Co-hosted by The University of Vermont and Vermont Law School, October 25-29, 2006.
Note: This agenda is not complete. Please check back often; details will be added as speakers confirm.
DRAFT: All Information Subject to Change

"Cow power." © Photo by Cheryl Dorschner / The University of Vermont.

Please note: SEJ's 2006 Annual Conference officially begins Wednesday evening, October 25, with a Welcome Reception and Awards Presentation at our conference headquarters hotel. But some will get an early start through special pre-conference opportunities offered this year in collaboration with academic partners. Check 'em out!

Sunday, October 22 — Wednesday, October 25: Doubletree Hotel Burlington
1117 Williston Road, Burlington. Phone 802-658-0250.

Environmental Journalism Boot Camp
Pre-registration required, $95 fee, U.S. minority fellowships available.
Times TBA
Prior to the SEJ conference, Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism is sponsoring an Environmental Journalism Boot Camp that is also in Burlington. Instructors and guest speakers will offer writing techniques for covering the environment, bring you the latest on climate change research and how to communicate it, discuss ethical issues, and provide strategies for interviewing scientists. Boot Camp highlights include computer-assisted reporting sessions taught by instructors from Investigative Reporters and Editors and an environmental law workshop by the Vermont Law School. The October 22 - 25 sessions target reporters new to the beat, but are also valuable to veteran journalists. And they dovetail with the 2006 SEJ conference, resulting in a week of intensive environmental journalism education.
Location: Doubletree Hotel of Burlington, rooms TBA

• Registration
  Please check in at registration upon arrival to obtain your conference materials and name badge. Your name badge will be needed for access to some events. If you didn't pre-register for breakfast sessions, Saturday party at Shelburne Farms or Sunday events at the University of Vermont's Billings Student Center, there may still be room — inquire at registration.
  Location: Upstairs Lobby
• SEJ Information Table
  Sign up here for lunch breakout sessions, Friday beat dinners and Saturday mini-tours. Also find information about membership and services, pick up copies of SEJournal, TipSheet, WatchDog and other publications. Browse through winning entries for SEJ Awards for Reporting on the Environment, which will be on display here.
  Location: Upstairs Lobby
• Exhibits/Ride-and-Drives
  Don't miss this marketplace of ideas and be sure to sign up to test-drive alternative-fuel vehicles from Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Saturn and others. Sign-ups are at various exhibit booths or in the downstairs lobby. You'll find a list of exhibitors here, as well as in your registration folder.
  Location: Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall, and in the hallways and promenades around Diamond and Emerald Ballrooms
• SEJ Reading Room
  Samples of members' articles, books and other materials will be available to browse through.
  Location: Diamond Ballroom Foyer
• Press Room
  The Sheraton Burlington Hotel and Conference Center is wireless. If you must use a land line to phone in a story, please go to the SEJ office, near the SEJ table in the upstairs lobby and ask for assistance. The Sheraton's business center, located off the upstairs lobby next to registration, has five computers available for attendees.

Continental Breakfast
7:00 - 8:45 a.m.
Sign up for a Ride & Drive demonstration and browse through exhibits while you sip on your morning coffee.
Location: Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall

Breakfast Sessions:

1. The Biggest Story, the Biggest Challenge: Capturing Climate Change
   Pre-registration and $15 fee required.
   7:00 a.m. — Buffet for Breakfast Session Attendees
   7:30 - 8:45 a.m. — Climate Change is the biggest story of our lives, and perhaps the most difficult to tell. Critical natural support systems are being disrupted wholesale, but the fundamental causes are often obscure. The science is complex and the challenges daunting, and explaining them can bring on denial, even hopelessness. The culprit is us and how we fuel our lives, but we don't really want to know it. How do you capture a story that demands to be told but eludes effective telling? A panel of some of the best in the business will discuss how they bring the overwhelming story of climate change down to earth.
   Moderator: Robert McClure, Staff Writer, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
   Speakers:
   Bill Blakemore, Senior Correspondent, ABC News
   Elizabeth Kolbert, Staff Writer, The New Yorker
   Rick Kupchella, Anchor/Reporter, KARE-TV, Minneapolis, MN
   Mark Woodward, Executive Editor, Bangor Daily News
   Location: Emerald Ballroom III



2. Covering Disasters...Without Becoming One
   Pre-registration and $15 fee required.
   7:00 - 8:00 a.m. — Buffet for Breakfast Session Attendees
   7:30 - 8:45 a.m. — Big disasters are big news for all media, but they often place environment reporters in the spotlight trying to explain the dangers, what happened and why. Whether it's hurricanes like Katrina, air quality problems from 9/11, mining disasters, forest fires, or tsunamis, your editors will likely turn to you to try to sort things out, or to be the reporter who gets sent in. How can journalists be better prepared when the unimaginable actually happens? Veteran reporters will share their experiences responding on the fly when natural or manmade disasters strike. They'll also discuss how to cover these stories before disaster hits your town.
   Moderator: Jeanne Meserve, Reporter, CNN
   Speakers:
   Mark Schleifstein, Environment Reporter, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune
   Ken Ward Jr., Reporter, The Charleston Gazette
   George Wuerthner, Freelance Writer/Photographer
   Location: Emerald Ballroom I

Network Lunch Discussion Topics:

