to Make Bio-Diesel and Other Renewable Energy
Upper Cape Cod Tech
BCC
The Environmental Technology Program at Upper Cape Cod Technical High School has students working with and learning about hands-on renewable energy installations on campus. The students learn about the sciences and installation of solar thermal and photovoltaics panels, wind turbines and also about the production of biodiesel from waste vegetable oil. This workshop will lead participants through the process of creating biodiesel. We will also discuss the possible positive and negative implications for using biodiesel as an alternative fuel.


Saturday
1:30 – 3:00 PM

The Year-Round Harvest
Eliot Coleman & Barbara Damrosch
Zeiterion Theatre
This workshop will give numerous practical tips for extending the farming season using practices used by Eliot on his produce farm in Maine with little or no supplemental heat. In addition Barbara will talk about ways to make growing, cooking, and eating fresh produce irresistible.

Green Careers and Creating Eco-Equity in the Green Economy
Panelists: Annette Williams - Sustainable South Bronx’ B.E.S.T. Training Program, Chad McGuire, JD, Toxic Soil Busters, Phil Reavis - EarthTees, Derek Christianson - Brix Bounty Farm
Whaling Museum
Need a job? Come learn where YOU could fit in to the emerging green economy. Sustainability is not just about preserving land, reducing pollution or buying a Prius — it’s also about the work you do. If our economy supports pollution-based companies, our workforce is
creating toxic products and not making enough money to support their family, then we will not be able to create a sustainable world. Come learn how to make your work and your job part of the solution. We will hear from people in a wide range of careers about the way their job contributes to a healthy planet and healthy communities, how they got to where they are, and what steps you need to take to do what they do. We will also talk about the “greening” of the economy and the role workforce and economics play in the movement towards sustainability and eco-equity.

The Population Factor in Climate Change
Bill Ryerson, Jim Motavalli, and Kathleen Mogelgaard
UMASS Dartmouth Star Store
A global population increasing by a new Egypt every year means greater demand for everything and a challenge for sustainability. The panelists will discuss the implications of population growth. They will also discuss some unique solutions to the population problem that lie within our grasp. Energy-efficiency gains are being swamped by sheer population numbers, which increase overall fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas production.

Climate Change – Truths and Myths Behind the Politics
Panelists: Rob Crauderueff - Policy Director, Sustainable South Bronx, Gabriel Barreras - Lead Student Organizer, Oxfam America, Lilah Glick - Global Warming Coordinator, Clean Water Action, Moderator: Ibrahim Abdul-Matin - 2008 National Urban Fellow
UMASS Dartmouth 800 Purchase
There are many confusing policies being debated right now and it can be difficult to distinguish between political banter and sound policy. This panel will address questions like: What is the difference between cap and trade and cap and auction? Will drilling in Alaska keep my fuel costs down? Are biofuels a good alternative? How can we sustainably manage our water systems? We will discuss climate change and renewable energy policies at the state, regional, national and international levels. Panelists will offer their experiences and insights in an effort to shed light on the myths and misconceptions of climate change policy from recently passed MA legislation such as the Green Communities Act to understanding Cap-n-Trade systems, to Green Jobs legislation, to Stormwater Management policies, to Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiatives, to the International Climate Justice movement and the impacts that climate change is having on people, especially poor people, all over the world. We will also discuss ways you can get involved.

Shapeshifting Consciousness: Indigenous Shaman Meets Economic Hit Man
John Perkins and Llyn Roberts
National Park CMLC
We enter a time prophesied by many cultures for shapeshifting into higher consciousness. This experiential workshop combines the teachings of Amazon, Andean, Mayan, Tibetan, and Siberian shamans with the reality of the world created by economic hit men, empowering participants to vibrate at higher frequencies, rise to new levels of consciousness, and create a sustainable, just, and peaceful world.

Of Oil Spills and Democracy: Applied Lessons For Creating a Sustainable Future
Riki Ott and Mark Rasmussen
Ocean Explorium
Change starts locally. Disaster is often an opportunity for change. Activists Mark Rasmussen of The Coalition for Buzzards Bay and Exxon Valdez survivor Riki Ott (author of “Not one Drop”), share lessons from oil spills on finding common ground, making pro-active choices, and solving the democracy crisis. Half the session is interactive exercise for finding common ground.

Aikido the Way of Harmony
Sensei Donald Cardoza
UMass Dartmouth Star Store Mezzanine
This movement and participatory workshop will be lead by Sensei Donald Cardoza, 5th Dan he has been training in Aikido for over 25 years. Akido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as “the Way of unifying (with) life energy”[1] or as “the Way of harmonious spirit.” Ueshiba’s goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury.

