Published: October 16, 2009 07:25 am      

Bioneers environmental conference kicks off

TRAVERSE CITY -- The word "Bioneers" isn't found in the dictionary.

But that doesn't mean they don't exist. It's a word created to describe an emerging culture among social and scientific innovators who mimic nature to solve environmental and social problems -- a combination of the words biology and pioneer. They will gather by the hundreds this weekend in Traverse City for the eighth annual Great Lakes Bioneers conference at the Northwestern Michigan College campus.

"I hope people take away how they are able to think creatively about the earth and realize their actions can make a difference for people and for the whole planet," said Tara Ward, project manager with Traverse City-based SEEDS, a nonprofit group that promotes socially and ecologically sustainable environments. "People are really beginning to have more affinity for environmental problem-solving Bioneers stand for."

The conference in Traverse City starts today and continues through Sunday, sponsored by SEEDS and the Neahtawanta Center in Traverse City.

The event will focus on a wide range of topics, including sessions on natural and non-toxic cleaning products, watershed restoration, passive solar energy measures, mushroom cultivation, energy efficiency, environmental health and medicine, water protection, urban agriculture, green burials, recycling, holistic lifestyles and more. There also will be music, art, green vendors, yoga, massage and various family activities.

Among the many speakers is Jayne Leatherman-Walker, a longtime farmer in Leelanau County. She will discuss local farming's future, including land acquisition challenges, food cultivation regulations and fair prices for both farmers and consumers.

"If we want people to grow food locally, we need to set aside farmland for them to do that. After we have land, we need farmers," she said. "We want to give young farmers hope, but we don't want to make it sound romantic. This is hard work."

Another speaker is Brian Beauchamp, a policy specialist at the Michigan Land Use Institute in Traverse City. He will discuss a local project called TC 350, part of an international effort to reduce carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere to at least 350 parts per million.

The atmosphere currently contains 387 ppm, he said.

"We've passed the threshold for life as we know it on Earth today, according to the world's leading climatologists," Beauchamp said. "Three hundred fifty is the red line."

It's an awareness campaign about the urgent need to address the ongoing climate change problem, he said.

The conference costs $88 per day, though a 50 percent discount is offered for students, seniors and those experiencing financial difficulties. Volunteers will pay $20 per day, Ward said.

Visit www.glbconference.org for more information.