1. Mass Extinction in Ocean Hotspots
   John Kunich, Appalachian School of Law
2. SEJournal
   Mike Mansur, The Kansas City Star, and SEJournal editor
3. SEJ Stanford 2007: Innovation & Solutions
   Chris Bowman, The Sacramento Bee
4. SEJ Stanford 2007: Innovation & Solutions
   Carolyn Whetzel, Bureau of National Affairs
5. National Wildlife Refuges Face Closures, Cutbacks
   Matt Crawford, The Burlington Free Press; Tony Leger, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
6. Coffee: How Green Are Your Beans?
   Michael Dupee, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters; Francesca Lyman, Freelance Environmental Writer and MSNBC Contributor; Mark Pendergrast, Author, "Uncommon Grounds"
7. Canadian Bans on Landscape Pesticides: Are U.S. Cities Next?
   Mary Woodsen, New York State Integrated Pest Management Program, Cornell University
8. What to Do with Half a Billion Pounds of Used Carpet
   Robert Peoples, Carpet and Rug Institute; Tristan Roberts, Environmental Building News
9. Food-Borne Illness: Myths and Facts
   Christine Heinrichs, Freelance Journalist; Daniel Sullivan, Rodale Institute
10. What Does Pollution Sound Like? Audio Journalism
    Ilsa Setziol, KPCC Radio, Pasadena, CA; Brenda Box, National Public Radio
11. Wiki While You Work: Fun New Tools for Environmental News
    Dave Poulson, Associate Director, Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, Michigan State University
12. Climate Change's Bottom Line: Business and Finance Impacts
    Peyton Fleming, CERES and Investor Network on Climate Risk; Steven Heim, Boston Common Asset Management
13. Liquified Natural Gas: Importing Problems or Solutions?
    Beth Daley, The Boston Globe
14. Freelancing: Money, Morals, and Marketing
    Madeline Bodin, Freelance Journalist
15. Noise & Thermal Air Pollution: The Ones They Never Mention
    Susan Jewell, Freelance Journalist
16. SEJ: Coming Attractions
    Perry Beeman, The Des Moines Register, and SEJ President
17. The U.S. Farm Bill: Farm Supporter or Trade Distorter? A Canadian Perspective
    Ron Friesen, The Manitoba Co-operator
18. Holy Cows and Mad Sheep: Food, Farm, and Corruption
    Linda Faillace, Author of "Mad Sheep, The True Story Behind the USDA's War on a Family Farm"
19. Shifting from Toxics to Sustainability: Green Chemistry
    Amy Cannon, University of Massachusetts-Lowell; Cheryl Hogue, Chemical & Engineering News
20. Takings Backlash and the Environment: States Respond to Kelo vs. New London
    Kristen Fountain, Valley News (Lebanon, NH); Kinvin Wroth, Vermont Law School
21. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: Cheaper Food at What Cost?
    Tom Henry, The Toledo Blade
22. Environmental Injustice: When the 3rd World is the 1st World's Garbage Can
    Tseming Yang, Vermont Law School
23. International Polar Year: Science at the Ends of the Earth
    Marla Cone, Los Angeles Times
24. Why Every Environmental Problem is an Engineering Problem
    Domenico Grasso, University of Vermont Environmental Engineering
25. Coping with Multiple Hazards in Your Backyard
    Pat Leahy, U.S. Geological Survey
26. Animal Rights: Where Creatures, Ecosystems, and Societies Collide
    Adam Glenn, Independent News Consultant
27. Mercury: The New Lead? Or Toxic Hype?
    Michael Hawthorne, Chicago Tribune

Lunch Breakout Sessions:

1. Lunch with the FOIA Lawyer:
   Richard Huff, former Co-Director, DOJ Office of Information and Privacy; Patrick McGinley, West Virginia University; Ken Ward Jr., The Charleston Gazette
   • Willsboro room, seating limited to 20, sign up in advance near the registration table
   
   
2. Climate Change: From Comedy to the Supreme Court (featuring a 20-minute "mocu-mentary"):
   John Dillon, Vermont Public Radio; Brian Dunkiel, Burlington attorney; John O'Brien, independent filmmaker
   • Amphitheater, seating limited to 75 on a first-come basis

Concurrent Sessions 2
2:15 - 3:30 p.m.

THE CRAFT:
Bye, Bye TRI?
The granddaddy of all environmental databases is under assault. Proposals to make the Toxics Release Inventory an every-other-year project and to exempt more companies from filing reports are just the latest attack. Learn about efforts to reduce the amount of information companies will be required to give the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and what it means for environmental journalists.
Moderator: Ken Ward Jr., Reporter, The Charleston Gazette
Panelists:
James Bruggers, Reporter, The (Louisville) Courier-Journal
Joseph Davis, Freelance Journalist and Project Editor, FOI WatchDog, Society of Environmental Journalists
Andrew Langer, Manager, Regulatory Policy, National Federation of Independent Business
Location: Emerald III

THE CRAFT II:
How Blogs and Citizen Journalism Can Help Your News Career
So you know what a blog is (or you think you do) and you've heard of citizen journalism (although that sounds rather heretical to your editor). So what? Our experienced presenters will help you navigate the new landscape of participatory, conversational media — where a surprising amount of news breaks, and which you can leverage to build your career in the newsroom and beyond. Learn how to apply these tools to enhance news coverage and elevate public discussion of environmental topics — while avoiding common pitfalls and myths.
Presenters:
Amy Gahran, Media Consultant and Freelance Writer
Adam Glenn, Web Editorial Consultant, Nova Media
Location: Emerald II

THE LAND:
Greening up the Forests: Sustainable Forestry in the 21st Century
Concern over the fate of forests has led to consumer boycotts and campaigns against retailers selling paper and wood from sensitive areas like Canada's Boreal Forest. In response, the industry has developed market tools, like certification systems, to help consumers of "sustainable" goods learn the supply chains and recycling schemes before they buy. Are these systems working to help protect intact forests against long-term pressures, like globalization and the continued conversion of private forest lands to housing subdivisions?
Moderator: Francesca Lyman, Freelance Environmental Writer and MSNBC Contributor
Panelists:
Lafcadio Cortesi, Boreal Campaign Director, Forest Ethics
Richard Donovan, Deputy Director/Chief of Forestry/SmartWood Director, Rainforest Alliance
Alaric Sample, President, Pinchot Institute for Conservation
Location: Diamond I

THE NATION:
The U.S. Farm Bill: It's Not Just Crop Payments
As Congress considers a new Farm Bill, environmentalists, farmers and lawmakers debate what strings will be attached to federal aid to farming. Farm Bill reauthorizations are one of the best opportunities to push for new conservation efforts and pollution-fighting techniques on farms that occupy much of the U.S. landscape. This panel examines the latest debate over what should be included in the Farm Bill, one of the most important environmental tools in the federal machinery.
Moderator: Perry Beeman, The Des Moines Register, and SEJ President
Panelists:
Scott Faber, Farm Policy Campaign Director, Environmental Defense
Mary Thatcher, Director, Public Policy, American Farm Bureau Federation
Location: Diamond II

THE GLOBE:
The New Security Beat: Covering Population-Environment Connections to Conflict
From Haiti to Sudan, Ethiopia to Nepal, violent civil conflict dominates the news. Countries in conflict also tend to share the problems of rapid population growth and the deterioration of environmental resources on which those populations depend. "People in countries with severe population, environment, and health problems get desperate. If they have no hope, they turn to drastic things like civil war and terrorism," says Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jared Diamond. Today's new security threats have brought the connections among environmental degradation, poverty, and conflict to many people's front doors, and to the highest levels of government. But experts warn that the line connecting these problems is not a straight one. This timely session helps reporters navigate this complicated terrain to understand the links.
Moderator: Sadie Babits, News Director, Boise State Radio
Panelists:
Geoffrey Dabelko, Director, Environmental Change and Security Program, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
Roger-Mark De Souza, Technical Director, Population, Health, and Environment Program, Population Reference Bureau
Sherri Goodman, General Counsel, Office of the President, The CNA Corporation
Location: Amphitheater

