by Celina Dietzel '17

The Prairie Fire Bioneers Conference will bring the Knox and Galesburg communities together in February to listen and learn from experts in the fields of environmental studies and sustainability.

The conference will take place February 10-12 in the Ford Center for the Fine Arts and is free and open to the public. The events will include plenary speakers who presented at the 2016 National Bioneers Conference in California, local guest speakers, interactive workshops, networking opportunities, and meals for those who preregister.

The annual conference, which started in 2011, is aimed at engaging the community in conversations about the environment and thinking critically about innovative solutions.

As Deborah Steinberg, Director of Sustainability, settles into her first year at Knox, she looks forward to the 2017 conference, which has built in more time for networking and discussion.

"We really wanted to include times for people to talk about what they just experienced," Steinberg said.

Steinberg also hopes that participants will attend a whole day's events, or even the whole weekend.

"Really building a community amongst the attendees, I think, would be a success," she said.

The keynote event, Mni Wiconi, Water is Life: Solidarity with Standing Rock will be presented by Al Eastman on Saturday evening. Eastman is the director of the archery program at the American Indian Center.

Other events at the conference will include:

• An evening of music and poetry. 
• Interactive workshop Food Justice: Classism and Other Taboo Topics, led by Knox staff member diana Mackin. 
• Sunday morning yoga. 
• Plant your own microgreens workshop.
• Interactive workshop The Politics of Fracking, led by Knox professor Ben Farrer.

View the full schedule for the Prairie Fire Bioneers Conference.

The Prairie Fire Bioneers Conference is made possible by contributions from the Knox College Dean of Students, Radish magazine, Q's Cafe, baked (pizza), and hosted by the Office of Sustainability and the Department of Environmental Studies.