Agenda

Coverage

Travel/Lodging

Sponsors / Exhibitors

About Philly

 

#SEJ2024 DRAFT AGENDA

Wednesday, April 3, 2024
Thursday, April 4, 2024
Friday, April 5, 2024
Saturday, April 6, 2024
Sunday, April 7, 2024

All sessions, as well as registration, exhibits and breaks, took place at one of the following (unless otherwise indicated):

• Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 3680 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (campus maps)
• Annenberg School for Communication, 3620 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (campus maps)
• Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel, 3549 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (floor map)

It’s a two-block walk from the Sheraton to the Annenberg Center. Disabled attendees can hop on a golf cart between the two locations. Details here.

It's critically important to SEJ to gather evidence on the impact of our work. So we're tracking stories inspired by or informed by our conference in Philadelphia. The stories don't have to be about Philly or Pennsylvania; they can be based on sources or ideas you got from being at the conference. Please help us to keep SEJ strong and share links, photos, copies of reporting generated or informed by this conference. Send your story links to Cindy MacDonald, SEJ's Web content manager, to post on our multimedia coverage page. It's never too late. Please send yours! Moderators, speakers, tour leaders: We also welcome resources, tipsheets, etc., from sessions or tours that you wish to share.

Wednesday, April 3, 2024

SEJ Registration for Workshop Participants Only

7:00 – 10:00 a.m. Location: Benjamin Ballroom Foyer, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel This time frame is for workshop speakers and attendees only to register. Registration opens for everyone else today at 2:00 p.m. at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (see below).

All-Day Workshops

Workshop 1. Policy at a Watershed Scale: Local Lessons, Collective Solutions

8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ($75 fee, includes breakfast and lunch)
Location: William Penn Suite, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

River systems connect communities across boundaries, enabling commerce and holding ecosystems together. These watersheds are increasingly threatened by climate change and pollution, yet their management is often disjointed and siloed, excluding disadvantaged voices and leading to critical gaps in environmental protection, planning and adaptation. What would it mean to manage, regulate and live with watersheds more collectively in the U.S. and beyond? At this workshop, presented by the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, journalists will discover new ways to cover watershed-scale governance solutions, taking lessons from the Chesapeake, Delaware, Mississippi and Colorado basins and beyond. And we’ll challenge the tragedy of the commons as we hear grassroots and Indigenous perspectives about communal approaches to fishing and farming. SEJ members and journalists only. Space is limited; preregistration required. Coverage.

Emcee: Sara Shipley Hiles, Executive Director, Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk and Representative for the Academic Membership, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists

SCHEDULE 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. Coffee/breakfast available

8:30 – 8:45 a.m. Welcome, Introductions and Plan for the Day

8:45 – 10:15 a.m. Panel/Q&A 1: Beyond Extraction, Across Boundaries
We’ll learn from experts in major U.S. river basins about the promise and pitfalls of collective governance solutions such as multi-party compacts and restoration plans and “rights of nature” approaches — where they exist, what they can achieve and their limitations, in the context of pressures from agriculture, industry, climate change and more. We’ll also interrogate the impact of voluntary measures to limit pollution and hear ideas for bringing new voices and systemic perspectives both into our coverage and into policy conversations.

Moderator: Tegan Wendland, Editorial Director, Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk

Speakers:
Elizabeth Koebele, Associate Professor of Political Science and Associate Director of the Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences, University of Nevada-Reno
Elizabeth “Beth” Koniers Brown, Director, External Affairs and Communications, Delaware River Basin Commission
Kelly McGinnis, Executive Director, Mississippi River Network
Fred Tutman, Patuxent Riverkeeper

10:15 – 10:30 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Panel/Q&A 2: Challenging the Tragedy of the Commons
This panel will explore how the consolidation and enclosure of land and water harms ecosystems and their caretakers. The “tragedy of the commons” is often used as a basis for the privatization and top-down management of natural resources — yet this can have catastrophic impacts, as we’ve seen with corporate consolidation in agriculture and fisheries. Featuring Indigenous, grassroots and systemic perspectives, this session will explore those impacts, and uplift alternative models, including small-scale food production and community-based natural resource management in North America and beyond. Attendees will learn best practices on sourcing from on the ground, a clear understanding of the links between consolidation and environmental issues, and food for thought on how to question the status quo in environmental reporting.

Moderator: Josh To, Producer, A Growing Culture

Speakers:
Yessenia Funes, Editor-at-Large, Atmos; Founding Member, The Uproot Project; and Columnist, Society of Environmental Journalists
Kellyn LaCour-Conant, Program Strategist, Climate and Ecology, Taproot Earth
BJ McManama, Public Relations and Web Manager, Indigenous Environmental Network
Kermit O, Philly-born Abolitionist Researcher and Organizer
Jillian Waln, Director of Storytelling, Siċaŋġu Lakota Nation
Feini Yin, Freelance Journalist and Fisheries Specialist

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch Talk: Covering Identity and Policy in Two Great Watersheds

In a short conversation over lunch, journalists will hear how the Ag & Water Desk’s reporting brings together policy and cultural lessons from two storied drainage basins facing similar challenges with unique approaches: the Mississippi River and Great Lakes. A reporter and editor will talk about covering multi-state compacts in these two watersheds, and about findings from our 2023 study of public environmental beliefs in the Mississippi basin, conducted in partnership with the Missouri School of Journalism.

Speakers:
Madeline Heim, Environment Reporter, Ag & Water Desk/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Tegan Wendland, Editorial Director, Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk

1:00 – 2:30 p.m. Interactive Brainstorm: Watershed Story & System Mapping

Using The New School’s Systems Thinking for Journalists approach, we’ll identify coverage opportunities, potentially across newsroom boundaries, that can shed light on what’s missing or disconnected in how our home watersheds are protected and managed. Journalists and experts will work in small groups to map out the forces, connections and gaps that shape key watershed issues, such as agricultural runoff and water extraction or flood adaptation and managed retreat. Once we’ve all had a chance to add ideas to others’ maps, we’ll reconvene to share what we’ve learned about the wide-ranging forces that make or break a healthy, inclusive, resilient watershed, and new ways we can tell their stories.

Moderator: Annie Ropeik, Assistant Director, Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk; Freelance Journalist; and Secretary, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists

2:30 – 3:00 p.m. Report-Out and Wrap-Up

Workshop 2. Combating Climate and Science Disinformation

8:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. ($75 fee, includes breakfast and lunch)
Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom 1 – 3, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Despite some major breakthroughs over the past decade that have helped the public to understand the origins of climate denial, journalists have barely scratched the surface of the complex issue of climate disinformation. In this workshop we’ll look at the history of climate disinformation — before, during and after climate science denial; dig into what the disinformation problem says about the public’s trust in the media and how climate journalists can rebuild that trust; talk about how exactly to cover climate disinformation — at the national and local level, across multiple industries and in ways that don’t just amplify the problem; and hear from leading journalists on this beat about how particular climate disinfo stories came together and what impact they had. Plus, a lunchtime discussion with Michael Mann, author of “The New Climate War” and one of the climate scientists at the center of the trumped-up “ClimateGate” scandal, and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, author of “Cyberwar," "Creating Conspiracy Beliefs," "Democracy Amid Crisis” and numerous other books. We’ll have lots of opportunities for attendees to ask questions and follow up with our expert panelists. SEJ members and journalists only. Space is limited; preregistration required. Coverage.

• Resource list

Note: Floodlight and Drilled are conducting a deeper-dive, invite-only workshop for a smaller group of journalists on Thursday, April 4, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. This second-day workshop is not an SEJ event. 

SCHEDULE

8:00 a.m. Coffee/breakfast available

8:30 – 8:45 a.m. Welcome, Introductions, Questions, Set the Stage

Emcees:
Emily Holden, Executive Director, Floodlight
Amy Westervelt, Executive Editor, DRILLED

8:45 – 10:15 a.m. Session 1: How Did We Get Here? It’s Not Just Big Oil!
It’s not just Big Oil, and the climate disinformation crisis we’re dealing with today doesn’t begin or end with climate science denial, either. Today’s climate disinformation is part of a continuum that begins with how polluting industries shaped our concepts of the environment and the economy more than a century ago, long before anyone was worrying about global warming. Understanding that history is critical to grasping how these industries are operating today, particularly now that the fossil fuel industry in particular has moved past old-school climate science denial and onto what sociologists call “discourses of delay.” In this panel we’ll set the context for folks, and inspire them to widen the lens of what they might consider a climate disinformation story.

Moderator: Amy Westervelt, Executive Editor, DRILLED
Speakers:
Melissa Aronczyk, Professor of Media Studies, Rutgers University and Co-Author, “A Strategic Nature: Public Relations and the Politics of Environmentalism”
Jenny Splitter, Editor-in-Chief, Sentient Media
Geoffrey Supran, Professor of Environmental Science & Policy and Director of Climate Accountability Lab, University of Miami
Itai Vardi, Research and Communications Manager, Energy and Policy Institute

10:15 – 10:30 a.m. Coffee break

10:30 – 11:00 a.m. Session 2: Covering Disinformation Without Amplifying It Or Losing Audience
As the climate crisis intensifies, journalism about it can feel darker and darker. Facing a fear that readers might begin to tune out, one response has been to focus on more hopeful stories with a solutions focus. But doing so at the expense of illuminating major obstacles like disinformation is not in the public interest. This panel will focus on how to engage your audience while navigating the line between despair and hope. It features experts in cultivating the trust of local audiences, reimagining civic engagement and avoiding amplifying disinformation.

Moderator: Emily Holden, Executive Director, Floodlight

Speakers:
Shannon Jankowski, Interim Sy Syms Director, U.S. Free Expression Programs, PEN America
Phil Newell, Associate Director, Science Defense, Climate Nexus
Akshat Rathi, Senior Reporter for Climate, Bloomberg News and Author, “Climate Capitalism: Winning the Global Race to Zero Emissions”

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Table Talks with Experts
This is an opportunity for attendees to connect directly with experts from today’s workshop. An expert will be stationed at each table. We will provide a few prompt questions, but the discussions will be largely self-directed.

Fossil Fuel Industry Denial and Propaganda:
Kert Davies, Director of Special Investigations, Center for Climate Integrity and Founder, Climate Investigations Center
Phil Newell, Associate Director, Science Defense, Climate Nexus
Geoffrey Supran, Professor of Environmental Science & Policy and Director of Climate Accountability Lab, University of Miami

Public Relations and Environmental Communications:
Melissa Aronczyk, Professor of Media Studies, Rutgers University and Co-Author, “A Strategic Nature: Public Relations and the Politics of Environmentalism”

Utility Industry Disinformation:
Itai Vardi, Research and Communications Manager, Energy and Policy Institute

Spanish-Language Misinformation Targeting Latinos:
Elice Rojas-Cruz, Managing Director, Climate Power En Acción

First Amendment Issues:
Shannon Jankowski, Interim Sy Syms Director, U.S. Free Expression Programs, PEN America

Climate Litigation:
Ben Franta, Senior Research Fellow in Climate Litigation, Oxford Sustainable Law Programme and Founding Head, Climate Litigation Lab, Oxford University

How to Promote Your Reporting on TV/Radio:
Liz Trotter, Founder and Executive Director, Full Set Communications

12:00 – 12:15 p.m. Retrieve Lunch

12:15 – 1:00 p.m. Lunchtime Session: The Intersection Between Disinformation Research and Climate Science
A conversation about disinformation, climate science denial and how both have evolved over the years.

Moderator: Rick Weiss, Director, SciLine

Speakers:
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor of Communication, Annenberg School for Communication and Director, Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania
Michael Mann, Presidential Distinguished Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Science and Director, Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media, University of Pennsylvania

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Session 3: Covering Disinformation
So … how do we cover these stories? How do we start to educate the public about the prevalence of disinformation without making them skeptical of everything (including climate experts)? What are some of the pitfalls to look out for? How do stories differ for local and national audiences? In this panel featuring a mix of national and local reporters — as well as audio, print and TV reporters — we’ll get into the nuts and bolts of how to approach this beat and where reporters of all kinds might look for angles and sources.

Moderator: Miranda Green, Director of Investigations, Floodlight

Speakers:
Mario Ariza, Investigative Reporter, Floodlight
Reid Frazier, Energy Reporter, The Allegheny Front | StateImpact Pennsylvania
Amy Westervelt, Executive Editor, DRILLED

2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Session 4: Lightning Story Talk
Let’s hear from journalists about some of the stories they’ve been working on in the climate disinformation space. Highlighting stories from a range of sectors, including finance, politics, health and culture, we’ll show attendees just how many different directions the climate disinfo beat can go in, and leave them plenty of time to ask questions about how to pursue these sorts of stories.