THE BORDER:
Five Great Lakes and a Sip of Champlain
Learn what's hot (issue-wise) in the cool, okay, cold, late October world of the Great Lakes. We'll discuss water diversion, invasive species, mercury and other pollutants, and the latest with restoration and collaboration cash. Join a bi-national panel of officials, analysts and journalists to hear what stories are here or on the way. We'll also stick an oar into common problems between Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario and Champlain.
Moderator: Chuck Quirmbach, Environment Reporter/Producer, Wisconsin Public Radio
Panelists:
Herb Gray, Canadian Section Chair, International Joint Commission
Tom Henry, Environment Writer, The Toledo Blade
Jack Manno, Executive Director, Great Lakes Research Consortium, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
Location: Shelburne Room

THE INDUSTRY:
High-Tech Trash: E-Waste and Toxic Wastes
The Wall Street Journal has called electronic waste the world's fastest growing and potentially most dangerous waste problem. It's a problem with which every state and business is now grappling. Millions of tons of toxic-laden e-waste are accumulating in the world's landfills, causing both global and local contamination. Solutions to these problems lie not only in environmentally sound recycling and disposal, but also in changes in design and materials of the equipment itself. This panel will discuss the scope of this problem and its solutions — both voluntary and regulatory.
Moderator: Elizabeth Grossman, Freelance Writer and Author, "High-Tech Trash"
Panelists:
Kellyn Betts, Contributing Editor, Environmental Science & Technology
Pete Didisheim, Director of Advocacy, Natural Resources Council of Maine
Richard Goss, Director, Environmental Affairs, Electronic Industries Alliance
Ted Smith, Founding Executive Director/Senior Strategist, Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition
Location: Valcour Room

THE LAWYER IS IN:
Wetlands, Wildlife, and Water Quality
This informal Q&A session will focus on laws and policies concerning living creatures and the environments that sustain them. Conflicts regarding the Endangered Species Act play out nationwide, as wolves, birds, fish, and invertebrates have all had their respective days in court. Water quality issues are becoming increasingly high stake and contentious; they encompass wetlands, the siting and operation of dams, and extraction by bottlers and industrial users, to name just a few. After a very brief update on the latest pertinent legal developments, the session will be open to questions from the audience.
Lawyer: Patrick Parenteau, Director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic/Professor of Law, Vermont Law School
Location: Kingsland Room

Beverage Break, Exhibit Displays and Auto Industry's Ride & Drive Sign-up Opportunities
3:30 - 3:45 p.m.
Have a refreshment, sign up for a Ride & Drive demonstration and browse through exhibits.
Location: Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall

SEJ Membership Meeting
3:45 - 5:15 p.m.
SEJ members are urged to attend their annual membership meeting. Eligible voters will cast ballots to fill seats on the board of directors. Members will also hear brief program, membership and financial reports from SEJ officers and the executive director, and have the opportunity to discuss new business or share concerns.
Location: Emerald Ballroom I

And Now a Word from Our Critics...
5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Are environmental journalists getting the climate change story wrong? Are we overly receptive to spin? Are we playing up the fear factor and skirting inconvenient uncertainties? A staffer for Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) thinks liberal groups are funding scientists to exaggerate the dangers of climate change. Come listen to his critique of SEJ members' reporting, hear the response from some of his targets and weigh in yourself.
Moderator: Christy George, Producer, Oregon Public Broadcasting
Speakers:
Bill Blakemore, Senior Correspondent, ABC News
Dan Fagin, Associate Professor of Journalism/Associate Director of the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program, New York University
Marc Morano, Director of Communications, Environment and Public Works Committee, U.S. Senate
Andrew Revkin, Environment Reporter, The New York Times
Location: Emerald Ballroom III

Beat Dinners
7:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Restaurants are noted in blue text.
Meet your dinner group leader at 7:00 p.m. at the Sheraton's Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall. SEJ is providing buses to transport beat dinner attendees downtown. Please stay with your group leader! See the list below (or in your registration folder) for dinner reservation times. (Note: If you are on the VLS Lake Champlain tour that ends at 7:00 p.m., please make your own way to your assigned restaurant.)

Spend an evening out at some of downtown Burlington's best restaurants chatting with SEJ colleagues and others about current hot topics on your beat and about your career. Dress code is casual. Pay for your own meal.

ADVANCE SIGN-UP REQUIRED! Sign up for the dinner of your choice at the SEJ table near registration (Sheraton upstairs lobby) no later than 7:00 p.m. Thursday. These restaurants are small, so seating is strictly limited. Sorry, no wait list. PLEASE REQUEST SEPARATE CHECKS BEFORE YOU ORDER. PLEASE TIP YOUR SERVERS WELL. ENJOY!

Price ranges (with one drink, not including tip or dessert):
$ = $10-20      $$ = $20-30      $$$ = $30-50

Discussion Topics:

1. Fish or Cut Bait: Frank Talk about the Future of Conservation with USFWS Director Dale Hall
   Don Hopey, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
   Tuscan Kitchen ($, Italian). 1080 Shelburne Rd. (not downtown).
   7:45 p.m. reservation, group of 40. Special bus for this group only, leaves Sheraton first.
   
   
2. Hell or High Water: Will Water Scarcity Lead to War?
   Sadie Babits, Boise State Radio, and Geoffrey Dabelko, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars
   Three Tomatoes ($$, Italian). 83 Church St.
   7:45 p.m. reservation, group of 15.
   
   
3. Going Global: Tracking the Story Abroad
   Sara Shipley Hiles, Freelance Journalist, and Mark Schapiro, Center for Investigative Reporting
   Tantra ($$, Asian organic). 169 Church St.
   7:45 p.m. reservation, group of 15.
   
   
4. Editors Talking Amongst Themselves
   Joan Hamilton, Sierra Magazine, and Laura Helmuth, Smithsonian Magazine
   The Single Pebble ($$, Chinese family style). 133 Bank St.
   7:45 p.m. reservation, group of 14.
   
   
5. Kickoff Meeting for an Online Writers Group: Improving Journalism Skills
   Jenny Rabinowitz, Freelance Journalist
   Sweetwaters ($, burgers and salads). 120 Church St.
   7:45 p.m. reservation, group of 12.
   
   
6. Dinner with SEJ's FOI Task Force
   Joseph Davis (SEJ WatchDog Project Director), Freelance Journalist, and Ken Ward Jr., (Task Force Chair), The Charleston Gazette
   The Ice House ($$$, American cuisine). 171 Battery St.
   7:45 p.m. reservation, group of 15 (upstairs).
   
   
7. Sharing Freelance Success Stories
   Frances Backhouse, Freelance Journalist
   Daily Planet ($, burgers and sandwiches). 15 Center St.
   8:00 p.m. reservation, group of 15.
   
   
8. What's Not an Environmental Story?
   Laird Townsend, Orion Magazine
   Tantra ($$, Asian organic). 169 Church St.
   7:45 p.m. reservation, group of 15.
   
   
9. "Inside Information" from EPA
   Carolyn Whetzel, Bureau of National Affairs, and Rich Hood, U.S. EPA Office of Public Affairs
   The Ice House ($$$, American cuisine). 171 Battery St.
   7:45 p.m. reservation, group of 15 (downstairs).
   
