Environmental and Social Activism at Detroit Bioneers at Marygrove College October 25th-27th

So just what is a "Bioneer?"

Definition of a Bioneer
Bioneer (root: "biological pioneer") is a neologism coined by founder Kenny Ausubel. It describes individuals and groups working in diverse disciplines who have crafted creative solutions to various environmental and socio-cultural problems rooted in shared core values, including whole systems thinking, a view of all life as interdependent, and sustainable mutual aid.

Bioneers, under its parent foundation, Collective Heritage Institute, is a New Mexico-based nonprofit organization promoting practical and innovative solutions to global environmental and bio-cultural challenges. The organization operates within a philosophy that recognizes and cultivates the value and wisdom of the natural world. Official Programs include Moonrise Women's Leadership, Restorative Food Systems, Indigeneity (Indigenous Forums,) Education for Action, and the award-winning Dreaming New Mexico community resilience program. Bioneers is also widely recognized for producing innovative media covering subjects such as environmentalism, rights of nature, social justice, sustainability and permaculture. Bioneers Radio is broadcast on local radio stations across the U.S., as well as having segments featured on national NPR stations. The organization also produces the annual National Bioneers Conference each October in San Rafael, California. The history of National Bioneers Conference presenters includes Michael Pollan, Dr. Andrew Weil, Gloria Steinem, Jane Goodall, Philippe Cousteau, Eve Ensler, Bill McKibben, Paul Hawken, and more. Plenary (Keynote) sessions from the national conference are also webcast to Beaming Bioneers satellite conferences held simultaneously in various locations throughout the United States and Canada. Bioneers Collective Heritage Institute was founded in 1990.

     Now that you know what a "Bioneer" is, I can tell you about the Bioneers conference that I have attended annually at Marygrove College in Detroit since 2009.

     The Bioneers organization holds an annual conference each fall in San Rafael, California. In addition to this main conference there are 13 "beaming sites," around the country where local conferences are held. Bioneers has a unique conference format in that it transmits video of world class speakers from its main conference in California to all of the beaming sites, allowing all Bioneers to benefit from hearing what they have to say. In addition, Bioneers also offers flexibility for each conference location to tailor the conference to its regional interests and also allows conference participants to interact with other activists in their region to network and share ideas.

     Bioneers brings together an impressive collection of speakers from a wide variety of disciplines and backgrounds who are all working toward bringing about environmental and social progress in our world.

Detroit Bioneers Conference Day #1

     On Friday September 25th, the day at Marygrove College began with a choice of 6 different tours of places in the City of Detroit where inspiring, innovative change is taking place. This year's tours included Brightmoor Farmway, The Digital Fab Lab, Eastside Community Gardens, Warm Training Center, the history of the Labor movement in Detroit, and an environmental justice tour of the most polluted community in Michigan, Zip Code 48217.

     Following the tours, conference participants came back to Marygrove College for lunch. The food at Detroit Bioneers is always excellent and is focused on being local, healthy, and delicious. After lunch, conference participants gathered in the auditorium for broadcast speakers from San Rafael. The first speaker of the afternoon was Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins who spoke on how motherhood has taught her much about leadership. Next was Grace Boggs, a 98 year Detroit philosopher and activist who offered her perspective on the issues facing Detroit today. Following Grace Boggs was Dekila Chungyalpa, director of the World Wildlife Fund's Sacred Earth Program that engages faith leaders and institutions around the world to address environmental decline and restore communities. Closing out the evening was Kenny Ausubel, the well known co-founder of Bioneers, who was present at the conference in Detroit to offer his perspective on what is going on in the world and how inspired he is to see how Detroit does Bioneers.

     If you are a teacher, a parent or a student, please take note that the first day of Bioneers Detroit invites school age children to join in the conference. Chaperoned students are welcome to come along on the tours and there are student oriented learnshops available after lunch as well. This would make an excellent field trip for any class. Detroit Bioneers acknowledges that youth is the future of our world and that we are working to create a better world for them. Therefore, youth are honored and included in the first day of the Detroit Bioneers conference

Detroit Bioneers Conference Day#2

     Saturday morning began with hot coffee and delicious baked goods from Avalon Bakery in Detroit. After breakfast, conference participants went over the the auditorium for a broadcast speech from Tom Goldtooth, executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network. Goldtooth spoke on the pitfalls of the privatization of nature and the folly of the com-modification of mother earth. Goldtooth warned that a green economy, and market based solutions to mitigate climate change are not the way to save the planet. Furthermore, Goldtooth stated that we cannot save the earth and ourselves until we see ourselves as a part of the whole and acknowledge that we are nature and that nature is us--there is no separation.

     Following Goldtooth's speech, conference participants could choose from seven different learnshops ranging from an introduction to permaculture design to a presentation on the green burial movement. After a break for lunch, conference participants gathered back in the auditorium for a speech from Nalini Nadkarni who spoke on what we can learn from understanding trees. Nadkarni spoke of the patterns in nature that we find within ourselves. The branching pattern of a tree is ubiquitous throughout nature, you find the same branching pattern on treetops, on leaves, in human veins and even in the branching pattern of the alveoli in our lungs. Clearly, this is proof that there is wisdom to be attained from observing natural systems.