Emcee: Emily Atkin, Editor-in-Chief, HEATED Presenters:

Workshop 3. Covering the Energy Transition: Who Wins, Who Loses?

8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ($75 fee, includes breakfast and lunch)
Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom 4 – 5, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Renewable energy projects are needed to stem the climate crisis and clean our air and water. But they also mean more extraction of minerals such as lithium, new waste streams and vastly expanded power-grid infrastructure that will affect ecosystems and small-town economies. We’ll examine the environmental and social justice aspects of this major transition, both cradle-to-grave and project-to-project. Join leading energy reporters and experts to learn the ins and outs of covering utilities and new energy projects, including examining siting criteria, cumulative impacts, Conditional Use Permits and Environmental Impact Statements. This workshop will give reporters the tools they need to cover the endless new infrastructure and money trails of the energy transition, and find the environmental and social justice winners and losers in their regions. SEJ members and journalists only. Space is limited; preregistration required. Coverage.

Organizer: Sammy Roth, Climate Columnist, Los Angeles Times

Emcee: Rebecca Leber, Independent Climate Journalist and First Vice President, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists

SCHEDULE 8:00 – 8:30 a.m. Coffee/breakfast available

8:30 – 8:45 a.m. Welcome, Introductions and Plan for the Day

8:45 – 10:15 a.m. Session 1: Consequences of Clean Energy
We need solar panels, wind turbines and lithium-ion batteries to confront the climate crisis. So how should journalists respond when critics say those technologies aren’t so environmentally friendly, pointing to habitat destruction, bird deaths and desecration of sites sacred to Native American tribes? This session will help journalists sort fact from fiction, develop strategies for evaluating the environmental tradeoffs and understand more broadly the balance between local harms and global benefits to people and animals.

Moderator: Janet Wilson, Senior Environment Reporter, The Desert Sun/USA Today

Speakers:
Matt Eisenson, Senior Fellow, Renewable Energy Legal Defense Initiative, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia University
Jael Holzman, Energy and Climate Reporter, Axios

10:15 – 10:30 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Session 2: Follow the Money
The clean energy transition isn’t necessarily smooth. This session will focus on both the monetary costs and benefits of electrification and clean technology, and the obstacles driving up costs. We’ll cover topics like volatile electricity bills, corporate profits and stakes for taxpayers. Reporters should come away with ideas and tools for how to dig into national trends and engage in watchdog reporting on local utilities.

Moderator: Rebecca Leber, Independent Climate Journalist and First Vice President, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists

Speakers:
Dan Gearino, Reporter, Inside Climate News
David Pomerantz, Executive Director, Energy and Policy Institute
Emily Pontecorvo, Staff Writer, Heatmap

12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch Session
A conversation between Floodlight investigative reporter Kristi Swartz and Dr. Karl Hausker, a former top official at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and currently a senior fellow at the World Resources Institute’s Climate Program. They’ll discuss what it will take to transition to 100% clean energy in the United States without causing blackouts — and while generating enough power to supply hundreds of millions of electric cars, heat pumps and induction stoves. What are the technical, economic and political barriers remaining, and how can we solve them?

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Session 3: Environmental Justice
The transition to clean energy holds promise for improving health in communities hit hardest by pollution and climate change, from electric vehicles and appliances to solar panels and an end to oil drilling in neighborhoods. But this transformation has the potential to magnify inequality along lines of race and class. Low-income people and communities of color stand to carry too many of the burdens of renewable energy and electrification and reap too few benefits. This session will help journalists with effective approaches to reporting on the energy transition through a lens of equity, inclusion and justice, and how to sensitively tell stories that lift up environmental justice communities without perpetuating existing fossil-fueled disparities.

Moderator: Tony Barboza, Editorial Writer, Los Angeles Times; and Treasurer and Finance Chair, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists

Speakers:
Melba Newsome, Independent Journalist and Director, Wake Forest University Environmental and Epistemic Justice Journalism Initiative
Victoria St. Martin, Health and Environmental Justice Reporter, Inside Climate News
Lylla Younes, Senior Staff Writer, Grist

2:00 – 3:00 p.m. Session 4: Beyond Solar and Wind
Solar panels, wind turbines and lithium-ion batteries can do most of the work to replace fossil fuels, but they won’t be enough. When should we be skeptical of clean energy options that haven’t proven themselves yet, and when should we take them seriously? This session will focus on how journalists who aren’t energy experts should evaluate technologies such as green hydrogen, long-duration storage, carbon capture, next-generation nuclear reactors and more.

Moderator: Julian Spector, Senior Reporter, Canary Media

Speakers:
Justine Calma, Senior Science Reporter, Verge
Cat Clifford, Senior Science and Economics Correspondent, Cipher News
Casey Crownhart, Climate Reporter, MIT Technology Review
Michelle Ma, Clean Tech Reporter, Bloomberg

SEJ Registration and Info Table

2:00 – 7:30 p.m.
Location: Lobby, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Pick up your badge and conference materials. Find information about SEJ, our award winners, membership and other services. If you didn’t sign up for a Thursday tour, the Saturday evening party at the Brooklyn Bowl or Sunday program at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, there might still be room (ticketed events with extra fee) — check with registration and sign up there.

Afternoon Meet and Greet

3:30 – 5:30 p.m.
Location: Plaza/Lobby, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Grab a drink and snacks and chat with folks from UPenn’s 12 schools, FactCheck.org and the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media, or peruse the art exhibition Risky Beauty: Aesthetics and Climate Change, next door at the Annenberg School for Communication forum and plaza lobby. Meet up with old friends or make new ones. Check out the networking map for options.

Welcome Diversity, SHERF, Wm Penn Foundation and Ag&Water Desk Fellows! You are invited and encouraged to go to the nearby Stats Essentials for Math-Averse Reporters workshop, and then gather at the tables on the lower level following the workshop.

This event is sponsored by the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania.

Stats Essentials for Math-Averse Reporters

4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Location: Room 500, Annenberg School for Communication, 5th Floor (map) Enter the building through the Walnut Street doors. Once you pass the security desk, continue into the lobby, and make a right to the elevator room. Take the elevator to the 3rd floor. Exit the elevator, make a right, another right, and then a left toward a set of double doors. Take the double doors and follow the corridor to the end. The elevator is on the right. Take it to the 5th floor to get to room 500.

Many journalists lack confidence when including numbers in their reporting, or fear misrepresenting data when covering facts and figures, studies or technical reports. This session aims to take the stress out of reporting on the numbers that could be crucial to your next story. We’ll cover concepts such as risk and odds, correlation strength, absolute and relative numbers, and p-values and how to use them in your reporting; how to tell how much uncertainty exists around a finding and judge the strength of that finding; statistical red flags in a study; and including numbers in your stories in ways that are accessible and meaningful to your audience.

Presenters:
Tori Espensen, Scientific Outreach Manager, SciLine
Emily Mueller, Scientific Outreach Manager, SciLine

Opening Reception and Dinner

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Location: Plaza/Lobby, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Join up with your prearranged dinner gathering, check the networking map for options or just mingle and grab a seat anywhere. You'll find extra seating downstairs and in the tent on the plaza. Then, at 7:00 p.m., the theatre doors open for the evening program. Tables:

• Diversity, SHERF, Wm Penn Foundation and Ag&Water Desk Fellows
  Discussion leaders: Karla Mendes and Annie Ropeik
  Where: Tables 1-9, Lower Level
• Michigan State University
  Discussion leader: Dave Poulson
  Where: Tables 11 and 12

Opening Program: Welcome to Philly!

7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Location: Zellerbach Theatre, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

We'll get an eye-opening lightning-round preview of UPenn's environmental-related research and efforts. And, you'll want to stick around till the end when our co-chairs showcase their city, its foods and sports craziness, and you'll hear from the Philly Youth Poet Laureate and take a virtual artistic tour through the city's amazing street murals and environmental justice history. Embedded inside the fun, we'll hear from our UPenn hosts and disinformation warriors — Kathleen Hall Jamieson and Michael Mann — who together have quite a story to tell about disinformation overwhelming our world and what we might be able to do about it, and they're ready to help lead an army of environmental journalists into battle! Coverage.

Emcees:
Meg McGuire, Founder, Delaware Currents and #SEJ2024 Conference Chair
Feini Yin, Freelance Journalist and Fisheries Specialist

Land Acknowledgement: Jeremy Johnson, Cultural Education Director, Delaware Tribe of Indians

Speakers (in order of appearance):
Dawn Bonnell, Senior Vice Provost for Research, University of Pennsylvania
Rick Weiss, Director, SciLine
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Elizabeth Ware Packard Professor of Communication, Annenberg School for Communication and Director, Annenberg Public Policy Center, University of Pennsylvania
Michael Mann, Presidential Distinguished Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Science and Director, Penn Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media, University of Pennsylvania
Katie Barott, Assistant Professor of Biology, Penn Arts & Sciences, University of Pennsylvania
William Braham, Professor of Architecture, Weitzman School of Design, Center for Environmental Building + Design, and Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, University of Pennsylvania
Joseph Francisco, President’s Distinguished Professor, Departments of Chemistry and Earth & Environmental Science, Penn Arts & Sciences
Dipti Pitta, Mark Whittier and Lila Griswold Allam Associate Professor of Ruminant Nutrition, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine
Jennifer Pinto-Martin, Viola MacInnes/Independence Professor of Nursing, Biobehavioral Health Sciences, Penn Nursing, and Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Simon Richter, Professor of German, Penn Arts & Sciences, and Penn Program in Environmental Humanities, University of Pennsylvania
Eurhi Jones, Artist, Mural Arts Philadelphia: "Beautify. Inspire. Empower."
Oyewumi Oyeniyi, Author and Youth Poet Laureate of Philadelphia

Thursday, April 4, 2024

SEJ Registration for Tour Participants Only

5:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Location: Benjamin Ballroom Foyer, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

This time frame is for tour speakers and attendees only to register. Registration opens for everyone else today at 3:00 p.m. at the Sheraton (see below).

All-Day Tours

Advance registration is required for all Thursday tours. Attendance on each tour is strictly limited, so registering early is important. Departure times vary, but all Thursday tours will return to the Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel about 5:00 p.m. Planning is still underway, so keep up to date by checking back here or by subscribing to our Annual Conference email list. For those looking for some exercise, tours 3, 5, and 6 are your best options. Other tours involve moderate exercise. Tours 4, 8, and 9 are best suited for those with limited mobility. Departure times vary (see below), but Thursday All-Day Tours will meet at the Sheraton Philadelphia University City Ballroom Foyer 30 minutes prior to departure. Coffee and Water stations will be available, so bring your water bottle.

All-Day Tour 1. Chesapeake Challenge: Pollution Diet, Farm Runoff and Environmental Justice

5:30 a.m. departure ($75 fee, includes lunch and snacks)

After 40 years of trying and billions upon billions of dollars spent, the nation’s largest estuary is still in so-so shape. The much-heralded federal-state restoration “partnership” is about to blow past its fourth pollution cleanup deadline, with farm runoff proving particularly difficult to control. Some are questioning whether a changed and changing Bay can ever be really restored, given climate change and population growth. They’re also pointing out how the restoration effort has neglected the environmental justice needs of the watershed’s disadvantaged communities. Join us for a day-long trip through a slice of the 64,000-square-mile Bay drainage basin. We plan to visit historic Havre de Grace at the head of the Chesapeake, where invasive blue catfish threaten to devour the Bay’s iconic blue crabs and other native species. Next we’ll visit Conowingo Dam, a hydro facility on the lower Susquehanna River that’s controversial for its impact on fish migration and water quality. Then we’ll swing north into Pennsylvania farm country to witness the struggle there to get a handle on runoff. Along the way we’ll hear from restoration leaders, scientists and environmental activists, who’ll share their varying perspectives on the once and future Bay. Total drive time: 4.5 hours.

Tour Leaders:
Elizabeth DeOrnellas, Environment/Agriculture Reporter, LNP | LancasterOnline
Timothy Wheeler, Associate Editor/Senior Writer, Bay Journal and Chair, Freedom of Information Task Force, Society of Environmental Journalists

Speakers:
Matt Ashton, Biologist, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Bill Dennison, Interim President, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Brian Eckman, Owner / Operator, Eckman Acres Farm
Ted Evgeniadis, Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper
Lamonte Garber, Water Restoration Coordinator, Stroud Water Research Center
Hilary Harp Falk, President and Chief Executive Officer, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Denice Heller Wardrop, Executive Director, Chesapeake Research Consortium and Research Professor of Geography, Pennsylvania State University
John Jackson, Senior Research Scientist, Stroud Water Research Center
Claire Landis, President, Donegal Trout Unlimited
Adam Ortiz, Regional Administrator, Mid-Atlantic, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Brittany Smith, Agriculture Project Manager, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Zach Taylor, Freshwater Mussel Hatchery Manager, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Fred Tutman, Patuxent Riverkeeper
Branson Williams, Invasive Fish Program Manager, Maryland Department of Natural Resources

All-Day Tour 2. Pennsylvania’s Fossil Fuel Legacy

6:00 a.m. departure ($75 fee, includes lunch and snacks)

Attendees are advised to wear shoes suitable for dirt or gravel surfaces.