   
10. What Makes Green Buildings Green?
    Saul Chernos, Freelance Journalist, and Tristan Roberts, Environmental Building News
    Miguel's Stowe Away ($$, Mexican), 89 Church St.
    7:45 p.m. reservation, group of 15.
    
    
11. Students Only: Pizza, Drinks, and University Gab
    Katie Coleman, Michigan State University, and Josie Hingston, University of Vermont
    Mr. Mike's Pizza ($, pizza). 206 Main St.
    7:45 p.m. reservation, group of 20.
    
    
12. Why Not in My Backyard?
    Tim Wheeler, The Baltimore Sun
    Miguel's Stowe Away ($$, Mexican), 89 Church St.
    8:00 p.m. reservation, group of 15.
    
    
13. How Green is God (or Buddha)? World Religions and the Environment
    Dr. Rebecca Gould, Middlebury College, and Rev. Gary Kowalski, 1st Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington
    The Single Pebble ($$, Chinese family style). 133 Bank St.
    8:00 p.m. reservation, group of 14.
    
    
14. Critters on Prozac: 21st Century Endocrine Disruptors
    Marla Cone, Los Angeles Times
    Ri-Ra Irish Pub ($$, pub grub). 123 Church St.
    8:15 p.m. reservation, group of 7.
    
    
15. Outdoor Recreation & Ecotourism: Loving the Environment to Death?
    Bruce Barcott, Outside Magazine
    Ri-Ra Irish Pub ($$, pub grub). 123 Church St.
    8:15 p.m. reservation, group of 7.
    
    
16. Reporting Outside the Traditional Newsroom
    Rob Davis, Voice of San Diego, and Amy Gahran, Media Consultant and Freelance Writer
    Miguel's Stowe Away ($$, Mexican), 89 Church St.
    8:15 p.m. reservation, group of 15.

Back to the top

Saturday, October 28: Sheraton Burlington Hotel
870 Williston Road, Burlington. Phone 802-865-6600.

Each year, SEJ welcomes a diverse group of attendees to its annual conference, including representatives of business, government and environmental groups as well as working journalists, academics and students. Because non-journalists are here, you may see or hear responses to presentations that you might not expect from mainstream journalists. Please bear in mind that these responses — like the presentations themselves — do not necessarily reflect the views of SEJ or any of its members.

Please note that SEJ members will be given preference in question-and-answer sessions.

7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

• Registration
  Please check in at registration upon arrival to obtain your conference materials and name badge. Your name badge will be needed for access to some events. If you didn't pre-register for the Saturday breakfast session, party at the Shelburne Farms or Sunday events at the University of Vermont's Billings Student Center, there may still be room — inquire at registration.
  Location: Upstairs Lobby
• SEJ Information Table
  Sign up here for Saturday mini-tours. Also find information about membership and services, pick up copies of SEJournal, TipSheet, WatchDog and other publications. Browse through winning entries for SEJ Awards for Reporting on the Environment, which will be on display here.
  Location: Upstairs Lobby
• Exhibits/Ride-and-Drives
  Don't miss this marketplace of ideas and be sure to sign up to test-drive alternative-fuel vehicles from Ford, DaimlerChrysler, Saturn and others. Sign-ups are at various exhibit booths or in the downstairs lobby. You'll find a list of exhibitors here, as well as in your registration folder.
  Location: Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall, and in the hallways and promenades around Diamond and Emerald Ballrooms
• SEJ Reading Room
  Samples of members' articles, books and other materials will be available to browse through.
  Location: Diamond Ballroom Foyer
• Press Room
  The Sheraton Burlington Hotel and Conference Center is wireless. If you must use a land line to phone in a story, please go to the SEJ office, near the SEJ table in the upstairs lobby and ask for assistance. The Sheraton's business center, located off the upstairs lobby next to registration, has five computers available for attendees.

Continental Breakfast
7:00 - 8:45 a.m.
Sign up for a Ride & Drive demonstration and browse through exhibits while you sip on your morning coffee.
Location: Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall

Breakfast Session:
Covering the Big Stories: Up a Creek, Without a News Hook
Pre-registration and $15 fee required.
7:00 a.m. — Buffet for Breakfast Session Attendees
7:30 - 8:45 a.m. — How can reporters cover issues like sustainability, consumption, climate change or loss of biodiversity without a news hook or a sympathetic editor? These big-picture issues are absolutely critical to covering the environment, but by their very nature they are usually not newsy. We'll examine the evolution of environmental coverage from smokestack and drainpipe stories to the 21st Century's increasingly complex environmental problems. We'll also discuss turning generic issues like sustainability and loss of biodiversity into readable, local journalism that might help you sell these stories to your editors.
Moderator: Andrew Revkin, Environment Reporter, The New York Times
Speakers:
Dina Cappiello, Environment Writer, Houston Chronicle
Geneva Overholser, Curtis B. Hurley Chair in Public Affairs Reporting, University of Missouri School of Journalism, Washington bureau
Location: Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall

Concurrent Sessions 3
9:00 - 10:15 a.m.

THE CRAFT:
Editors' Pitch Slam: Instant Feedback on Your Freelance Ideas
Join us for SEJ's first pitch slam. Writers will have 60 seconds to pitch story ideas to our panel of editors. The editors then briefly critique the pitches, explaining how they might work for their magazines — or why they wouldn't — as well as suggest ways to improve the stories. Writers will gain some good connections and learn tips for getting assignments. And, who knows, perhaps a story idea or two will get accepted.
Moderator: Christine Woodside, Freelance Journalist
Panelists:
Hal Clifford, Executive Editor, Orion Magazine
Dennis Dimick, Executive Editor, National Geographic Magazine
Rene Ebersole, Senior Editor, Audubon
Joan Hamilton, Editor-in-Chief, Sierra Magazine
Laura Helmuth, Senior Science Editor, Smithsonian Magazine
Steve Mirsky, Editor, Scientific American
Location: Emerald III

THE CRAFT II:
Tools for Broadcast Journalists: Get Your Stories Aired — Even During Sweeps!
TV news secrets revealed! Avoid every reporter's biggest nightmare! You too can see results in days! Actually, we'll avoid the clichés. But we will enjoy a lively take on the best ways to get the stories you care about on the air. Learn the techniques of the pitch, the story and the storytelling from TV reporters in the trenches.
Moderator: Vince Patton, Environmental Reporter, KGW-TV, Portland, OR
Panelists:
Jeff Burnside, Reporter, NBC-6, Miami, FL
Kristin Carlson, Environmental and Political Reporter, WCAX-TV, Burlington, VT
John Daley, Reporter, KSL-TV, Salt Lake City, UT
Location: Emerald II