Seeds of Change: Live Foods Demo and Tasting
Dorit
BCC
This two-part workshop offers exercises and strategies to adapt to a changing environment and where you will learn to make scrumptious mouth watering meals easily and quickly which will leave the least amount of carbon footprint, while energizing and nourishing you on a very deep level. With so much that is changing on a global and personal level, the ability to adapt to change depends on many factors. In this talk, the idea of true change that can be sustained is examined and explored on all levels of our being. The raw, vegan community finds itself in a very unique and new position to lead the emerging sustainable “Green” movement away from glossed-over, catch phrases and create a truly viable shift in consciousness akin to Jean Jacques Rousseau’s “Back to Nature” in the most sophisticated yet simple and meaningful oriented path possible.


3:30-5:00PM

Mortgage Free & Affordable Housing: The Key to Individual and Community Preservation
John Abrams and Rob Roy
Zeiterion Theatre
All desirable places have serious affordable housing problems. On Martha’s Vineyard, South Mountain Company (SMC) has been a leader in a community-wide effort to create solutions. SMC founder, John Abrams, talks about his company’s role, their efforts to prioritize quality and high performance, and how other communities may replicate their successes. Mortgage derives from the old French, meaning, literally, death pledge. Learn what a mortgage really costs, and strategies that will enable you to bypass the death pledge altogether. Assembling the grubstake, procuring inexpensive land, the temporary shelter, and designing the low-cost home are just some of the strategies Roy covers.

What’s on your Plate?
The Boston Food Project and Kathleen Banfield
Whaling Musuem
In this workshop participants will learn about the food system and the impact of our food choices. The workshop hosts will lead participants in activities that individuals can take back to their home, family, school or organization.

Energy Handbook – Community Supported Renewable Energy
Greg Pahl
UMASS Dartmouth Star Store
This presentation will provide an overview of an exciting and rapidly growing new movement, Community Supported Energy. Topics covered will include examples of successful initiatives, the many advantages of community -based energy, as well as some of the obstacles that stand in the way of achieving greater community control of energy resources. Greg Pahl is author of The Citizen Powered Energy Handbook.

Peak Oil and the End of the Oil Age: Its Challenges and Opportunities
Nancy Lee Wood, Alastair Lough, and Patricia Proulx-Lough
UMASS Dartmouth 800 Purchase St.
This workshop introduces the concept of peak oil and its implications for the future of industrial societies. The “end of oil” promises to impact virtually every aspect of life, forcing us to make deep-rooted, fundamental changes in the American way of life — from food to Fords. There is hope! The latter part of this presentation will inspire, encourage, enable to network, support, and to train communities as they consider, adapt and implement the transition model to establish a Transition Initiative in their locale. The transition model emboldens communities to look peak oil and climate change squarely in the eye and unleash the collective genius of their own people to answer to this big question: For all those aspects of life that this community needs in order to sustain itself and thrive, how are we going to: A) significantly rebuild resilience (in response to peak oil); and B) drastically reduce carbon emissions (in response to climate change); while creating a positive, and fulfilling life?

Coffee Talk with Nina and Kenny
Nina Simons and Kenny Ausubel
National Park CMLC
Please join the founders of Bioneers: Revolution from the Heart of Nature, Nina Simons and Kenny Ausubel, in an interactive question and answer session. Among other things Kenny is an award-winning social entrepreneur, author, journalist, filmmaker and Nina’s work to advance social change is guided by her efforts to restore gender balance and diversity, and by her reverence for whole systems and the mystery of the natural world is unparalleled. Clearly there are endless topics to be discussed by engaging these two visionaries of our time. So, please join this casual setting and bring your voice and questions.

Teacher Academy
Michael Cermak, Abbey Spargo
Ocean Explorium
Environmental Justice Action Media (EJAM) and the Ocean Explorium will provide a teacher workshop that melds traditional teaching practices and cutting edge methods for engaging and motivating urban youth. Teachers will be given access to lesson plans and resources that they can use in their classrooms and will be shown how to incorporate the NOAA Science on a Sphere© technology to allow their students to learn and think globally. Teachers will also be taught new and dynamic ways of engaging their students prior to teaching environmental concepts though the use of Hip Hop and other media. Finally, teachers will be shown how to help their students design participatory action research projects. These projects will give the students practice with standards based skills in a way that allows them to take ownership of important environmental issues and enable them to act locally!