Coal mining has fueled industry in Pennsylvania and heated its homes. It has also left it with a legacy of abandoned mines, waste coal heaps and polluted waterways. The tour will begin in coal country among the mountains of Schuylkill County. We will visit land scarred by anthracite coal mining dating back to the mid-1800s as well as projects to restore mine lands and treat abandoned mine drainage. On our way back to Philadelphia we will visit residents along Energy Transfer’s Mariner East natural gas liquids pipelines in Chester County. The pipelines were built to carry the state’s latest fossil fuel – Marcellus Shale gas, and stretch 350 miles across Pennsylvania. But almost immediately after construction began in 2017, it caused dozens of drilling mud spills into wetlands and waterways, led to dangerous sinkholes and polluted drinking water supplies across the entire length of the project. We visit the site where some of the most damage occurred and learn how the state’s environmental regulations failed to protect residents and the environment. Total drive time: 4 hours.

Tour Leaders:
Bernard Brown, Managing Editor, Grid Magazine
Susan Phillips, Senior Reporter/Editor, WHYY (Philadelphia) News Climate Desk

Speakers:
Chris “PK” DiGiulio, Environmental Chemist, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania and Co-Founder, Watchdogs of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Danielle Friel Otten, Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives (District 155)
Ginny Marcille-Kerslake, Resident, West Whiteland Township, Chester County; Geologist, West Whiteland Township Planning Board; and Organizer, Food and Water Watch
David Masur, Executive Director, PennEnvironment
Megan McDonough, Pennsylvania State Director, Food & Water Watch
Lora Snyder, Resident, Edgmont Township, Delaware County; Volunteer Community Environmental Advocate; Co-Founder, Watchdogs for Southeastern PA; and Licensed Occupational Therapist

All-Day Tour 3. Delaware Water Gap: Taken Land, Water Wars and an Uncertain Future

6:30 a.m. departure ($75 fee, includes lunch and snacks)

A history of epic water and land wars and injustice define the Delaware River Basin, the source of drinking water for more than 14 million people and the longest free-flowing river in the Eastern U.S. About 4,000 families were forced from their homes in the 1960s when the federal government proposed a dam on the Delaware River to create a reservoir and recreation area. But after years of protests from environmentalists, the dam was canceled and the land turned over to the National Park Service. Today the middle reach of the river is protected as Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and some environmental groups want to turn it into a national park — a proposal facing fierce opposition. This tour will go deep into the Water Gap to hear from those who lost their land, the history of battles over the river’s water, who’s advocating for and against national park status, and what the future holds for the Middle and Upper Delaware as the region grapples with climate change and water stress. We’ll stop for short hikes to waterfalls and to access the river. Wear sturdy shoes. Total drive time: 4.5 hours. Coverage.

Tour Leaders:
Tom Henry, Environmental-Energy Writer, The (Toledo) Blade
Bobby Magill, Water and Public Lands Reporter, Bloomberg Law and Member, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists

Speakers:
Kara Deutsch, Chief of Resource Management and Science, National Park Service
John Donahue, President/Executive Director, Pinchot Institute for Conservation and former Superintendent, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, National Park Service
Sandy Hull, Director, Delaware Water Gap Defense Fund
Kelly Knutson, Director, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed, National Wildlife Federation
Elizabeth “Beth” Koniers Brown, Director, External Affairs and Communications, Delaware River Basin Commission
Lindsey Kurnath, Superintendent, Upper Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River, National Park Service
Amy McHugh, Deputy Delaware River Master, U.S. Geological Survey
David Pierce, Journalist and Author, “Tocks Island: Dammed if You Do”
Levi Randoll, Cultural Preservation Chair, Delaware Tribe of Indians
Kathleen Sandt, Public Affairs Specialist, National Park Service
Doyle Sapp, Superintendent, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, National Park Service
Meagan Schaefer, Communications Manager, Coalition for the Delaware River Watershed, National Wildlife Federation
Kate Schmidt, Communications Specialist, Delaware River Basin Commission

All-Day Tour 4. Delaware’s Holy Trinity: Balancing Environmental Justice in Cities, Farms & Beaches

7:00 a.m. departure ($75 fee, includes lunch and snacks)

Delaware has a secret to share. The lowest lying state in the union, where in some places the land is less than one foot above sea level, is a harbinger of climate change impacts. Coastal flooding from both ocean and inland bays is commonplace and increasing with the warming planet. With pristine beaches, and a $4 billion annual tourism industry driving 10 million people to its shorelines, the Delaware secret is about environmental justice. Hiding in the sand is inner city conflict between access to natural resources, people and place in downtown Wilmington. Just below the surface are aquifers where lead and nitrates poison nearly all of the underground wells. Drinking water for school kids is lead-contaminated. Alongside the multi-million-dollar homes, and the millions of federal dollars earmarked for the best mid-Atlantic migratory bird flyover stops, runs the $7.25 billion chicken industry and concerns about migrant labor at factory poultry farms. This duality is known to many Delawareans. Come with us to Wilmington, Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Milton and a working poultry farm in Middletown, Delaware to learn how these conflicts can co-exist. Total drive time: 4 hours. Coverage.

Tour Leaders:
Cheryl Hogue, Independent Environmental Journalist
Rachel Sawicki, New Castle County Reporter, Delaware Public Media
Mike Smith, Staff Reporter – Environment, Coastal Point

Speakers:
Ryan Greer, Poultry Farmer/Producer, Perdue Farms
Susan Guiteras, Supervisory Wildlife Biologist, Coastal Delaware National Wildlife Refuge
Karen Igou, Project Manager, Green Building United
Mike Levengood, Vice President, Chief Animal Care Officer and Farmer Relationship Advocate, Perdue Farms
Jeffrey Richardson, Member, Board of Directors, Network Delaware and President/Chief Executive Officer, Imani Energy Inc.
Kate Toniolo, Project Leader, Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge
Matthew Williams, Director, Dupont Environmental Education Center, Delaware Nature Society
Bart Wilson, Regional Geomorphologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

All-Day Tour 5. Revolutionary Raptors: Hawk Mountain’s Role in Equity and Ecology

7:30 a.m. departure ($75 fee, includes lunch and snacks)

Attendees are advised to wear hiking boots or shoes with good traction and dress for the weather.

In 1945, Rachel Carson visited Pennsylvania’s Hawk Mountain to catch a glimpse of the iconic birds of prey the mountain is famous for. She wrote about the “elemental landscape” in “the sweep of all the winds out of a great emptiness of sky,” and the thrill of spotting a hawk in the distance, sharpening from a blur into an “unmistakable silhouette..etched on the gray.” On this tour, which will take place during the 90th anniversary of the Hawk Mountain sanctuary, we’ll visit the same lookout where Carson once perched, binoculars in hand; hear about the sanctuary’s pioneering founder, the conservationist Rosalie Edge; listen to stories about the Lenape connection to this landscape; hike with birder Jason Hall, who leads Philadelphia’s inclusive In Color Birding club; and learn about raptor research at the mountain, ongoing since 1934. This tour includes moderate hiking. Total drive time: 4 hours. Coverage.

Tour Leaders:
Kiersten Adams, Freelance Writer
Kiley Bense, Reporter, Inside Climate News
Breanna Draxler, Senior Editor, YES! Magazine

Speakers:
Dave Barber, Senior Research Biologist,  Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
Todd Bauman, Director of Stewardship, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
Jamie Dawson, Director of Education, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
Laurie Goodrich, Director of Conservation Science, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
Sean Grace, President, Hawk Mountain Sanctuary
Jason Hall, Founder, In Color Birding Club
Jeremy Johnson, Cultural Education Director, Delaware Tribe of Indians

All-Day Tour 6. From Farmbelt to Pinelands: The Hidden Rural Lands (and Stories) of New Jersey

8:00 a.m. departure ($75 fee, includes lunch and snacks)

This tour will reveal the rich farming and rural history of the low, fertile lands in a part of southern New Jersey few people know about, and include a vast protected area known as the Pinelands, home of the Jersey Devil. The area was farmed for centuries by Lenni Lenape, or original people, until European settlers began taking land through grants in the late 1600s. We’ll visit family-owned, preserved A.T. Buzby Farm, which sells direct to customers. We’ll stop at the 63-acre Cohanzick Nature Reserve on land recently returned to ownership of the nonprofit Native American Advancement Corporation. We’ll visit Upper Deerfield township, once the site of the world’s largest industrial vegetable farm, Seabrook Farms. During the 1920s through 1950s, its workforce included southern U.S. Black migrant workers, Japanese-American refugees from World War II internment camps and displaced people from Estonia and other countries. We will visit a museum near the farm site and learn of the rise and fall of large-scale vegetable farming. At lunch, we’ll head to the Pinelands, the nation’s first national reserve that includes 1 million acres of protected pine barrens, Atlantic white cedar, oak and hundreds of miles of pristine lakes, streams and rivers. We’ll take a roughly two-mile guided hike of the Pinelands starting at Batsto Historic Village with a picturesque lake where America’s revolutionaries were supplied with cannonballs. The hike will be led by the Outdoor Club of South Jersey and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. It will take us on the Batona (BAck TO NAture) and 1808 trails. If you can’t hike far, there will be an optional tour of the historic village, as well as access to the visitor center and picnic area. A state historian and forester will be on hand to answer questions and speak about the critical role wildfire plays on forest health. Total drive time: 4.5 hours. Coverage.

Tour Leaders:
Frank Kummer, Environmental Reporter, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Christine Woodside, Freelance Journalist and Author

Speakers:
Susan Bachor, Historic Preservation Officer, Delaware Tribe of Indians
Eric Buzby, Owner/Farmer, A.T. Buzby Farm
James Douglas, Communications, Assistant Commissioner's Office for State Parks, Forests & Historic Sites
John Earlin Jr., Section Forest Fire Warden, New Jersey Forest Fire Service
Larry Ericksen, Executive Director, Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center
Rebecca Fitzgerald, Administrator, New Jersey State Park Service
Chris Ford, Superintendent, Wharton State Forest
Tyrese Gould Jacinto, President and Chief Executive Officer, Native American Advancement Corp. and Member, Nanticoke Lenni-Lenape Nation
John Hebble, Resource Interpretive Specialist - Historic Resources, Batsto Village, Wharton State Forest
Sam Hensen, Regional Forester, New Jersey Forest Service
Ro Mason, Coordinator of Volunteers, Outdoor Club of South Jersey
Trevor Raynor, Assistant Division Forest Fire Warden, New Jersey Forest Fire Service
John Seabrook, Journalist, Author and grandson of Seabrook Farms founder C.F. Seabrook
Andrew Urban, Assistant Professor of American Studies and History, Rutgers University
Sally Willig, Lecturer & Academic Advisor, Master of Environmental Studies Program, University of Pennsylvania
Todd Wyckoff, State Forester, New Jersey Forest Service

All-Day Tour 7. Stay or Go? Development vs. Open Space on New Jersey’s Ecological Jewel, the Delaware Bayshore

8:30 a.m. departure ($75 fee, includes lunch and snacks)

Scientists and conservationists often refer to New Jersey’s Delaware Bay shoreline as the “Serengeti of the West,” for its vast natural beauty and hundreds of animal, avian and fish species that rely on it to survive. For the few humans who live here, a different phrase comes to mind: “the forgotten coast.” That a 70-mile stretch of essentially untouched coastline even exists in the most densely populated state in the nation is a staggering thought. But what makes this reality even more surprising is that New Jersey’s Atlantic coast — the “Jersey Shore” — is developed to the hilt with million-dollar real estate. This dichotomy has created a simmering resentment on the “Bayshore,” where some residents feel abandoned by the state government. Indeed, in recent years, as sea level rises and the Bayshore’s land rapidly erodes, the state of New Jersey has actively pushed for the region’s residents to sell back their properties so that they may return to open space. We’ll travel along a stretch of this desolate yet intensely beautiful coast. First we’ll stop at the hamlet of Money Island, where we’ll talk with a resident who refuses to leave and tour a rehabilitated shoreline that was once a part of the town with representatives of the American Littoral Society. Next, we’ll have lunch at the Bayshore Center at Bivalve, where we’ll explore the past, present and future of New Jersey’s shellfish industry. Finally, we’ll visit the Cape May Water Department to learn about how they are increasingly battling with saltwater intrusion. Total drive time: 4 hours. Coverage.