THE LAND:
Protecting the Land: Land Trusts and Conservation Easements
The use of conservation easements to protect land is increasing due to a major expansion of federal tax incentives. Public scrutiny of land trusts is also on the rise, in the wake of some of the Nature Conservancy's controversial practices. The land trust movement is drafting voluntary accreditation standards in order to preempt proposals for legislative oversight. What's next for a strategy that aims to protect land in perpetuity?
Moderator: Misty Edgecomb, former Environment Reporter, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Panelists:
Sylvia Bates, Director of Standards and Research, Land Trust Alliance
Gil Livingston, Vice President of Land Conservation, Vermont Land Trust
Kinvin Wroth, Director of the Land Use Institute, and Professor of Law, Vermont Law School
Location: Diamond I

THE NATION:
Whither Congress? Midterm Elections and the Environment
The November congressional elections could trigger a dramatic change in Washington and on the environmental beat. After 12 years of Republican control of the House, the Democrats have a serious chance of regaining a majority. The GOP may also lose seats and possibly control of the Senate. What would that mean for environmental reporters? New environmental laws? New congressional investigations of EPA, Interior, and the Forest Service? And what if the Republicans keep the reins of power?
Moderator: Margie Kriz, Staff Correspondent, National Journal
Panelists:
Gene Karpinski, President, League of Conservation Voters
William Kovacs, Vice President, Environment, Technology and Public Affairs, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Mark Latham, Associate Professor of Law, Vermont Law School
Location: Diamond II

THE GLOBE:
James Bay II and Beyond: Is the Era of Big Dams Back?
With climate change and the ever-increasing energy consumption in North America, big dams are gaining ground as an alternative to gas and coal power plants. In Northern Quebec, another ambitious dam project is planned to quench our insatiable thirst for electricity. Is this the best solution in terms of environmental, economic and social development?
Moderator: René Vézina, Vice Editor, Les Affaires, Montréal
Panelists:
Marie-Joelle Fluet, Consultant Groupe de Recherche Appliquée en Macroécologie
Jacques Leslie, Author, "Deep Water: The Epic Struggle Over Dams, Displaced People, and the Environment"
Romeo Saganash, Lawyer, The Grand Council of The Crees
Location: Amphitheater

THE BORDER:
Wildlife Trafficking in North America
Wildlife trafficking is one of the most lucrative criminal trades in the world, ranking just behind drugs and weapons. Worth $6-10 billion annually, trafficking's low risks and weak penalties mean high profits for smugglers. Poaching threatens many species' future survival — from Amazonian birds to Caspian Sea sturgeon. North America spurs the trade as both a market and source for ill-gotten wildlife. While law enforcement intercepts less than 10 percent of all wildlife smuggling, stagnant budgets pressure agencies to accomplish more with fewer resources. This panel will help journalists report on the threat, related laws and politics, and what it takes to fight wildlife crimes.
Moderator: Laurel Neme, Freelance Writer
Panelists:
Elinor Colbourn, Senior Trial Attorney, Environmental Crimes Section, Environment and Natural Resources Division, U.S. Department of Justice
Jo Ellen Darcy, Senior Policy Advisor, U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
Thomas Healy, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, Office of Law Enforcement, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Ron Regan, Director of Wildlife, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department
Allan Thornton, President, Environmental Investigation Agency
Location: Shelburne Room

THE INDUSTRY:
Sticker Spin: The Murky World of Green Labeling
Demand for eco-friendly products from catfish to cleaners is skyrocketing, but consumers can't be sure what they're buying matches the label's promise. Terms such as non-toxic, sustainable, all-natural and hypoallergenic often only mean what the company decides they should. Learn about industry's role in greenwashing, the challenges truthful businesses have in this little regulated marketplace and how to decipher labels to give readers news they can use in buying everything from lumber to lipstick.
Moderator: Beth Daley, Staff Reporter, The Boston Globe
Panelists:
Nicole Dehne, Certification Administrator, Vermont Chapter, Northeast Organic Farming Association
Jeffrey Hollender, President and CEO, Seventh Generation
Andrea Levine, Director, National Advertising Division, Council of Better Business Bureaus
Urvashi Rangan, Senior Scientist and Policy Analyst, Eco-Labeling Project, Consumers Union
Location: Valcour Room

THE FUTURE:
Global Warming: Reporting on What's Going to Be Changing in Your Backyard
Just like the weather, the impact of climate change varies from place to place. Not every place will feel the dramatic effects of an Alaska, but every place will experience the change in everything from weather to plants and animals to geography. Six years ago the federal government came up with a national assessment for climate impacts and had 19 different regional assessments for how global warming will affect different parts of the United States. The science has advanced since that time, but the assessment hasn't. Whether you report on cities or rural areas, agriculture or wildlife, this panel will help you inform your readers and listeners about the latest science on what to expect from global warming in your region.
Moderator: Jim Detjen, Knight Chair of Environmental Reporting, Michigan State University
Panelists:
Doug Inkley, Senior Scientist, National Wildlife Federation
Rick Piltz, Founder/Director, Climate Science Watch
Cynthia Rosenzweig, Research Scientist, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Location: Emerald I

THE LAWYER IS IN:
Energy and Pollution
This informal Q&A session will focus on laws and policies concerning energy and pollution. Energy is arguably our world's most important environmental issue, and environmental constraints may be the energy sector's most important challenge. Electric generation is the world's largest source of pollution, and America's legal system will critically affect how humanity meets the challenge of energy issues. This session will address global warming litigation, and pollution resulting from energy generation (including storm water runoff, toxics, etc.). After a very brief update on the latest pertinent legal developments, the session will be open to questions from the audience.
Lawyers:
Michael Dworkin, Director of the Institute for Energy and the Environment/Professor of Law, Vermont Law School
David Mears, Assistant Director of the Environmental and Natural Resources Law Clinic/Assistant Professor of Law, Vermont Law School
LaJuana Wilcher, former Secretary, Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, State of Kentucky
Location: Kingsland Room

Beverage Break, Exhibit Displays and Auto Industry's Ride & Drive Sign-up Opportunities
10:15 - 10:45 a.m.
Grab a cuppa, sign up for a Ride & Drive demonstration and browse through exhibits.
Location: Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall

Concurrent Sessions 4
10:45 a.m. - Noon

THE CRAFT:
The Well-Educated Writer: Journalism Fellowships and Continuing Education
This session offers an overview of enhanced education opportunities; a general idea of requirements, commitments and benefits; and a look at the future of virtual learning. Representatives from top programs will be available to answer questions.
Moderator: JoAnn Valenti, Independent Scholar, National Tropical Botanical Garden Environmental Journalism Program
Panelists:
Len Ackland, Associate Professor, School of Journalism, University of Colorado
Dawn Garcia, Deputy Director, Knight Fellowships at Stanford University
Bill Kovarik, Professor of Communication, School of Communication, Radford University
Peter Lord, Environmental Writer, The Providence Journal
Peter Miller, Director of Media Relations, Vermont Law School
Boyce Rensberger, Director, Knight Science Journalism Fellowships, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Location: Emerald III

