A virtual Environmental Seminar celebrating 30 years of The Outdoor Academy. Wednesdays in April at 7:00 pm Eastern Time.
As we celebrate OA’s 30th Anniversary this spring, we invite you to join us each Wednesday in April for a virtual 30 minute “E-Sem” – Environmental Seminar – specially curated for our OA alumni and the Eagle’s Nest Foundation community. OA’s nearly 1,400 alums are 15-46 years old, located all over the country and world, and live lives of purpose, often committing themselves to meaningful work in the environment, education, the arts, and social justice fields. This speaker series connects us to thought leaders in these spheres, highlighting elements of the OA experience at work in the broader world.
Join us for a series of conversations exploring Craft, Intellect, Environment, and Community with noteworthy environmentalists, artists, educators, community organizers, and business leaders. Facilitated by OA’s Director, Jesse Pyles, each live interview session will be followed by a brief Q&A featuring questions submitted by the community.
The Speakers:
April 2: Noam Pikelny on Tradition and Innovation in Craft
Noam is a Grammy Award-winning banjo player and founding member of Punch Brothers. He was awarded the first annual Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass in 2010. With Punch Brothers he hosts the new audio variety show The Energy Curfew Music Hour.
Discover:
Noam Pikelny: https://www.noampikelny.com/
Punch Brothers: https://www.punchbrothers.com/
Energy Curfew Music Hour: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Energy-Curfew-Music-Hour-Audiobook/B0DFMQX4KM
April 9: Dawn Chávez on Learning Cohorts and Diversity in the Environmental Field
Dawn is the Executive Director of the Environmental Leadership Program, supporting “visionary, action-oriented, and diverse leadership for a just and sustainable future” through Fellowship and peer mentoring programs. Dawn recently led community efforts at Asheville GreenWorks.
Discover:
Environmental Leadership Program: https://elpnet.org/what-we-do
Asheville Greenworks: https://www.ashevillegreenworks.org/
April 16: Bill McKibben on the Importance of Symbols and Intergenerational Climate Action
Bill is an author, educator, and environmentalist whose 1989 book The End of Nature is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change. With college students, Bill helped found the global grassroots climate campaign 350.org. Bill is founder of Third Act, which organizes people over the age of 60 for action on climate and justice. His newest book is entitled The Flag, the Cross, and the Station Wagon: A Graying American Looks Back at his Suburban Boyhood and Wonders What the Hell Happened.
Discover:
Bill McKibben: https://billmckibben.com/
The Crucial Years: https://billmckibben.substack.com/
Third Act: https://thirdact.org/
350.ORG
April 23: Kate Stephenson on Building Inclusive Businesses and Organizations as a Climate Solution
Kate Co-Founded Helm Construction Solutions to promote better business practices and inclusion in the trades. Kate has worked for decades in organizational and network management including leadership positions at Yestermorrow Design/Build School and the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association.
Discover:
Helm Construction Solutions: https://www.buildhelm.com/
Building Energy Bottom Lines: https://nesea.org/about-buildingenergy-bottom-lines
April 30: Jim Merkel on Women’s Leadership in Sustainable Communities
Jim is a filmmaker, author, and educator, whose recent film, Saving Walden’s World, profiles “women-led solutions to the 6th extinction” in Slovenia, Cuba, and Kerala, India. Jim wrote Radical Simplicity: Small Footprints on a Finite Earth, and founded the Global Living Project to promote more equitable use of the planet’s limited resources.
Discover:
Saving Walden’s World: https://savingwaldensworld.org/
Radical Simplicity Book: https://newsociety.com/book/radical-simplicity/
Choose your preferred sessions, or attend all five! Register now to receive the Zoom links and submit questions you have for the speakers.