Tour Leaders:
Andrew Lewis, Freelance Journalist and Author, “The Drowning of Money Island”
Michael Sol Warren, Producer, NJ Spotlight News

Speakers:
Rob Cummiskey, Superintendent, City of Cape May Water/Sewer Utility
Rachel Dolhanczyk, Museum Curator, Bayshore Center at Bivalve
Shane Godshall, Habitat Restoration Project Manager, American Littoral Society
Tom Herrington, Associate Director, Urban Coast Institute, Monmouth University
Shawn LaTourette, Commissioner, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Tony Novak, Resident, Money Island
Toni Rose Tablante, Habitat Restoration Technician, American Littoral Society
Courtney Wald-Wittkop, Blue Acres 3.0 Program Manager, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Jessica Yorke, Executive Director, Bayshore Center at Bivalve

All-Day Tour 8. Burning Issue: The Battle for Environmental Justice in Fenceline Communities

9:00 a.m. departure ($75 fee, includes lunch and snacks)

On both sides of the Delaware River in Philadelphia and New Jersey, historically marginalized communities are used to breathing unhealthy air coming from the smokestacks of polluting industries. In South Philadelphia, a now-shuttered oil refinery — which once processed 335,000 barrels of crude oil each day and practically looks like a city in itself — was once the largest source of particulate air pollution in the city. After a series of back-to-back explosions in 2019, nearby residents fought back to shut down the refinery. And they succeeded. But today, the land still remains empty, leaving residents wondering about the fate of the property. Meanwhile, across the river in Camden, a waste incinerator still stands despite multiple rallying cries from residents to shut it down. Even a Greenpeace climate activist once came in the early 1990s to protest the city’s waste incinerator, climbing up to the top of the smokestack and dropping a massive banner. But despite the industries plaguing the area, community members are tackling a variety of solutions the best they can to counteract some of the area’s dirtiest secrets, whether that’s through urban farming, community gardens or building coalitions. On this environmental justice and community solutions tour, you’ll hear from the scientists, community advocates and government officials who are working on these complex issues, visit some of the most at-risk places by walking along the fenceline, and hopefully enjoy a hearty lunch sourced from local community gardens. Total drive time: 2.5 hours.

Tour Leaders:
Jordan Gass-Pooré, Creator/Host, “Hazard NJ” podcast (NJ Spotlight News/NJ PBS)
Rachel Ramirez, Climate Writer, CNN Digital
Sophia Schmidt, Reporter, WHYY (Philadelphia)
Victoria St. Martin, Health and Environmental Justice Reporter, Inside Climate News

Speakers:
Kevin Barfield, Community Activist, Volunteer for Camden for Clean Air and former President, Camden County National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
Lisa Garcia, Administrator, Region 2, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Marilyn Howarth, Deputy Director, Philadelphia Regional Center for Children’s Environmental Health and Director, Community Engagement, Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Roy Jones, Founder and Executive Director, National Institute of Healthy Human Spaces
Christoff Lindsey, Principal Urban Grower, Nyame Nti Urban Farm
Stephen McBay, Press Officer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Bilal Motley, Filmmaker and former Refinery Worker, Philadelphia Energy Solutions
Erik Olson, Strategic Director for Health, Environmental Health Program, Natural Resources Defense Council
Kandyce Perry, Director, Office of Environmental Justice, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
Shawmar Pitts, Co-Managing Director and Policy Coordinator, Philly Thrive
Alain Plante, Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania
Sonya Sanders, Member, Philly Thrive
Jerome Shabazz, Executive Director, Overbrook Environmental Education Center
Kabindra Shakya, Associate Professor, Environmental Science, Department of Geography and the Environment, Villanova University
Sheila Tripathy, Senior Research Scientist, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University

All-Day Tour 9. Energy in the East: Offshore Wind, LNG and Who Gets To Say “No” to Development

9:30 a.m. departure ($75 fee, includes lunch and snacks)

Attendees should wear close toed shoes and plan to spend some time outside.

Aesthetic and environmental backlash to large-scale energy developments has become a major sticking point in the U.S. climate and energy transition. As the East Coast leads the Biden administration’s charge to build massive amounts of offshore wind, some neighboring communities and fisheries are fighting back hard. These debates can be rife with misinformation, overshadowing environmental justice challenges from fossil fuel development in neighborhoods not far away. On this tour, journalists will head to Atlantic City, N.J., to learn about the environmental impacts of and political debate around proposed offshore wind projects, comparing their massive scale to the land-based turbines that power the coastal community’s wastewater plant. We’ll also visit the future New Jersey Wind Port in Lower Alloways Creek, N.J., which will help build these huge projects. And we’ll meet activists and local leaders in Chester, Pa., a majority-Black city just outside Philadelphia. The first federally designated environmental justice community in the country, it houses the largest waste-burning energy facility in the U.S. and is now fighting a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal. Join us to learn best practices for engaging with communities who are trying to sort fact from fiction about large-scale energy proposals, explore the climate justice concept of “energy privilege” and improve your approach to covering emotional siting debates with empathy and context. Total drive time: 2.5 hours. Coverage.

Tour Leaders:
Amanda Oglesby, Environmental Reporter, Asbury Park Press/USA Today Network
Annie Ropeik, Freelance Journalist and Secretary, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists
Charmaine Runes, Interactive Designer/Developer, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Speakers:
Tracy Carluccio, Deputy Director, Delaware Riverkeeper Network
Monica Coffey, Senior Officer, Stakeholder Engagement & Communications, New Jersey Economic Development Authority
Doug Copeland, Business Development and Strategic Partnerships Manager, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind
William Dixon, Director, Pre-Construction & Division of Coastal Engineering, New Jersey Economic Development Authority
Dan Fatton, Director, Offshore Wind Sector, New Jersey Economic Development Authority
Joseph Hohenstein, Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives (District 177)
Mark Magyar, Director, Steve Sweeney Center for Public Policy, Rowan University
Zulene Mayfield, Founder, Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living
Amy Menzel, Communications Manager, Atlantic County Utilities Authority
Brandon Nehring, Plant Manager, Wind Park Bear Creek and Jersey-Atlantic Wind, Leeward Renewable Energy
Kevin O'Donnell, Regulatory Compliance Specialist, Atlantic County Utilities Authority
Kris Ohleth, Director, Special Initiative on Offshore Wind
Geraldine Quintero, Communications Associate, Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind
Joseph Romm, Senior Research Fellow, Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media, University of Pennsylvania
Stefan Roots, Mayor, Chester, Pa. 

All-Day Tour 10. Fighting for Clean Water: From Benjamin Franklin to Water Woman

10:00 a.m. departure ($75 fee, includes lunch and snacks)

NOTE: All attendees must have valid photo ID to show the Philadelphia Water Department.

In 1739, Philadelphia’s favorite transplant, Benjamin Franklin, petitioned the Pennsylvania Assembly to stop waste and tannery pollution in Dock Creek along the Delaware River. Nearly 300 years later, Dock Creek is now buried and shoehorned into Philadelphia’s combined sewer system, from which billions of gallons of sewage overflow into waterways each year. This tour will take journalists on a trip exploring past-to-present challenges from clean water to climate change as the city becomes hotter and wetter. Attendees will visit a modern water treatment plant and discover the Philadelphia Water Department’s globally-innovative green stormwater infrastructure solutions and efforts to provide affordable, safe drinking water to America’s poorest big city. Stops will also include the Science History Institute in scenic Old City where Franklin once roamed, and the Fairmount Water Works, a 19th-century water treatment plant now serving as a museum along the banks of the Schuylkill River. Total drive time: 1.5 hours. Coverage.

Tour Leaders:
Kyle Bagenstose, Freelance Journalist
Julie Hancher, Co-Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Green Philly

Speakers:
Lance Butler, Senior Scientist, Philadelphia Water Department
Ellen Kohler, Director of Applied Research and Programs, The Water Center, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania
William Kovarik, Historian and Professor, Radford University
Victoria Prizzia, Exhibit Designer, Habithèque
John Rumpler, Clean Water Director and Senior Attorney, Environment America
Jesse Smith, Director of Curatorial Affairs, Science History Institute
Chloe Wang, River Programs Coordinator, Bartram’s Garden
Vivian Williams, Environmental Education Consultant
Karen Young, Executive Director, Fairmount Water Works

Afternoon Tour 11. The Energy Underneath Your Feet — Princeton’s Massive Geo-Exchange System and Transition to Net-Zero

11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Preregistration required, no fee; includes a catered vegan lunch and transportation provided by Princeton University. Close-toed shoes and pants are required. Sign up here for the Princeton tour. You should only sign up for this if you are registered for #SEJ2024 and do not already have a seat on another tour. Discover the energy storage technology on Princeton University's campus that could help places across the country reach their sustainability goals. Unlike traditional geothermal energy, which pulls existing heat from the earth, Princeton's geo-exchange works like an underground energy bank. The University pulls excess heat out of campus buildings throughout the year and stores it underground until it’s needed. Join us on a tour to see the inner workings of this system. You’ll hear from facilities leads about what it takes to run the geo-exchange system and from a Princeton University professor about his energy transition research. You’ll see one of the world’s largest geo-exchange systems up close, including the active drilling sites and a new heat pump plant. Participants will also get a peek at the pair of 2.2 million gallon water storage tanks holding hot and cold water for the campus. Coverage.

• "To Slash Carbon Emissions, Colleges Are Digging Really Deep," The New York Times, January 23, 2024, by Cara Buckley.

Tour Leaders:
Emily Foxhall, Climate Reporter, The Texas Tribune
Don Hopey, former Environment Writer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, former SEJ Board President and two-time SEJ Conference Chair

Speakers:
Ted Borer, Director, Energy Plants, Princeton University
Jesse Jenkins, Assistant Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University
Brian Robertson, Project Manager, Campus Geo-Exchange, Princeton University
Molly Seltzer, Environmental Content Strategist, Princeton University

SEJ Registration and Info Table

3:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Benjamin Ballroom Foyer, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Pick up your badge and conference materials. Find information about SEJ, our award winners, membership and other services. If you didn’t sign up for the Saturday evening party at the Brooklyn Bowl or Sunday program at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, there might still be room (ticketed events with extra fee) — check with registration and sign up there.

Independent Hospitality Receptions

5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Hospitality Receptions are independently organized by the hosts, who are solely responsible for any content, speakers or materials. Now a popular SEJ tradition, this is the conference’s best networking opportunity. After spending the day in the field, meet with hosts of multiple receptions. They’ll have experts on hand as well as displays, materials and, of course, great FREE food and drink. Mingle and build your source list. Reception hosts:

• Bracewell LLP
• E2
• Environment America
• Marine Stewardship Council
• National Alliance of Forest Owners
• National Audubon Society
• Ocean Sewage Alliance
• The Pew Charitable Trusts
• Schneider Electric

Bookstore

6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

The University of Pennsylvania bookstore is on site to sell SEJ member-attendees’ and speakers’ books, as well as offering environmental books handpicked for the SEJ conference.

Friday, April 5, 2024

 

Beat Breakfast: Jews and Climate Change

7:00 – 8:15 a.m.

Sponsored Beat Breakfasts are independently organized by the hosts, who are solely responsible for any content, speakers or materials.

Jewish faith and tradition has prioritized protecting nature for centuries. Meanwhile, polling show that Jews are more concerned about climate change than any other faith group in America. Additionally, Israel has more than 800 companies working on climate solutions. Yet recent issues around the Middle East and anti-Semitism have caused some Jews to feel unwelcome in the climate movement. Join top Jewish climate leaders for an open and welcoming conversation over breakfast at the Sheraton. People of all faiths and backgrounds are invited and encouraged to participate.

Moderator: Ethan Brown, Founder and Host, The Sweaty Penguin

Speakers:
Jennie Rosenn, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Dayenu: A Jewish Call to Climate Action
Yoni Stadlin, Chief Program Officer, Adamah

• Where: Fairmount Suite, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel
• When: 7:00 a.m. sharp (we want to ensure people can make it to the U.S. EPA Administrator Regan keynote at 8:30)
• How: RSVP here.

The event is sponsored by the Mizrahi Family Charitable Fund (a DAF). Its co-founder, Jennifer Laszlo Mizrahi, will also be at breakfast.

Breakfast Buffet

7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
Location: Lobby, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

This breakfast is sponsored by Beyond Petrochemicals.

SEJ Registration and Info Table

8:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Location: Lobby, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Pick up your badge and conference materials. Find information about SEJ, our award winners, membership and other services. If you didn’t sign up for the Saturday evening party at the Brooklyn Bowl or Sunday program at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, there might still be room (ticketed events with extra fee) — check with registration and sign up there.