THE CRAFT II:
Visualizing Your Stories: Moving Beyond Words When Covering the Environment
This panel will focus on visuals and their role in communicating ideas, trends, and effects as you conceive and plan stories and enterprise projects. Photographs, illustrations, and informational graphics can all help get your case across, especially when you think about them from the start and keep them simple, direct, and on point. Panelists will offer strategies, methods, resources, and examples of work, with plenty of time set aside for discussion.
Moderator: Dennis Dimick, Executive Editor, National Geographic Magazine
Panelists:
Dina Cappiello, Environment Writer, Houston Chronicle
Peter Essick, Freelance Photographer, National Geographic Magazine
Lisa Stiffler, Reporter, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Location: Emerald II

THE LAND:
Restoring Endangered Species: What Price Recovery?
Who wouldn't want to see wild-run salmon swimming again in their native streams in the Northeast U.S. and eastern Canada? Or the bog turtle flourishing in wet meadows of the region? Or even the American burying beetle thriving on coastal islands? Yet questions remain about our ability to afford and achieve endangered species restoration. For instance, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has spent millions of dollars trying to restore salmon to the Connecticut River with little success, according to critics. We'll take a look at the costs and benefits of reintroducing native species.
Moderator: Bill Allen, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Journalism, University of Missouri
Panelists:
John Kostyack, Senior Counsel/Director, Wildlife Conservation Campaigns, National Wildlife Federation
Michael Thabault, Ecological Services Director, Northeast Regional Office, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Fred Whoriskey, Vice President, Research and Environment, Atlantic Salmon Federation
Location: Diamond I

THE NATION:
Blowout: America's Aging Water and Sewer Infrastructures
People expect and demand clean water to fish, swim and drink. But are they really getting it? Cities, towns, and villages are being cited for improper treatment. They say they lack the funds to repair the aging network of water and wastewater pipes, drains and treatment plants that were built at the turn of the century. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates a roughly $500 billion gap will exist by 2020 between the amount needed for water system repairs and the amount that will be available if Congress and the White House do not increase federal funding for upgrades. Our panelists discuss legislative and regulatory options, including increased sewer and water rates, to avoid meltdown of drinking water and wastewater systems.
Moderator: Amena Saiyid, Reporter, Environmental News Division, Bureau of National Affairs
Panelists:
Michael Arceneaux, Deputy Executive Director, Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies
Benjamin Grumbles, Assistant Administrator, Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Ken Kirk, Executive Director, National Association of Clean Water Agencies
LaJuana Wilcher, former Secretary, Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet, State of Kentucky
Location: Diamond II

THE GLOBE:
The Foreign Environmental Challenge to the United States
When U.S. environmental regulations were passed into law thirty years ago, they were revolutionary; the U.S. was the first nation to begin attempting to impose governmental controls over environmental abuse. Now, much of the world is moving beyond the fundamental principles established by U.S. environmental law. This panel will explore how Europe, China, and the state of California are approaching environmental challenges differently than our federal government, and what the impact will be on Americans.
Moderator: Mark Schapiro, Editorial Director, Center for Investigative Reporting
Panelists:
Peter Waldman, Senior Special Writer/News Editor, The Wall Street Journal
Tseming Yang, Professor of Law, Vermont Law School
Location: Amphitheater

THE BORDER:
Invasives: Global Trade Brings Local Costs
One byproduct of global trade has been an influx of invasive species that have arrived as — or along with — foreign goods. This panel highlights some ecological costs to our aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems as well as economic costs associated with those foreign immigrants. Highlighted intruders include newfound sea squirts, which have been described as a marine biologist's worst nightmare. We'll also hear a proposal for making polluters pay for new invasions.
Moderator: Janet Raloff, Senior Editor, Science News
Panelists:
Robert Costanza, Director, Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, Vermont
Larry Harris, Professor, Department of Zoology, University of New Hampshire
Ellen Marsden, Associate Professor, Department of Natural Resources, University of Vermont
Rose Paul, Director, Science and Stewardship, The Nature Conservancy
Location: Shelburne Room

THE INDUSTRY:
Negawatts: Managing Electricity Demand To Reduce Emissions and Maximize Profits
A new focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to combat global warming, combined with skyrocketing electricity prices and increased construction costs for new electric generating plants, has caused both state utilities regulators and utilities companies to turn to demand-side management conservation plans, or "negawatts", as an alternative to building new power plants. Experts explain the potential savings for both ratepayers and utilities, and the very real pitfalls that some strategies can encounter.
Moderator: Mark Schleifstein, Environment Writer, The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune
Panelists:
Richard Cowart, Director, Regulatory Assistance Project
Michael Dworkin, Director of the Institute for Energy and the Environment/Professor of Law, Vermont Law School
Dan Watkiss, Partner, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP
Location: Valcour Room

THE FUTURE:
The Future of Farming: Can Traditional Crop and Livestock Farming Be Sustained?
Agriculture is a highly profitable enterprise, but not necessarily for farmers — most of the profits accrue beyond the farm gate. These days, many farmers, squeezed by a combination of low commodity prices and high production costs, find it difficult, if not impossible, to make a living from the land. At the same time, society is increasingly demanding cheap, high-quality food that is raised humanely and grown in an environmentally friendly manner. How can agricultural producers overcome systemically low farm incomes while remaining environmentally sustainable? Three farmers (a Canadian and two Americans) discuss the options.
Moderator: Ron Friesen, Senior Editor/Agriculture Reporter, The Manitoba Co-operator
Panelists:
Jackie Folsom, President, Vermont Farm Bureau
Fred Magdoff, Professor, Department of Plant and Soil Science, University of Vermont
Ian Wishart, Vice President, Keystone Agricultural Producers, Manitoba
Location: Emerald I

THE LAWYER IS IN:
Land Use Control and Property Rights
This informal Q&A session will focus on the legal and planning aspects of current land-use issues such as eminent domain, green development, siting of energy installations, permitting processes, and other takings issues. These issues are intensifying on local, national and international levels and are critical to the development of a sustainable culture and society. After a very brief update on the latest pertinent legal developments, the session will be open to questions from the audience.
Lawyer: Marc Mihaly, Associate Professor of Law, Vermont Law School
Location: Kingsland Room

