Public invited to "Innovation & Opportunity in the Face of Climate Change & Explosive Wildfire" conference

The Sierra Nevada Alliance’s 2022 conference “Innovation & Opportunity in the Face of Climate Change & Explosive Wildfire” will take place September 15 - 16 at Grizzly Creek Ranch in Portola, Calif. The keynote speaker will be the honorable Ron W. Goode, chairman of the North Fork Mono Tribe. He will open the conference with a blessing, share his view of an alliance, and provide his conservation perspective on the Sierra Nevada.

Goode will also host a session sharing traditional ecological knowledge of the natural world as it has been discovered, practiced, and shared by indigenous people over hundreds of thousands of years.

Goode shares the stage with the artist, author, and conservationist Obi Kaufmann. He is the author of the genre-breaking, San Francisco Chronicle #1 best-selling book, The California Field Atlas (2017), The State of Water: Understanding California’s Most Precious Natural Resource (2019), and The Forests of California (2020), all published by Heyday.

Kaufmann will speak about creating unity as a strategy for conservation and protecting the Sierra Nevada.

“The Sierra Nevada Alliance has been offering coordinated conservation work since 1993. This conference provides a much-needed space for nonprofits, state agencies, tribal leaders, and community members to come together and deepen environmental conversations for the Sierra and move the needle on important initiatives,” said Sierra Nevada Alliance Executive Director Jenny Hatch. “We created this conference as a service to the Sierra Nevada conservation community. Our event will provide knowledge, networking opportunities, and time to share important work with peers and community and
state leaders.”

Other presenters and panelists include naturalists, artists, outdoor enthusiasts, conservationists, agencies, nonprofits, tribal leaders, policy directors, communications professionals, environmental justice leaders, scientists and friends of the Sierra. Conference tracks focus on forest health, conservation, engaging communities, green economy, and climate
resiliency.

The two-day event kicks off at Sierra Nevada Journey’s Grizzly Creek Ranch on Thursday, September 15 at 8:30 a.m. and will conclude on Friday, September 16 at 1:30 p.m.

To purchase tickets and to view more information including a full event schedule, visit sierranevadaalliance.org/conference. The public is welcome to attend, and walk-in registration will be available.