     Following Nadkarni's speech, conference participants were able to pick from one of seven more unique learnshops ranging from natural building and rocket stoves to seeking to live a more sustainable lifestyle as a community. The day finished out with Darren Doherty, a world reknown permaculturist presenting on regrarianism and the imperative of regenerative food systems that repair and nourish the soil as a basis for planetary survival.

     Closing out Saturday's conference was Kenny Ausubel, cofounder of Bioneers. Ausubel bid Detroit Bioneers Farewell as he prepared to fly to Vancouver to make his next appearance at another, "beaming Bioneers," Conference. It was quite an honor to have Kenny with us this year and afforded theoppurtunity to share with Kenny the great things going on in Detroit and the unique challenges that our region faces.

Detroit Bioneers Conference Day #3

     Sunday morning began with a speech from Janine Benyus, author of Biomimicry. Benyus spoke on the innovations and discoveries that have been found through the perspective of Biomimicry, in which observations of and interactions with natural systems have inspired scientific and engineering breakthroughs. Much has been accomplished in the fields of green chemistry and design based on ideas that we have gotten through observing nature. Basically, the essential thought process behind Biomimicry is that any problem that you are trying to solve has probably been encountered by some species of life on this planet at some point in history and nature has probably evolved a solution to this same problem, so why not take nature on as a consultant by observing and interacting with the natural world for inspiration? Benyus's presentation was very uplifting, a great way to start off the last day of Bioneers.

     Following Janine Benyus, conference participants could choose from among seven learnshops ranging from helping your friends go green to an update on geologic fracturing for natural gas in Michigan. After the learnshops, Bioneers offered another amazing meal for lunch, featuring vegan chili made with seitan (a meat substitute made from wheat gluten) salads made with locally grown greens, rutabaga and squash casserole and sweet potato cobbler for dessert. From my experience, I would recommend going to Detroit Bioneers just for the food, its truly an amazing culinary adventure!

     After lunch, conference goers were treated to another keynote speech from California, this time David McConville of the Buckminster Fuller Institute presenting on Cosmomimicry. McConville's topic was an excellent followup to Janine Benyus earlier in the day as his presentation focused on the really big picture of patterns in celestial organization. When you take Benyus's presentation on the patterns of nature in details that we can see at the macroscopic and microscpic levels, and combine it with McConville's presentation on patterning at the cosmic scale of galaxies and the universe, you truly get an excellent idea of just how miraculous the natural world is and how much we have yet to learn of the inherent wisdom embedded in the patterns of organization in our universe.

     After McConville's inspiring presentation, conference goers were able to choose their final learnshop for the weekend ranging from a learnshop on working for racial justice to a learnshop on harvesting rain water. After the learnshops, conference participants got a break to check out the wide variety of book sellers, green businesses, and organizations on display in the bioneers exhibition hall. The conference picked back up again late in the afternoon with a broadcast speech from Danny Glover presenting on the tenacity and perseverance of social movements and how our times challenge us to stand up for our rights and take our responsibility as citizens of our world as never before.

     As is customary, the conference was concluded with a closing ceremony including the fine arts, a performance from Living Arts' Youth Dance Ensemble, based in Southwest Detroit. The dance performance featured elements of modern, ethnic, and tap dance that left the audience uplifted and exuberant, an excellent close to another Detroit Bioneers.

     My personal experience at Detroit Bioneers has been powerful force in helping me learn about environmental and social activism and has helped to motivate me to become even more involved in the community. I have met many inspiring people, learned about current issues facing people around the world and in our region, and heard inspiring triumphs of activists making a difference and helping to change the world despite the odds. Detroit Bioneers is an excellent conference for anyone with vision that believes that the world can be a better place. I assure you if you attend this conference in the future, you will not be disappointed and you will leave inspired, empowered and prepared to go back to your community, get involved and make a difference.

     Going further, if this blog has gotten you interested in Bioneers and you would like to experience it for yourself, next year's Detroit Bioneers Conference will be held at Marygrove College in Detroit from Friday, October 24th to Sunday, October 26th, 2014, and you can sign up for email updates regarding registration for next year's conference as well as Detroit Bioneers events taking place throughout the year in the Detroit area at http://glbd.org/ . You can register for just one day or all three days depending on how much time you can spare, but regardleee of how much of the conference you can attend, you will no doubt find it inspirational.

     Special thanks go to IHM Sr. Gloria Rivera for her tireless efforts to organize and sustain Bioneers in Detroit and for her dedication and commitment to the annual conference and to her inclusion of youth in the conference program.

     Free conference followup events open to the public are planned for Monday November 11th, Tuesday December 3rd, Wednesday January 8th, Thursday February 6th, and Monday March 10th.
Email: river1143@comcast.net for further details regarding ongoing Detroit Bioneers events.

Check out the Detroit Bioneers website for a full listing of all the speakers and learnshops that were offered at this year's conference:
http://glbd.org/

Check out the National Bioneers website for videos of past Bioneers presenters and info about this year's conference:
http://www.bioneers.org/

Go to the Transition St. Clair Shores Website if you want to get involved in making a difference in our community and sign up for our email list:
http://transitionscs.weebly.com/

Feel free to contact me with any questions, requests for further information comments or discussion.

Stephen Kiluk
586-871-2587
stevekiluk@gmail.com