NOTE: Attendees are invited to peruse the art exhibition Risky Beauty: Aesthetics and Climate Change, next door at the Annenberg School for Communication forum and plaza lobby. Hours: Monday to Friday: 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.

U.S. EPA Administrator Michael Regan Keynote and Q&A

8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Location: Zellerbach Theatre, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 16th Administrator, Michael S. Regan, will join us for a keynote presentation and Q&A with journalists. Regan is the first Black man and second person of color to lead the EPA, and is the first standing Administrator to speak at the SEJ annual conference in 20 years — not since Michael Levitt in Pittsburgh in 2004. Coverage.

Emcees:
Meg McGuire, Founder, Delaware Currents and #SEJ2024 Conference Chair
Feini Yin, Freelance Journalist and Fisheries Specialist

Moderator: Jennifer Hijazi, Senior Reporter, Bloomberg Law

Concurrent Sessions 1

10:00 – 11:15 a.m.

Making Obscure Animals and Ecosystems Compelling Main Characters

Location: Room 109, Annenberg School for Communication, 1st Floor Enter the building through the Walnut Street doors. Once you pass the security station and into the lobby, proceed down the ramp. Room 109 will be the second classroom on the left.

Pandas and forests are out. Moths and peatlands are in. During this panel — featuring some of the nation's top wildlife writers — we’ll learn how to get readers deeply invested in stories about wildlife and ecosystems that are not traditionally charismatic. These could be obscure creatures and places that some readers have never heard of, or animals that many people consider icky pests. This panel, focused on craft, will explore how to bring their stories and true value to life. Coverage.

Moderator: Benji Jones, Senior Reporter, Vox Media

Speakers:
Bethany Brookshire, Freelance Science Journalist and Author, "Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains"
Maya L. Kapoor, Freelance Journalist and Engagement Manager, Covering Climate Now
Douglas Main, Freelance Journalist

A Just Transition for Oil Towns

Location: Room 500, Annenberg School for Communication, 5th Floor (map) Enter the building through the Walnut Street doors. Once you pass the security desk, continue into the lobby, and make a right to the elevator room. Take the elevator to the 3rd floor. Exit the elevator, make a right, another right, and then a left toward a set of double doors. Take the double doors and follow the corridor to the end. The elevator is on the right. Take it to the 5th floor to get to room 500.

If the U.S. is truly going to make an energy transition away from fossil fuels, some of the 129 oil refineries now in operation domestically and the 500,000 producing American oil wells will eventually have to curb production or shut down altogether. As a country, we have barely begun asking questions about what happens to these facilities and the communities and landscapes around them. What will become of communities that depend on tax revenue from these industries? What do we offer the workers who are or were employed at these sites? How do we clean up decades of soil or water contamination? In this session, we’ll hear from sources who have coped with the closure of a major oil facility in their community (including in Philadelphia) — and those who are planning for a future in which such industries shut down. Coverage.

Moderator: Darren Incorvaia, Freelance Journalist

Speakers:
David Bond, Associate Director, Center for the Advancement of Public Action, Bennington College
Marisol Cantú, Environmental Justice Advocate and Steering Committee Member, Richmond Progressive Alliance
Madeline Ostrander, Knight Science Journalism Fellow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Shawmar Pitts, Co-Director and Policy Coordinator, Philly Thrive

Communicate, Don’t (Just) Infuriate: Strengthening How Climate Journalism Converses With the World

Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom 1 – 2, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Join us for an interactive round of “Jeopardy: The Game of Smart Journalism Communication.” You might win some prizes, and you’ll definitely get examples of healthier, holistic communication techniques within journalism and in surprising fields outside of it. We’ll share research from journalism, neuroscience, community psychology, narrative and more that can contribute to bringing communities together and solving pressing climate issues. Journalists will unlock new ways of interviewing, reporting and talking about climate stories that contribute to feelings of agency and connectedness rather than defeating them. Coverage.

Presenters:
Allen Arthur, Freelance Journalist and Online Engagement Manager, Solutions Journalism Network
Angela Evans, Climate Network Manager, Solutions Journalism Network

Eat Local, Just Transition and the Search for Holistic Food System Solutions

Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom 3, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Improving food systems is a gargantuan, complex task and there is no silver bullet that fixes every problem. How could there be, when we’re talking about consolidated corporate power, climate emissions, food security, water pollution and animal welfare — just to name some of the most vexing? Yet communities, researchers and advocates are taking these challenges on, and you want to report on their efforts. In this panel, we’ll discuss stories of hopeful solutions, problems to be mindful of when you cover agriculture and the sneaky reporting traps to avoid. Coverage.

Moderator: Jenny Splitter, Editor-in-Chief, Sentient Media

Speakers:
Garrett Broad, Associate Professor, Communication Studies, Rowan University
Malaika Hart Gilpin, Co-Founder and Co-Creator, One Art Community Center
Matt Scott, Director of Storytelling and Engagement, Project Drawdown
Feini Yin, Freelance Journalist and Fisheries Specialist

Using Emerging Data and Climate Science to Better Cover Wildfire Smoke’s Effects

Location: University Suite, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

As climate-driven “smoke-a-geddons” become a fixture, emerging data sets from NASA’s satellite and other sources offer valuable insights for journalists to comprehensively cover causes and effects of wildfires. A better understanding of the legacy effects of wildfires from an ecological and climate perspective means journalists can also integrate these findings with human health, social justice and policy implications. New research from Canada and elsewhere shows how severely thinned and clearcut forests release more emissions than fires and actually make forests more vulnerable to large climate-driven wildfires. This session aims to provide the latest science and guidance on how to access high-quality data and other scientific resources to enhance more informed reporting on wildfire smoke and effects related to climate change and land-use practices. This will include a preview of a NASA dataset schedule to be released in April. Coverage.

Moderator: Dillon Bergin, Data Reporter, MuckRock

Speakers:
Jenny Bratburd, Researcher, Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Outreach Program Manager, Health and Air Quality Applied Sciences Team, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Dominick DellaSala, Chief Scientist, Wild Heritage (project of the Earth Island Institute)

Working With Whistleblowers

Location: William Penn Suite, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

This session will educate journalists about how to work with government employee whistleblowers. It will offer concrete steps that participants can take to connect with whistleblowers and work with them to get critical information to the public without further risk to their careers. We'll talk about the whistleblower experience, in general, and then we'll take a deep dive into EPA and whistleblowers there who have come forward on chemical issues. Coverage.

Moderator: Sharon Lerner, Investigative Reporter, ProPublica

Speakers:
Kyla Bennett, Director, New England PEER and Director of Science Policy, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
Scientist and EPA Whistleblower TBA

Hydrogen: Climate Solution Or Climate Distraction?

Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom 4, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Hydrogen is getting a lot of attention — and public money — as a potential zero-carbon energy source for hard to clean up industries, like cement, steel and long-distance hauling. But there are also great concerns over hydrogen — especially about whether it could be a giant greenwashing opportunity for fossil fuel and related industries, and whether it could actually speed up global warming if done incorrectly. Coverage.

Moderator: Reid Frazier, Energy Reporter, The Allegheny Front | StateImpact Pennsylvania

Speakers:
Mark Clincy, Member, PhillyThrive
Dave Edwards, Director and Advocate for Hydrogen Energy, Air Liquide
Julian Spector, Senior Reporter, Canary Media
Siana Teelucksingh, Manager, Hydrogen Team, Climate Aligned Industries, RMI

Unpacking Rural Reporting: How Can Environmental Journalists More Fairly Represent Rural Communities?

Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom 5, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

After Donald Trump won the 2016 presidential election, the mainstream media turned its attention toward rural America, which was credited for putting Trump in the White House. Much of this coverage evoked one-dimensional images of a white, angry, uneducated rural voter, even though rural America is more diverse and nuanced than these portrayals would have you believe. Not much has changed in the eight years since to move the needle on rural America’s profile. This panel will explore why fair rural representation matters and the role environmental journalists have to play. Coverage.

Moderator: Claire Carlson, Staff Correspondent, Daily Yonder

Speakers:
Shreya Agrawal, Climate Journalist and Communicator
Jen Byers, Independent Investigative Journalist
Tim Marema, Editor-at-Large, Daily Yonder
Valerie Vande Panne, Independent Journalist and Editor

Exhibits

11:00 – 7:00 p.m.
Location: Lobby, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Don’t miss the wealth of information offered by the 2024 exhibitors. Learn about environmental issues and innovations, see some great displays and add to your source list.

Beverage Break

11:15 – 11:45 a.m.
Location: Plaza/Lobby, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts *and* Lobby, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Concurrent Sessions 2

11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

On the Move

Location: Room 109, Annenberg School for Communication, 1st Floor Enter the building through the Walnut Street doors. Once you pass the security station and into the lobby, proceed down the ramp. Room 109 will be the second classroom on the left.

Over the next 50 years, the climate crisis is likely to force an unprecedented global migration — including within the United States — as roughly 20% of the Earth’s land shifts towards a climate that has traditionally been inhospitable to civilization and half of humanity faces extreme heat, greater food scarcity and higher mortality. Inside the United States, new research suggests as many as 160 million Americans may face rapidly degrading environments too, and tens of millions of citizens are also likely to move, transforming whole economies from tourism to agriculture and the very nature of our cities. How do we cover the next great human migration? Coverage.

Resources:

• "Underwater: Rising Seas, Chronic Floods, and the Implications for US Coastal Real Estate," Union of Concerned Scientists, June 18, 2018 (report).
• "Worsening Risks of Climate Change Expose the Need for—and Hard Limits of—Property Insurance," Union of Concerned Scientists, June 7, 2023, by Rachel Cleetus.
• "A Year After the Deadly Pakistan Floods Began, Hard Lessons About Climate Loss and Damage," Union of Concerned Scientists, June 13, 2023, by Rachel Cleetus.
• "Killer Heat in the United States: Climate Choices and the Future of Dangerously Hot Days," Union of Concerned Scientists, July 2, 2019 (report).
• "Too Hot to Work: Assessing the Threats Climate Change Poses to Outdoor Workers," Union of Concerned Scientists, Aug 17, 2021 (report).
• Abrahm Lustgarten / "ON THE MOVE: The Overheating Earth and the Uprooting of America": Talking points and press release.

Moderator: Perla Trevizo, Reporter, ProPublica

Speakers:
Rachel Cleetus, Policy Director, Climate and Energy Program, Union of Concerned Scientists
Abrahm Lustgarten, Climate Reporter, ProPublica and Author, “On the Move: The Overheating Earth and the Uprooting of America”
Kayly Ober, Senior Program Officer, Climate, Environment and Conflict, United States Institute of Peace

How the Essential, Dirty Steel Industry Is Going ‘Green’

Location: Room 500, Annenberg School for Communication, 5th Floor (map) Enter the building through the Walnut Street doors. Once you pass the security desk, continue into the lobby, and make a right to the elevator room. Take the elevator to the 3rd floor. Exit the elevator, make a right, another right, and then a left toward a set of double doors. Take the double doors and follow the corridor to the end. The elevator is on the right. Take it to the 5th floor to get to room 500.

Steel is an essential material, but steelmaking is an incredibly dirty process, responsible for as much as 9% of annual CO2 emissions — plus a toxic soup of pollutants that threatens neighboring communities. With global steel demand projected to rise 30 percent by 2050, the need for “green steel” is growing increasingly urgent. This panel — taking place in a historic steelmaking state — will explore the opportunities and challenges around replacing coal-based steel mills with cleaner production methods. Panelists will discuss the new technologies and government policies required to drive the green-steel transition; the role that electric-car companies can play in spurring demand; and how the shift could affect steel workers and fenceline communities in important, nuanced ways. Coverage.

Moderator: Maria Gallucci, Senior Reporter, Canary Media

Speakers:
Edith Abeyta, Community Member, North Braddock Residents for Our Future
Chathu Gamage, Principal, Climate-Aligned Industries, RMI
Hilary Lewis, Steel Director, Industrious Labs

What Type of Dataviz for What Type of Information?

Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom 1 – 2, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Focusing on SEJ’s preferred topics for 2024 (democracy, disinformation, election, environmental justice, water quality), IRE will give a session on the concepts of dataviz and design, the thinking process behind selecting a graphical representation of information, and share free online tools for reporters. The class will include real-life examples to provoke critical thinking and a group exercise so attendees can apply fundamental concepts. Coverage.

Presenter: Laura Moscoso, Training Director, Investigative Reporters and Editors

Cutting Through Carbon Capture Greenwash

Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom 3, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Carbon capture and storage, or CCS, is being framed as a climate solution, with huge government subsidies driving development worldwide. From “green” LNG to “net-zero oil” to “blue” hydrogen, proponents promise CCS will solve our climate problems by burying carbon emissions in the ground. But behind this hype is a track record of lackluster pilot projects, and growing evidence that fossil fuel companies are using CCS primarily to extract more oil — while adding to the industry’s record of environmental injustice. This panel of journalists and community organizers will help you understand what CCS is, unpack its deep ties to the fossil fuel industry and share practical tips for how to critically cover it. Coverage.