Lunch and Plenary Session: Government Secrecy: What We Don't Know Can't...
12:15 - 2:00 p.m.
Shortly after 9-11, Attorney General John Ashcroft reversed a long trend toward increased government disclosure and ordered federal agencies to err on the side of secrecy. With America under attack, Ashcroft argued, the country must keep critical information out of the hands of enemies. But the information shutdown goes far beyond traditional national security to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and a host of government agencies. In fact, many argue that the Bush administration is the most secretive in recent history. Now, five years later, journalists and others are trying to turn the tide. Is America safer with less information? We'll throw the question to an expert panel.
Moderator: Geneva Overholser, Curtis B. Hurley Chair in Public Affairs Reporting, University of Missouri School of Journalism, Washington bureau
Speakers:
Jonathan Adler, Professor of Law and Co-Director, Center for Business Law & Regulation, Case Western Reserve University School of Law
Joseph Davis, Freelance Journalist and Project Editor, FOI WatchDog, Society of Environmental Journalists
James Hansen, Climate Scientist and Director, Goddard Institute for Space Studies, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Richard Huff, former Co-Director, Office of Information and Privacy, U.S. Department of Justice
Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
Location: Lake Champlain Exhibition Hall

IN THE FIELD
Mini-Tours
2:30 - 5:30 p.m.
Sign up at the SEJ information table near registration (Sheraton's upstairs lobby) beginning Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. for the mini-tour of your choice. Space is limited on each mini-tour.

Please be sure to dress appropriately for the weather and remember to bring drinking water. Mini-tour details are below, and also in your registration folder.

1. Beyond Artisanal Cheese and Micro-Greens: Ensuring Local Food Reaches Everyone (Shelburne Farms)
   Local, sustainable ingredients headline top restaurant menus, overflow at farmers' markets, and are even showing up in some school cafeterias. But is this farm-to-fork movement reaching everyone? After a hands-on tour of Shelburne Farms' own diversified, sustainable farming operation, attendees will be able to question a panel of speakers who are working to make sure local foods benefit all Vermonters. Panelists will include a farmer; a third-generation diner owner; the Department of Corrections manager of a large, inmate-run vegetable garden; the development coordinator for the state's largest food shelf; and a representative from Burlington's only downtown supermarket.
   Tour Leader: Melissa Pasanen, Freelance Journalist
   Speakers:
   Dana Hudson, Coordinator, Farm-to-School and Food Education Every Day Programs, Shelburne Farms
   Other speakers to be announced
   
   
2. Wildlife Tracking as Scientific Research, Ecosystem Management and Engaging Your Community (Shelburne Farms)
   Animal tracks contain enormous data on the presence and behavior of local wildlife, yet all too often they are ignored or unnoticed. Animal tracking can serve as a non-invasive in situ method for wildlife inventorying, scientific research, ecosystem management, and engaging and connecting community members to a place. This workshop will explore the many uses for animal tracking and, time permitting, may involve field time. Dress warmly with good shoes.
   Tour Leader: Laurel Neme, Freelance Writer
   Speaker: Matt Kolan, Field Naturalist, University of Vermont/Shelburne Farms
   
   
3. A New Approach to Reading Landscapes: A Handy Journalist's Tool (Shelburne Farms)
   Observation tools are as key to journalism as they are to environmental analysis. Place-based Analysis and Community Education (PLACE) engages townspeople, government leaders and students to study communities in a new way. Four Vermont towns, most recently Shelburne, have used PLACE as a community-planning tool to observe and analyze physical, ecological and cultural landscapes. We'll learn to use these tools and try them out on Shelburne Farms' Lake Champlain landscape.
   Tour Leader: Cheryl Dorschner, University of Vermont College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
   Speakers:
   Delia Clark, Co-Founder, Antioch New England Institute
   Walter Poleman, Senior Lecturer, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont
   
   
4. The Sweet Science of Maple Syrup: UVM's Proctor Maple Research Center
   How do you tap maple sap and boil the sweetest syrup? Can a chlorophyll meter predict how sweet it will become? Why do maples' leaves turn red, and what might this tell us about forest health? And how will global climate change, acid rain, and an invading Asian longhorn beetle impact Vermont's forests? Join the scientists of UVM's maple research center to taste the science of our favorite pancake topping.
   Tour Leaders:
   Bill Allen, Assistant Professor of Agricultural Journalism, University of Missouri
   Ron Steffens, Associate Professor of Communications, Green Mountain College, Vermont
   Speakers:
   Miriam Pendleton, Vermont Monitoring Cooperative
   Timothy Perkins, Director, Proctor Maple Research Center, University of Vermont
   Timothy Wilmot, Extension Specialist, University of Vermont
   
   
5. Power (and Food) to the People: A Visit to Burlington's "Intervale"
   The area near the Winooski River features an 80-megawatt, city-owned, wood-fired power plant, a dozen small farms, and a city-wide composting facility. The 200-acre urban breadbasket, originally settled by Vermont pioneer Ethan Allen, also includes community gardens, farmer-training facilities and an Eco Park. The Intervale Foundation also runs a farm viability project that offers technical assistance to farmers who need help starting or expanding sustainable farms.
   Tour Leaders:
   John Dillon, Reporter, Vermont Public Radio
   Dan Sullivan, Senior Editor, The New Farm
   Speakers:
   Thomas Case, Arethusa Collective Farm
   John Irving, Site Manager, Burlington Electric Department
   Lindsey Ketchel, Program Director, Intervale Foundation
   
   
6. Afloat on Burlington Bay
   For those who missed the Thursday boat tour on Lake Champlain, here's another chance to explore Burlington harbor aboard the Melosira, the University of Vermont's research vessel. We'll glimpse the bay's industrial past as we look below the waves at a 150-year-old sunken sailing canal boat, then explore contemporary threats to water quality, including invasive species and human pollution. Attendees should wear warm outdoor clothes, including hats, gloves, rain jackets and sturdy, non-slip footwear.
   Tour Leaders:
   Thom Hallock, Co-Anchor, WPTZ-TV, Burlington
   Candace Page, Environment Reporter, The Burlington Free Press
   Speakers:
   Art Cohn, Executive Director, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and Maritime Research Institute
   Mary Watzin, Professor, and Director, Rubenstein Ecosystem Science Laboratory, School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont
   
   
7. Vermont's Green Fuels of the Future
   We'll start with a visit to EVermont's wind-powered hydrogen-production station, where we'll refuel a hydrogen-powered vehicle and hear the story behind this ultra-clean facility. We'll also look under the hood of the group's three alternative-powered vehicles: both plug-in and hydrogen versions of the Toyota Prius, and an electric battery car. The next stop is the transportation-planning group Local Motion, where we'll talk about bike routes and pedestrian bridges. After a detour to a City of Burlington natural gas refueling station, we'll visit Vermont's only commercial-scale biodiesel producer, Green Technologies LLC, which is currently producing 8,000 gallons of biodiesel annually from locally sourced waste oil.
   Tour Leaders:
   Joshua Brown, Senior Communications Officer for Science and Environment, University of Vermont
   Jim Motavalli, Editor, E/The Environmental Magazine, and Author, "Forward Drive: The Race to Build Clean Cars for the Future"
   Speakers:
   Harold Garabedian, EVermont
   Scott Gordon, Green Technologies and former Chemistry Professor, University of Vermont
   Rebecca Grannis, local grease car enthusiast
   Chapin Spencer, Executive Director, Local Motion
   

SEJ members and friends will party at the century-old Shelburne Farms Coach Barn, dine on a delicious cornucopia of in-season Vermont-grown and -made foods and drinks, and dance to the sound of some of the state's top musicians. © Photo by Cheryl Dorschner / The University of Vermont.

