MEDIA ADVISORY
For immediate release
September 27, 2010

Ecology and Education Summit to address environmental literacy
Conference will explore nation’s progress in science and environmental education and feature explorer Will Steger and former basketball pro turned urban farmer Will Allen

Registration is now open to the press for the Ecology and Education Summit—co-organized by the Ecological Society of America (ESA) and National Education Association,with more than twenty national organizations—which will be held October 14-15, 2010 in Washington, D.C. The summit “Environmental Literacy for a Sustainable World” brings together educators, scientists, and policy professionals from a wide variety of sectors—including academia, business, agriculture, government, the health industry and the media—to focus on environmental education and opportunities for progress.

Environmental literacy is concerned with the ability to understand ecological, biological and physical systems, as they connect with human systems, and the practice of informed environmental decision making. The Ecology and Education Summit is moving toward a Decadal Action Plan for environmental literacy outlining immediate next steps and long-term goals.

In his Keynote Address “Eyewitness to Global Warming,” Will Steger—the National Geographic Society's first Explorer-in-Residence—will recount his experiences observing  the effects of global climate change. Steger has traversed tens of thousands of miles by kayak and dogsled for more than 40 years during expeditions; these include a trip to the North Pole and TransAntarctica in the 1980s, accomplishing the first surface crossing of the Arctic Ocean in a single season and tackling the North Pole solo in the 1990s.  A recent trip took Steger to the Inuit communities of Nunavut at the Arctic Transect to learn about traditional ecological knowledge.

Steger will draw on photographs, in addition to compelling data and satellite imagery, documenting the deterioration of the polar ice caps and showing how climate change is affecting people in this region. Steger is the recipient of the National Geographic Society's John Oliver La Gorce Medal and the Explorers Club’s Finn Ronne Memorial Award.

Will Allen—former professional basketball player, urban farmer and “hero” in the 2010 edition of Time Magazine’s 100 World’s Most Influential People—will talk about the current state of the urban agricultural movement in his Keynote Address “Growing Food and Community in the City.” Allen, 2008 recipient of the John D. and Katherine T. McArthur Foundation’s “genius grant,” recently joined First Lady Michelle Obama in launching “Let’s Move!” Obama’s signature leadership program to reverse the epidemic of childhood obesity in the United States.

In 1993, Allen started Growing Power Inc., a national nonprofit organization and land trust to provide equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food for people in all communities. Allen trains community members to become community farmers, assuring them a source of healthy food.

The Ecology and Education Summit agenda is available at www.esa.org/eesummit/content/summit-agenda. The Summit will also feature five panel discussions, two breakout sessions and an evening reception on October 14 featuring a poster session, interactive displays and exhibits.

Topics in the Summit include:

• Learning about Complexity and Change: New Foundations for Environmental Literacy
• Turning the Tide: Building a Green Society through Learning and Doing
• Seeing our World Inside and Out: Harnessing New Technologies for Environmental Literacy
• Fostering Lifelong Learning Skills: Empowering Best Practices in Effective Teaching and Learning
• Expanding Funding, Strengthening Public Policy
• Environmental Literacy for All

Newsroom operation

Members of the press (see policy below) are exempt from registration fees and may attend all meeting sessions. A press room will be available exclusively for speaker interviews. Contact Katie Kline at katie@esa.org in advance to schedule an interview with the keynote speakers or other presenters.

ESA Policy on Press Credentials

We will waive registration for reporters with a recognized press card. Registration is also waived for current members of the National Association of Science Writers, the Canadian Science Writers Association, the International Science Writers Association and the Society of Environmental Journalists. We do not waive registration for editors of peer-reviewed journals, ad sales representatives, publishers, program officers or marketing professionals.

To obtain a press pass for this event, please contact Katie Kline at katie@esa.org or 202-833-8773 x211.

The Ecological Society of America is the world's largest professional organization of ecologists, representing 10,000 scientists in the United States and around the globe. Since its founding in 1915, ESA has promoted the responsible application of ecological principles to the solution of environmental problems through ESA reports, journals, research, and expert testimony to Congress. ESA publishes four print journals and one online-only, open-access journal Ecosphere and convenes an annual scientific conference. Visit the ESA website at www.esa.org or find experts in ecological science at www.esa.org/pao/rrt.

To subscribe to ESA press releases, contact Nadine Lymn at .