Moderator: Lindsey Smith, Freelance Journalist and Managing Editor, DeSmog.com

Speakers:
Geoff Dembicki, Investigative Climate Reporter, DeSmog
Chris “PK” DiGiulio, Environmental Chemist, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania and Co-Founder, Watchdogs of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Kate Huangpu, Government Reporter, Spotlight PA
Sean O'Leary, Senior Researcher, Ohio River Valley Institute

Big Costs, Sweeping Changes: What To Know About the IRA and IIJA

Location: University Suite, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

The United States is at a critical juncture. The 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act provide billions of dollars aimed at changing the nation’s energy landscape in an effort to fight climate change. But across the country, those federal investments in things such as carbon capture and battery factories are stirring up controversy over how the money is being spent and who is actually benefiting. This session will delve into those topics with an overview of the IRA and IIJA and, importantly, will teach reporters how to follow the money by showcasing data reporting done by POLITICO. Coverage.

Moderator: Pam Radtke, Investigative Reporter, Floodlight

Speakers:
Jessie Blaeser, Data and Graphics Reporter, POLITICO
Jane Patton, Campaigns Manager, US Fossil Economy, Center for International Environmental Law
Jigar Shah, Director, Loan Programs Office, U.S. Department of Energy
Kelsey Tamborrino, Energy Reporter, POLITICO

From the Margins to the Mainstream: Rethinking Environmental Justice Coverage

Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom 4, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

This panel addresses the urgent need for news media to evolve its approach to reporting on environmental justice, emphasizing underreported issues such as the impact of hazardous waste on marginalized communities, as seen in Pennsylvania and communities across the U.S. It will highlight the systemic reasons behind the lack of coverage, including a lack of diversity in newsrooms and prevailing editorial biases. Panelists will provide tips on the ways journalists can champion the role of nonwhite media outlets and integrate persons of color into mainstream reporting, ensuring diverse and inclusive coverage of environmental issues. A crucial part of this approach is the inclusion of community voices, especially those impacted by hazardous waste and pollution. Coverage.

Moderator: Evlondo Cooper, Senior Researcher, Climate & Energy Program, Media Matters for America

Speakers:
Charles Ellison, Principal & Chief Strategist, B|E Strategy
Jordan Gass-Pooré, Creator/Host, “Hazard NJ” podcast (NJ Spotlight News/NJ PBS)
Bilal Motley, Filmmaker and former Refinery Worker, Philadelphia Energy Solutions
Tammy Murphy, Advocacy Director, Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania

Care and Community As a Climate Solution

Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom 5, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Climate coverage tends to focus on storylines of gloom and doom. Join us for a conversation on how we can center care, solidarity, joy and resilience in climate reporting. This panel will explore mental health challenges journalists face and the trauma that comes with climate beats. We will address online abuse that journalists are facing from climate deniers and others. We will share resources to help journalists navigate climate anxiety and stress. Questions addressed include: How can we center community care and allyship when facing online abuse? What are ways to make space for hope, resilience and realistic solutions for different communities? Coverage.

Moderator: Sofia Prado Huggins, Project and Social Media Manager, The Uproot Project

Speakers:
Yessenia Funes, Editor-at-Large, Atmos; Founding Member, The Uproot Project; and Columnist, Society of Environmental Journalists
Jeje Mohamed, Senior Manager, Digital Safety & Free Expression, PEN America
Lucia Priselac, Director, The Uproot Project
Matt Scott, Director of Storytelling and Engagement, Project Drawdown

Covering the Environmental Impact of War

Location: William Penn Suite, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

War coverage understandably focuses on the immediate toll on civilians. But the destruction of both infrastructure and the environment could impact those same populations for decades to come. The wars in Ukraine and Gaza, as well as localized conflicts in Africa and Southeast Asia pollute the land and water, exacerbate the release of climate warming emissions and threaten progress on combating climate change. Additionally, recent tensions have raised the nuclear threat, which even if never used, the production of which threatens the environment and public health. This panel will explore how environmental journalists can cover war and broaden the public’s view of its long-term devastation. Coverage.

Moderator: Susan Phillips, Senior Reporter/Editor, WHYY (Philadelphia) News Climate Desk

Speakers:
Tareq Abu Hamed, Executive Director, Arava Institute for Environmental Studies (virtual)
Carolyn Beeler, Climate Reporter and Co-Host, The World
Karen Coates, Co-Producer/Editor, "Eternal Harvest" Documentary Film and Fellowship Editor, Mongabay
Alan Robock, Distinguished Professor, Atmospheric Science Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Rutgers University (virtual)

Networking Lunch

1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Location: Plaza/Lobby, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Join a topic table (below) or one of the lunch breakout sessions. Networking map.

• Future SEJ Conference Sites
  Discussion leader: Jennifer Bogo
  Where: Table 10

Lunch Breakout Sessions

1:30 – 2:45 p.m.

Breakout 1. Rethinking Environmental and Climate Journalism Education

Location: Room 109, Annenberg School for Communication, 1st Floor Enter the building through the Walnut Street doors. Once you pass the security station and into the lobby, proceed down the ramp. Room 109 will be the second classroom on the left.

We’ll have an open discussion about the future needs of environmental/climate and environmental/climate justice journalists, what we can do to change the core academic curriculum, how we can teach journalism beyond the traditional university/college setting, what resources are available and what we should expect in the coming years. Optional companion reading for the discussion. Coverage.

Moderator: Bernardo Motta, Associate Professor of Journalism, Roger Williams University

Speakers:
Karen Coates, Fellowship Editor, Mongabay
Karla Mendes, Investigative Reporter, Mongabay (Brazil-based); Fellow, Pulitzer Center’s Rainforest Investigations Network; and Second Vice President and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chair, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists
Laura Moorhead, Associate Professor of Journalism, San Francisco State University
Lisa Palmer, Research Professor of Science Communication, George Washington University; Senior Editor and Education Lead, Planet Forward; Journalist and Author
Andrea Wenzel, Associate Professor of Journalism, Klein College of Media and Communication, Temple University

Breakout 2. DEI Green 2.0 Report

Location: Room 500, Annenberg School for Communication, 5th Floor (map) Enter the building through the Walnut Street doors. Once you pass the security desk, continue into the lobby, and make a right to the elevator room. Take the elevator to the 3rd floor. Exit the elevator, make a right, another right, and then a left toward a set of double doors. Take the double doors and follow the corridor to the end. The elevator is on the right. Take it to the 5th floor to get to room 500.

Join SEJ DEI leaders to learn more about a report to lay the groundwork for SEJ to foster and grow diversity, equity and inclusion in the field of environmental journalism by conducting a report in collaboration with Green 2.0. Progenitors of the initiative will present and answer questions. The initiative is yet to be fully funded so we are requesting anyone interested to connect with SEJ staff or leadership about how to assist in filling the funding gap. Coverage.

Presenters:
Nadia Lopez, Reporter, Bloomberg News and Member, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists
Rico Moore, Freelance Journalist and Member, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists (virtual)

Opening Plenary. Election 2024: How Will Climate Change Matter?

3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Zellerbach Theatre, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

The 2024 election is likely to dominate coverage across local, regional and national newsrooms. And it’s not just about the Oval Office. Congressional, state legislatures, city council and utility and school board seats are up for grabs. At the same time, “climate” has crept up as a policy issue voters care about. In recent polls, Democrats consistently rank it as one of their top issues and although Republicans tend to rank it lower, it is high on the list for younger Republicans. But both parties want to see more from their leaders on this front. How does climate change affect voter turnout? Where can this be the salient issue that makes or breaks a race? And what are the implications for climate after the acceptance speeches are given? Coverage.

Emcees:
Meg McGuire, Founder, Delaware Currents and #SEJ2024 Conference Chair
Feini Yin, Freelance Journalist and Fisheries Specialist

Moderator: Ximena Bustillo, Political Reporter, National Public Radio

Speakers:
Brittany Bell Surratt, Senior Director, Storytelling and Communications, Hip Hop Caucus
Karly Matthews, Vice President of Communications, American Conservation Coalition
Nathaniel Stinnett, Founder and Executive Director, Environmental Voter Project
Wendy Wendlandt, President, Environment America and Senior Vice President, The Public Interest Network

Networking Happy Hour With EPA PIOs and Others

4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Location: Plaza/Lobby, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

We’ll convene for a networking happy hour with EPA PIOs from headquarters and numerous regions across the country, plus other agencies and topical tables. Hors d'oeuvres and hosted bar. Networking map.

Topic tables:

• EPA HQ Office of Public Affairs, Tim Carroll, Nick Conger, Angela Hackel, Andrea Drinkard, Nate Hitchings and Remmington Belford discussion leaders, Tables 22 & 23
• EPA Office of Research and Development, Aaron Ferster discussion leader, Table 18
• EPA Regions 2, Stephen McBay and Mike Muldoon discussion leaders, Table 17
• EPA Region 3, Andrew Kreider, Angela Ithier, Rhonda Purnell and David Sternberg discussion leaders, Tables 19 & 20
• EPA Regions 5 & 6, Allison Lippert and Jennah Durant discussion leaders, Table 15
• EPA Region 8, Taylor Gillespie, Virva Aryan and Richard Mylott discussion leaders, Table 21
• EPA Regions 9 & 10, Michael Brogan and Beth Clemons discussion leaders, Table 14
• BLM HQ, Brian Hires discussion leader, Table 12
• SEJ 2025 at ASU in Phoenix, Chris Fiscus discussion leader, Table 13
• SEJ Mentors and Mentees Meetup, Rocky Kistner discussion leader, Table 11

Bookstore

4:30 – 6:30 p.m.
Location: Lobby, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

The University of Pennsylvania bookstore is on site to sell SEJ member-attendees’ and speakers’ books, as well as offering environmental books handpicked for the SEJ conference.

Beat Dinners

Choose from three types of beat dinners in varied time ranges.

No-Host Beat Dinners

SEJ members and attendees are welcome to organize a no-host (self-pay) dinner or meet-up. Head to the Community tab on the Whova app to arrange your own event and invite friends and colleagues.

SEJ-Organized Beat Dinners

SEJ-Organized Beat Dinners are organized by SEJ members and staff, and costs are covered by grants to SEJ, as indicated below. If you would like to pay for your own dinner, please email SEJ at SEJ@SEJ.org.

Preventing Water Conflict: Lessons From Water Governance in the U.S., China, India and France

This dinner is sponsored by the Society of Environmental Journalists, with support from the University of Missouri, Walton Family Foundation and William Penn Foundation.

Drawing on his 2018 book, "Subnational Hydropolitics: Conflict, Cooperation, and Institution-Building in Shared River Basins," Senior Advisor to The Water Center at Penn and Practice Professor of Political Science Scott Moore examines lessons from four countries on how to prevent water conflict and foster cooperation. The talk will also include recent research on the impact of water variability on the risk of conflict in a rapidly warming world.

Moderators:
Halle Parker, Coastal Desk Reporter, WWNO New Orleans and Vice President, Programs, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists
Sara Shipley Hiles, Executive Director, Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk and Representative for the Academic Membership, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists

• Where: The Study Hotel at University City, 20 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 — Drafting Room, second floor
• When: 7:30 p.m.
• What: Dinner and drinks provided

Sponsored Beat Dinners

Sponsored Beat Dinners are independently organized by the hosts, who are solely responsible for any content, speakers or materials. Sign up online for Beat Dinners hosted by a variety of organizations, as indicated below. If you would like to pay for your own dinner, please contact the host directly.

The Latest on Plastics: A Deep Dive Into Chemical Recycling and the Future of Vinyl Chloride (If Any)

This dinner is sponsored by Beyond Plastics, with support from Maine Community Foundation.

Vinyl chloride and chemical recycling are two hot topics related to the plastic pollution crisis this year. The U.S. EPA is currently considering banning the carcinogenic chemical vinyl chloride, which could signal the end as we know it for polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, plastic in America. Also, the plastics and petrochemical industries are increasingly touting chemical recycling as a panacea for the plastic waste problem, even though these processes fail to manage a significant amount of plastic waste; they exacerbate plastic’s toxicity issues, and they threaten environmental justice communities. Join Beyond Plastics president and former EPA regional administrator Judith Enck, as well as Grist journalist Joseph Winters, for a lively discussion about vinyl chloride’s potential fate and the myth of chemical recycling.

• Where: The Dandelion, 124 S. 18th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103
• When: 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.
• Who: Attendance is limited. Please RSVP to Melissa Valliant at melissavalliant@bennington.edu.