Slow Food Evening at Shelburne Farms
1611 Harbor Road, Shelburne. Phone 802-985-8686.
Map and directions.
6:00 - 11:00 p.m.
Pre-registration and name badges are required. Mini-tour buses will drop attendees off about 6:00 p.m. Shuttle buses will run continuous loops between the Sheraton Burlington Hotel and Shelburne Farms. Last buses depart at 11:00 p.m.
Live what you learned this week as you party on the shores of Lake Champlain in the century-old Coach Barn at Shelburne Farms, once the pastoral playground and experimental farm of the "new aristocracy." What better way to witness the growing success of Vermont's sustainable agriculture than to taste your way through these exquisite traditional foods? Displays will explain the economics of organic, logistics of "localvore" and style of slow food. Later, the "slow food" will give way to the "fast dance" with Vermont's Diva, Tammy Fletcher, and the Disciples. The evening promises to be a feast for all the senses. This event is hosted by University of Vermont President Daniel Mark Fogel and Rachel Kahn-Fogel.

Back to the top

Sunday, October 29: University of Vermont Billings Student Center
48 University Place, Burlington. Phone 802-656-3131.
Map and directions.

Billings Student Center. © Photo by Cheryl Dorschner / The University of Vermont.

Buses will depart the Sheraton Hotel at 8:00 a.m. for breakfast and programs at University of Vermont's Billings Student Center. Pre-registration with $15 fee is required. Buses will return to the Sheraton Hotel by 12:30 p.m., with drop-offs at the airport.

Breakfast in the Great Hall
8:15 - 8:45 a.m.
Enjoy a hearty Vermont breakfast to stoke up for morning sessions.

Welcome and Introductions
8:45 - 9:00 a.m.
Location: North Lounge

Looking Forward, Looking Back
9:00 - 10:00 a.m.
Environmental journalism is all about the here-and-now. Sunday's program begins with a different perspective: We'll start with where we've been, then we'll hear about where we're going. Kathryn Morse is expert in looking back in time and unraveling the environmental significance of historical events. She'll set the stage for us to be thinking about how we've come to where we are today. James Howard Kunstler has made a career of taking a hard look at societal decisions and the implications they have for people and the environment. He'll share his view of what lies ahead as the world struggles with dwindling oil supplies and an environment that's been altered by water shortages and a changing climate.
Moderator: Mark Neuzil, Associate Professor, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of St. Thomas
Speakers:
James Howard Kunstler, Author, "The Long Emergency," "The Geography of Nowhere" and other books
Kathryn Morse, Associate Professor of History, Middlebury College, and Author, "The Nature of Gold: An Environmental History of the Klondike Gold Rush"
Location: North Lounge

Break
10:00 - 10:15 a.m.

Nature Writers: A Breakfast Café
10:15 - Noon
Five of our favorite authors will share tidbits from their writing and talk about their favorite techniques. Afterward, we'll break up into five smaller groups for 45 minutes to continue the discussion on a more intimate basis.
Moderator: Don Hopey, Environment Writer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Speakers:
Lou Bendrick, Environmental Humorist
Bernd Heinrich, Professor of Zoology, University of Vermont, and Author, "The Geese of Beaver Bog" and other natural history books
Verlyn Klinkenborg, Editorial Board Member, The New York Times, and Author, "Timothy; or, Notes of an Abject Reptile" and other books
Jacques Leslie, Author, "Deep Water: The Epic Struggle Over Dams, Displaced People, and the Environment"
Bill McKibben, Author, "The End of Nature" and other books
Location: North Lounge

Noon
SEJ's 16th Annual Conference ends. Buses return to Sheraton Burlington Hotel by 12:30 p.m., with drop-offs at the airport.

Sunday, October 29 - Wednesday, November 1
Post-Conference Tour: The Wild, Wild East
Pre-registration is required. The bus departs from the Sheraton Burlington Hotel at 8:00 a.m. and joins the Sunday morning program at the Billings Student Center. The bus departs for New York at noon and returns to Burlington on Wednesday, November 1 around noon to drop attendees off at the airport and the Sheraton Burlington Hotel.
Teddy Roosevelt learned about preserving wilderness while hiking in New York State's Adirondack Park. Today, more than 10 million people visit the park each year for its outstanding beauty and wildness. Larger than Yosemite, the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone combined, the park's 5.8 million acres have become an international model for park development. That's because about 45 percent of the park is publicly owned and protected by the state constitution as "forever wild"; yet 150,000 people live in the park year-round. Is this the future of park development? Come learn how well the park does at preserving nature while meeting the needs of those who live there.

For four days and three nights, attendees will kayak, hike and discuss the future of park preservation around the world. We'll ride on the W.W. Durant, reminiscent of the country's gilded age, visit the Vanderbilt family's wilderness retreat, stay in an Adirondacks Great Camp and learn all about the unique park called the Adirondacks.
• Fee of $230 includes transportation, three nights lodging, and some meals.

Note 8/23/06: This tour is now confirmed and flight arrangements for the conference may be made. The deadline to sign up was Thursday, September 28th.

Tour Leader: Dale Willman, Executive Editor, Field Notes Productions
Speakers:
Kathleen Fitzgerald, Executive Director, Northeast Wilderness Trust
Brian Houseal, Executive Director, Adirondack Council
Jerry Jenkins, Forest Issues Coordinator, Wildlife Conservation Society
Ed Kanze, Adirondack Guide/Writer/Lecturer, Adirondack Naturalist Company
Heidi Kretser, Affiliate Scientist, Wildlife Conservation Society
Chris Maron, Champlain Valley Program Director, Adirondack Nature Conservancy & Adirondack Land Trust
Jerry Pepper, Curator, Adirondack Museum
J.R. Risley, Supervisor, Town of Inlet
Cordelia Sand, Watershed Management Planner, Boquet River Association
Nina Schoch, Program Coordinator, Adirondack Cooperative Loon Program, and Associate Conservation Scientist, Wildlife Conservation Society
Curt Stager, Professor, Paul Smiths College
Lani Uhlrich, Executive Director, Cap-21
Bill Weber, Senior Conservationist, Wildlife Conservation Society
Judy Wendt, Member, Adirondack Citizens Council
Ross Whaley, Chairman, Adirondacks Park Agency
Neil Woodworth, Executive Director, Adirondack Mountain Club

Back to the top