Journey to a Triple Bottom Line Business
Eric Henry
YMCA
Eric Henry of T.S. Designs will discuss how the company has transitioned from a mainstream apparel business to one that is successfully growing based upon a triple bottom line approach of people, profit, and planet. Seeds of Change: Live Foods Demo and Tasting

Dorit
BCC
This two-part workshop offers exercises and strategies to adapt to a changing environment and where you will learn to make scrumptious, mouth watering meals easily and quickly which will leave the least amount of carbon footprint, and while energizing and nourishing you on a very deep level. With so much that is changing on a global and personal level, the ability to adapt to change depends on many factors. In this talk, the idea of true change that can be sustained is examined and explored on all levels of our being. The raw, vegan community finds itself in a very unique and new position to lead the emerging sustainable “Green” movement away from glossed over, catch phrases and create a truly viable shift in consciousness akin to Jean Jacques Rousseau’s “Back to Nature” in the most sophisticated yet simple and meaningful oriented path possible.



Sunday
1:30 – 4:30 PM

“Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream” Symposium
Lynne Twist and the Pachamama Alliance
Zeiterion Theatre
Through dynamic group interactions, leading edge information, and inspiring multimedia, participants are inspired and empowered to reconnect with their deep commitment to our evolving universe. Focus is on making a difference through enlightened action. Purpose: to bring forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just human presence on Planet Earth.

Sunday
1:30 – 3:00 PM

Choral Earth Circle
Rachel Bagby
Whaling Museum
Come harness the clarifying power of singing together and “leading like a choir” to sustain sonorous change and connection in your communities. With breath, tone, intention, rhythm and repetition, Rachel Bagby invites all attending Bioneers by the Bay to lend their voices to the celebration with joyful ease. She is renowned worldwide for decades of teaching delighted participants from age eight to 80 discover how to: “Find your voice and the powerful connections it makes between learning, community and action.”

How the Rich Are Destroying The Earth
Herve Kempf
UMASS Dartmouth Star Store
Bringing to bear more than twenty years of experience as an environmental journalist, Herve Kempf will describe the invincibility that many of the world’s wealthy feel in the face of global warming, and how their unchecked privilege is thwarting action on the single most vexing problem facing our world. Herve kempf is author of How the Rich Are Destroying the Earth.

Low Carbon Diet and the Cool Community: An Empowerment Approach to Transformational Social Change
Nathaniel Charny
UMASS Dartmouth 800 Purchase St.
Social change expert David Gershon’s Low Carbon Diet, grounded in two decades of environmental behavior change research, is a highly effective guide for reducing your carbon footprint and helping others in your community and workplace to do the same. Join Nathaniel Charny as he presents the social change theory that underpins Low Carbon Diet and leads a discussion on how to implement it.

GREASE 101: Using Waste Vegetable Oil for Fuel
Patrick Keaney
National Park CMLC
Green Grease Monkey, a Boston-based collective, has been using waste vegetable oil (WVO) for fuel since 2004. This workshop will introduce participants to the basic steps involved in making biodiesel, converting and running diesel engines on “grease,” as well as touch on other topics such as home heating and electricity generation. We will also talk about sustainability and the global biofuels boom.

Weatherization 101
Greater New Bedford WIB, New Bedford Youth Build, Cape and Islands Self Reliance, Local Utility Companies, Local Bank Representatives
Ocean Explorium
Fuel costs are at record highs, our financial systems are in crisis and the cold months are coming. Many families are facing a daunting winter and wondering how they will make ends meet. However, there are many resources available to help homeowners and renters sustain themselves. But it can be overwhelming to navigate all the resources, rebates and programs. Come learn what you can do to lower your family’s energy bills, learn about what resources are offered and get ideas for how you can help your community through this winter. Energy Efficiency is, by far, the biggest bang for your buck! Learn about proven ways to reduce energy costs and improve the energy performance of your building that will help to keep you warmer with less energy. The City of New Bedford, in collaboration with many local organizations and educational institutions, is working hard to find solutions for the community. Panelists will also talk about the city-wide efforts and models that can be replicated in other cities, from Warming Centers, to weatherization training programs and beyond.

LESSONS LEARNED
Miquela Craytor
YMCA
A discussion of best practices and lessons learned with Sustainable South Bronx Executive Director, Miquela Craytor. Come hear answers to questions like: How do you form unlikely allies? What kind of work goes into a successful project? How can projects in one city be utilized as a model for other cities? From disappointing mega projects like Yankee Stadium and the Gateway Center Mall, to storm water legislation requiring cost benefit analysis to ensure green collar-job creation, the South Bronx has had its fair share of disappointing loses and new wins. But sometimes we learn the most from our mistakes and the things that don’t work – come learn from the successes and challenges of Sustainable South Bronx, hear from other projects and programs in the area that have or have not worked, and share your own story of the work you are doing. This is a workshop to help build our network of change agents and strengthen this community of practice in order to avoid reinventing the wheel and learning the same hard lessons over and over.