From Extreme Heat to Extreme Flooding: Climate Impacts and Resilience Strategies

This dinner is sponsored by Princeton University.

Join Princeton University professors Eric Tate, Elie Bou-Zeid and Gabriele Villarini for a conversation about extreme weather events — heat and flooding — and their impacts, particularly among vulnerable communities. Food and drinks will be provided, including vegan/vegetarian options.

Elie Bou-Zeid is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Program in Environmental Engineering and Water Resources at Princeton University. His research is broadly focused on how heat and pollutants are transported in the lower atmosphere, with applications to urban environmental quality, building energy efficiency and renewable energy production. He is particularly interested in applications of novel technologies to make cities more sustainable, equitable and livable. Examples include adoption of innovative materials to cool cities. Eric Tate studies disasters and social vulnerabilities. He evaluates and develops new indicators for measuring social vulnerabilities to inform equitable policy responses. He studies questions such as: who are most vulnerable, why are they most vulnerable and how do vulnerabilities interact with the physical aspects of flood risk? His research is particularly focused on flooding hazards, and using spatial indicators to explore the interactions among society and environment that generate disasters. He serves as co-chair of the National Academies study committee on spatial screening tools for environmental justice and is a co-author of the Adaptation chapter of the Fifth National Climate Assessment. Tate is a Professor of Public Affairs in Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs.

Gabriele Villarini studies flooding, influenced by his own experience with massive flooding during his Ph.D. at the University of Iowa. He has studied climate predictions and projections, impacts of extremes on the flood insurance programs, hurricanes and coastal flooding in Houston and the Gulf Coast, and the impacts on marginalized communities. Villarini is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the High Meadows Environmental Institute at Princeton University.

The conversation will be moderated by Emily Foxhall, Climate Reporter at The Texas Tribune. Foxhall joined the Tribune as an energy reporter in December 2022, focused on the state’s transition to green energy, the reliability of the power grid and the environmental impact of electricity generation. Foxhall is based in Houston, where she grew up. After a stint as a Tribune student intern in 2012, she began her career at the Los Angeles Times and its community papers. She later worked at the Houston Chronicle where her environmental reporting uncovered the effects of climate change and pollution on the region. She won several Texas Managing Editors awards and was part of the 2017 team that was named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for breaking news coverage of Hurricane Harvey. Foxhall graduated from Yale University in 2013, where she studied English and was a Yale Journalism Scholar.

• Where: White Dog Café University City, 3420 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (Solarium room)
• When: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
• Menu: Dinner and drinks provided, including vegetarian and vegan options.
• Who: Attendance is limited. RSVP here.

New Year, Same Oil & Gas Industry: Petrochemicals and the Fight for Our Future

This dinner is sponsored by Beyond Petrochemicals.

Join us for an evening of great food and important conversation at Osteria. This in-person event is a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the impacts of the petrochemical industry. Don't miss out on this chance to talk with the Beyond Petrochemicals team and expand your knowledge. Uber vouchers for transport to and from the dinner will be provided.

• Where: Osteria, 640 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19130
• When: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
• Who: Space is limited. RSVP here (password: BeyondPetrochemicals).

At Your Doorstep: Covering and Attributing Climate Impacts in Your Community

This dinner is sponsored by Impacts US and Climate Central.

Climate change isn’t a future concern. It already touches your audiences’ lives in direct and measurable ways that are obvious (for example, health risks from heat waves) and ways that are less apparent (how those heat waves cancel school and sports events and impact tourism and workplace conditions). How can you report on the attributable local impacts of climate change in ways that resonate with your audience? Hear from journalists who use attribution science and tools to attribute weather events and trends and physical impacts to anthropogenic climate change on extreme events — and make climate change personal for their audiences by telling impacts stories rooted in local communities and cultures. Learn how Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index maps the influence of climate change on daily temperatures across the globe, and how it can be used to attribute extreme heat to the root cause of climate change. Coverage.

You’ll hear from:
Erika Freimuth, Managing Editor and Lead Writer, Climate Central’s Climate Matters Program
Rachel McDevitt, Reporter, StateImpact Pennsylvania, WITF/NPR
Rachel Ramirez, Climate Writer, CNN Digital

• Where: Strangelove’s, 216 S 11th St, Philadelphia, PA
• When: 7:00 – 10:00 p.m.
• Menu: Dinner and drinks provided
• Who: Limited to 25 attendees. RSVP here.

Does CCS Add Up? The Science Behind a Supposed Climate Silver Bullet

This dinner is sponsored by the Funder Collaborative on Oil and Gas and the 2030 Fund.

Join us at Bistro Perrier for a thought-provoking panel discussion where we delve into the reality of carbon capture and storage. Leading experts Dr. Robert Bullard, Dr. Robert Howarth and Dr. Charles Harvey offer an objective look at the science behind CCS, its effectiveness as a climate solution, its environmental justice implications and whether it lives up to the oil and gas industry hype.

Moderator: Pam Radtke, Investigative Reporter, Floodlight

Speakers:
Robert Bullard, Director, Bullard Center for Environmental and Climate Justice; and Distinguished Professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Policy, Texas Southern University
Charles Harvey, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Robert Howarth, David R. Atkinson Professor of Ecology and Environmental Biology, Cornell University

• Where: Bistro Perrier, 4207 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
• When: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
• Menu: Dinner and drinks provided
• Who: Limited to 45 attendees. RSVP here.

Public Lands and the Bureau of Land Management’s Rulemaking Push

This dinner is sponsored by The Wilderness Society and Center for Western Priorities.

Join public lands experts from Center for Western Priorities and The Wilderness Society for a discussion about changes to America’s public lands coming this spring. The Bureau of Land Management is expected to finalize several important administrative rules in April, including the Public Lands Rule to explicitly make conservation a “use” of public land alongside grazing, drilling and mining, as well as a rule to fully implement the Inflation Reduction Act’s overhaul of America’s oil and gas leasing system. The BLM is also finalizing rules to increase and streamline development of renewable energy projects on public lands, all of which need to work in concert with one another to ensure the agency meets the growing challenges of climate change.

• Where: Renata’s Kitchen, 3940 Baltimore Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19104
• When: 7:00 – 9:30 p.m.
• Who: Attendance is limited to 20 SEJ member journalists. RSVP to NewsMedia@tws.org.

Dim Sum and Decarb: Dishing Out Solutions for Heavy Industry

This dinner is sponsored by Industrious Labs.

Steel, cement and aluminum are the cornerstones of modern civilization, essential for the cars we drive, the buildings we inhabit and the infrastructure that supports our way of life. However, these industries are some of the largest contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions. As we transition to a more sustainable future, we must confront the impacts of a "take-make-waste" economy, which drives the growth of landfills and contributes to alarming levels of methane pollution. Join Industrious Labs and special guests like Maria Gallucci, senior reporter at Canary Media, to explore the long-established and freshly emerging solutions for combating emissions from these sectors. We'll navigate the challenges plaguing these industries, including steel, aluminum, cement and waste management, while exploring potential policies and technologies that can mitigate heavy industry's profound health and environmental impacts. Attendees will depart with fresh perspectives and valuable resources to cover heavy industry and waste management/circular economy issues, gaining a deeper understanding of the solutions and challenges involved in cleaning up these sectors. Additionally, they'll leave with a heightened awareness of the environmental and climate justice issues at the core of our industrial landscape.

• Where:  Dim Sum House by Jane G's, 1930 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
• When: Appetizers will begin being served at 7:30 p.m.
• Menu: Family-style dim sum, with options for vegetarians and vegans.
• Who: Registration is limited to 30 attendees. Register here!

Environmental Justice: From Ideas to Impact

This dinner is sponsored by Deloitte.

The priorities driven in the public sector today will have social and health impacts for years to come. What is the progress so far of new policies and funding, like the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in driving environmental and health equity? What are the challenges to moving faster? Join this conversation with WHYY’s Susan Phillips, EPA Region 3 Administrator Adam Ortiz, Founder Zulene Mayfield of Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living and Rana Sen, a managing director of Deloitte’s state and local government sustainability practice, as we discuss how communities can make an impact that matters through environmental justice.

• Where: The Study Hotel at University City, 20 South 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 — The Salon, second floor
• When: 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
• What: Drinks and dinner featuring locally sourced, seasonal ingredients by Co-Op Restaurant
• Who: Attendance is limited. RSVP here.

Seizing the Methane Transparency Revolution: Making the Invisible Visible and Actionable

This dinner is sponsored by the Gas Leaks Project and Carbon Mapper.

There is an unprecedented focus on methane from the oil and gas sector, and lots of related buzz about methane-sensing satellites unlocking a new era of emissions transparency. A growing number of technologies are helping pinpoint emissions by space, by air and even on the ground. Just how widespread is the methane problem and how can journalists utilize data from monitoring technologies to better inform the public about its impacts? Join experts from Carbon Mapper, the Gas Leaks Project and Earthworks for a beat dinner where you’ll get a crash course in methane data and learn how different groups are using it to drive on-the-ground solutions to reduce emissions from gas both nationally and in different communities. Attendees will walk away with new ideas and resources to cover methane emissions, investigate who or what is responsible for them and/or report on creative ways people are tackling the gas methane problem.

Moderator: Rebecca Leber, Independent Climate Journalist and First Vice President, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists

Panelists:
Josh Eisenfeld, Campaign and Communications Manager, Earthworks
James Hadgis, Executive Director, The Gas Leaks Project
Kenzie Huffman, Director of Strategy and Partnerships, Carbon Mapper

• Where: White Dog Cafe, University City, 3420 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
• When: 7:30 – 9:00 p.m.
• Who: Limited to 25 attendees. RSVP to info@gasleaks.org.

Sparking Change: Residential Electrification As the Key to an Abundant, Affordable and Equitable Clean Energy Transition

This dinner is sponsored by Rewiring America.

Did you know that 42 percent of U.S. energy-related carbon emissions comes from decisions made around the kitchen table? That’s the cars we drive, how we heat and cool our homes, how we heat our water, cook our food and dry our clothes — and how we power all that. Most Americans care about the climate but feel far removed from solutions. But replacing fossil fuels in our homes and lives with electric machines is an opportunity for homeowners and renters alike to take measurable climate action, save money on energy bills, make their homes healthier and live more comfortably doing it. Join Rewiring America and Tony Barboza of the Los Angeles Times for a multi-course meal and conversation about the movement to electrify everything in our lives and the many opportunities for storytelling it presents. As we dine, we’ll hear from an electrifying lineup of experts on what messaging works, how Rewiring America, affordable housing and community-based organizations will make it happen, and how electrification can unlock a more abundant, resilient and equitable clean energy future.

You’ll hear from:
Tony Barboza, Editorial Writer, Los Angeles Times; and Treasurer and Finance Chair, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists
Wael Kanj, Research Associate, Rewiring America
Sarah Lazarovic, Vice President of Communications and Creative, Rewiring America
Aimee Witteman, Vice President of Investment, Rewiring America And other surprise guests!

• Where: Pod, 3636 Sansom St, Philadelphia, PA
• When: Drinks at 7:30 p.m., dinner at 8:00 p.m.
• Menu: Multi-course meal, vegetarian friendly.
• Who: Limited to 25 attendees. RSVP here using the password SEJ2024.

 

Saturday, April 6, 2024

SEJ Members Breakfast With the Board

7:30 – 8:30 a.m.
Location: Fairmount Suite, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Breakfast available 7:00 - 8:30 a.m.

Board members will be in attendance, and will be presenting a few priorities for the remainder of the year. SEJ members: you’re invited to attend if you’d like to speak with SEJ board leadership in person on anything that’s top of mind.

Breakfast Buffet

8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Location: Lobby, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts *and* Lobby, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

This breakfast is sponsored by the Funder Collaborative on Oil and Gas and the 2030 Fund.

SEJ Registration and Info Table

8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Location: Lobby, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Pick up your badge and conference materials. Find information about SEJ, our award winners, membership and other services. If you didn’t sign up for the Saturday evening party at the Brooklyn Bowl or Sunday program at the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge, there might still be room (ticketed events with extra fee) — check with registration and sign up there.

NOTE: Attendees are invited to peruse the art exhibition Risky Beauty: Aesthetics and Climate Change, next door at the Annenberg School for Communication forum and plaza lobby. Hours: Saturday and Sunday: 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Mini-Workshops

9:00 – 11:15 a.m.

Mini-Workshop 1. Next-Level Community Engagement: Tools and Strategies for Growing Environmental News Audiences

Location: Room 500, Annenberg School for Communication, 5th Floor (map) Enter the building through the Walnut Street doors. Once you pass the security desk, continue into the lobby, and make a right to the elevator room. Take the elevator to the 3rd floor. Exit the elevator, make a right, another right, and then a left toward a set of double doors. Take the double doors and follow the corridor to the end. The elevator is on the right. Take it to the 5th floor to get to room 500.

Bring an open mind (and some coffee, if you like) to this fun, interactive mini-workshop. We’re highlighting non-traditional ways for journalists to reach people who may not yet be paying attention to environmental news. Meet in small groups with colleagues as they share experiences with in-person events, a crowdsourced anthology, TikTok-style videos, artificial intelligence and wildly successful newsletters. Bring lots of questions, plus your own ideas and experiences. Let’s help each other and get creative about delivering environmental news. Coverage.

SCHEDULE

9:00 – 9:30 a.m. Welcome and Overview
We'll have a fun, fast-paced introduction to four ideas for engaging new audiences: newsletters, videos, events and Artificial Intelligence.

9:30 – 9:40 a.m. We ask participants to co-create the rest of the session by silently sharing ideas on notes that they stick to posters placed around the room. The poster will have questions such as:

• What experience would you like to share related to (newsletters, videos, audience engagement or Artificial Intelligence)?
• What's your biggest question related to (newsletters, videos, audience engagement or Artificial Intelligence)?
• What's your most surprising take-away from the initial presentation about (newsletters, videos, audience engagement or Artificial Intelligence)?
• What should SEJ do to help with (newsletters, videos, audience engagement or Artificial Intelligence)?

9:40 – 11:00 a.m. Roundtable Discussions With Speakers
Move among the roundtables as you like, with change encouraged every 17 minutes.

Table 1. Newsletters
Short speaker presentations will be followed by q & a.

Moderator: Julie Halpert, Independent Journalist and Journalism Instructor

Speakers:
Emily Atkin, Editor-in-Chief, HEATED
Yessenia Funes, Editor-at-Large, Atmos; Founding Member, The Uproot Project; and Columnist, Society of Environmental Journalists

Table 2. TikTok and Other Short Videos
Short speaker presentations will be followed by q & a.

Moderator: Kristin Hugo, Freelance Science Journalist and Author, MIT Press (“Carcass: On the Afterlives of Animal Bodies” – Spring 2025)

Speaker: Lucia Torres, Video Manager, Mongabay

Table 3. Audience Engagement, Partnerships and Creative Approaches to Reaching New Audiences
Short speaker presentations will be followed by q & a.

Moderator: Leia Larsen, Water and Land Use Reporter, The Salt Lake Tribune and Great Salt Lake Collaborative

Speaker: Michael Leveton, Community Outreach Manager, High Country News (virtual)

Table 4. Innovative Ways for Environmental Journalists To Use AI
Short speaker presentations will be followed by q & a.

Moderator: Emilia Askari, Journalist, Teacher, Researcher – Lecturer II, University of Michigan

Speakers:
John Pasmore, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, FutureSum AI
Matt Post, Co-Founder, The LocalLens and Co-Organizer, March for Our Lives Movement

11:00 a.m. Thanks and reflection on key takeaways.
How can SEJ support engagement of new people with environmental news? We invite everyone to "workshop" their creative ideas during roundtable discussions at lunch.

11:15 a.m. Break; pick up box lunches.

11:30 a.m. This session continues, in the same room; see details here.

Mini-Workshop 2. Crafting Impactful Environmental Narratives: Leveraging Communication Science, Visuals and Technology in Storytelling

Location: University Suite, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

How can we incorporate insights from psychological research, best practices for visual journalism and new technologies into our reporting? In this hands-on workshop, we’ll (a) share evidence-based principles from communication, psychology and neuroscience for journalists to craft memorable messages that will be widely shared and motivate action; (b) explore key skills and approaches used by AP Climate photo, video and data visualization teams; and (c) present the use of drones as a way we can leverage technologies to elevate coverage of environmental issues. Through discussion and interactive activities, attendees will apply these strategies to example cases, with the opportunity to connect with others seeking to increase the impact of environmental narratives. Coverage.

Moderator: Emily Falk, Vice Dean, Annenberg School for Communication and Professor of Communication, Psychology, and Marketing, University of Pennsylvania

Speakers:
Max Chesnes, Environment Reporter, Tampa Bay Times
Alyssa Goodman, Climate Photo Editor, The Associated Press
Alyssa Sinclair, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania

Mini-Workshop 3. Beyond Climate Change: Reporting on the Global Polycrisis, Its Roots and Solutions

Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom 1 – 2, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Scientists say we’re in a planetary emergency, yet most environmental journalism reports within the tight confines of dominant cultural assumptions — focusing on one problem (like climate change), or solution (cutting emissions), while ignoring intertwined environmental, social and cultural issues stemming from global ecological degradation. That leaves the public and policymakers without needed information to address this polycrisis. As journalists, it’s our challenge and responsibility to cover complex worldviews. We’ll introduce ecological systems theory, planetary boundaries, alternative economics (doughnut and circular models), traditional knowledge, deep adaptation and rights of nature. We’ll discuss how to pitch, report and write about these potentially game-changing worldviews. Coverage.

Moderator: Erica Gies, Independent Journalist; National Geographic Explorer; and Author, “Water Always Wins”

Speakers:
Rico Moore, Freelance Journalist and Member, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists (virtual)
Glenn Scherer, Global Editor-at-Large, Mongabay
Tegan Wendland, Editorial Director, Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk

Mini-Workshop 4. Nearby and Far Away: What Local Reporting and Global Investigative Collaborations Can Learn From One Another

Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom 3, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

On-the-ground local television reporting and globe-spanning climate investigations have more in common than you might think. In this session, Covering Climate Now, Mongabay and the Pulitzer Center’s Rainforest Investigations Network will go behind the scenes to show different approaches to the climate story, and share tips on how to convert a local collaboration into a global project, and vice versa. We’ll provide video clips of excellent work, explain how stories came together and explore the common themes of excellent climate journalism, no matter the format. Coverage.

SCHEDULE

9:00 a.m. Welcome and Introduction of Moderators:
Kyle Pope, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives, Covering Climate Now

9:05 a.m. Climate and the Local Angle

Moderator: Elena Gonzalez, Engagement Manager, Covering Climate Now

Speakers:
Ana Bueno, Environmental Reporter, Univision 45 Houston and #SEJ2024 Diversity Fellow
Tevin Wooten, Meteorologist, NBC10 Boston

9:45 a.m. Climate and Global Collaborations

Moderator: Marina Walker Guevara, Executive Editor, Pulitzer Center

Speakers:
Sasha Chavkin, Senior Reporter, The Examination and Fellow, Pulitzer Center’s Rainforest Investigations Network
Eduardo Goulart de Andrade, Editor, Brazil, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and #SEJ2024 Diversity Travel Fellow, Society of Environmental Journalists
Karla Mendes, Investigative Reporter, Mongabay (Brazil-based); Fellow, Pulitzer Center’s Rainforest Investigations Network; and Second Vice President and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Chair, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists

10:25 a.m. Lessons Learned From Local to Global and Vice Versa

10:40 a.m. Q&A

Mini-Workshop 5. Covering Plastics: At the Tipping Point

Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom 4, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Decisions this year from the local level to the United Nations could go a long way to determining the future of plastics. This extended session will focus on what journalists need to know to cut through misinformation and greenwashing so they can report accurately and comprehensively on a problem that the United Nations has called part of a triple planetary threat of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Discussion topics will include plastics and health, environmental justice, chemical recycling, legislation and the effort to secure a UN plastics treaty. Coverage.

Organizers:
James Bruggers, Reporter, Inside Climate News
Tik Root, Senior Writer, Grist

Moderators:
James Bruggers, Reporter, Inside Climate News
Sharon Lerner, Investigative Reporter, ProPublica

Speakers:
Yvette Arellano, Founder/ Director, Fenceline Watch
Grant Cope, Senior Counselor to the Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Ross Eisenberg, President, America’s Plastic Makers, American Chemistry Council
Judith Enck, President, Beyond Plastics and former Region 2 Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Leonardo Trasande, Jim G. Hendrick, M.D. Professor of Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, and Professor, Department of Population Health, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University

Mini-Workshop 6. How To Turn Environmental and Disaster Data Into Stories

Location: Benjamin Franklin Ballroom 5, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Federal agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have an enormous amount of data in hard-to-find, hard-to-interpret environmental and disaster databases. But once dissected, these datasets can be used to identify communities most vulnerable to air pollution, uncover critical issues such as racial inequities in the federal government’s flood insurance program and produce stories that hold federal, state and local officials and polluters accountable. Join this session to hear tips, tricks and tools from journalists utilizing these databases to tell important stories. Coverage.

Moderator: Gloria Gonzalez, Deputy Energy Editor, POLITICO

Speakers:
Dillon Bergin, Data Reporter, MuckRock
Jessie Blaeser, Data and Graphics Reporter, POLITICO
Thomas Frank, Reporter, POLITICO E&E
Savanna Strott, Project Manager and Reporter, Public Health Watch

Mini-Workshop 7. Using Public Records To Follow the Money in Environmental Stories

Location: William Penn Suite, Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

Corporate greed and political corruption are often at the heart of environmental stories. Public records can be critical in bringing wrongdoing to light. This workshop will discuss examples of how public records have exposed corporate activity in the pursuit of profits over the environment and human health, and brought dark money to light. You’ll get tips on where to find useful public records, how to track dark money, and how to use the Freedom of Information Action to get the info no one wants you to see. Coverage.

Resources:

• Tim Wheeler: SEJ's FOIA Task Force
• Mario Ariza: General Public Records Advice
• Natasha Gilbert: Stories and Links
• Charlie Spatz: Case Studies, Tips and Tricks

Moderator: Tim Wheeler, Associate Editor/Senior Writer, Bay Journal and Chair, Freedom of Information Task Force, Society of Environmental Journalists

Speakers:
Mario Ariza, Investigative Reporter, Floodlight
Natasha Gilbert, Freelance Journalist
Paula Knudsen Burke, Local Legal Initiative Attorney for Pennsylvania, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Gunita Singh, Staff Attorney, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
Charlie Spatz, Research Manager, Energy and Policy Institute

Mini-Workshop 8. Decarbonizing Transportation: A Reporter’s Guide

Location: Room 109, Annenberg School for Communication, 1st Floor Enter the building through the Walnut Street doors. Once you pass the security station and into the lobby, proceed down the ramp. Room 109 will be the second classroom on the left.

Transportation is America’s biggest source of carbon emissions. It’s also a many-headed beast that is difficult to comprehend. This mini-workshop simplifies three big trends, so you’re ready to dive in. First, we look at the transition to electric vehicles – and how to unpack it into stories for your community or beat. Then, we’ll talk about the role that building out public transit and walkable (and bikeable) cities can play in reducing carbon emissions while improving citizens’ quality of life, and hear how cities around the world are supporting those changes. Finally, we'll delve into New York City’s efforts to become the first city in the U.S. to implement congestion pricing to reduce traffic, improve air quality and raise funds to support mass transit, and the promise congestion pricing may hold for other cities that want to explore the model. You won’t want to miss these discussions with experienced reporters and top policymakers. Tipsheets provided. Coverage.

• "A Reporter’s Cheat Sheet to Electric Vehicles"

SCHEDULE

9:00 – 10:05 a.m. Panel 1. How to Cover Electric Vehicles in Your Community

Moderators:
David Ferris, Reporter, E&E News/POLITICO
Alejandro Lazo, Climate Reporter, CalMatters

Speakers:
Nick Nigro, Founder, Atlas Public Policy
Liane Randolph, Chair, California Air Resources Board

10:05 – 10:10 a.m. Break

10:10 – 11:15 a.m. Panel 2. The Rise of Walkable Cities: Covering Public Transit and Micromobility as Climate Solutions

Moderator: Whitney Bauck, Freelance Climate Reporter

Speakers:
Burhan Azeem, Councillor, City of Cambridge, Mass.
Jerome Horne, Transit Influencer
Kea Wilson, Senior Editor, Streetsblog USA

11:15 –11:30 a.m. Break; pick up box lunches.

11:30 a.m. This workshop continues with Panel 3 in the same room. See details here.

Bookstore

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Lobby, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

The University of Pennsylvania bookstore is on site to sell SEJ member-attendees’ and speakers’ books, as well as offering environmental books handpicked for the SEJ conference.

Networking Lunch

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Location: Plaza/Lobby, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Join a topic table (below), or one of the lunch breakout sessions. Networking map.

• Opportunities for International Reporting: Let's Talk!
  Discussion leaders: Karla Mendes, Marina Walker Guevara and Erik Hoffner
  Where: Tables 1, 2 and 3, Lower Level
• How Freelancers Can Organize for Better Working Conditions
  Discussion leaders: Alleen Brown and Rebecca Leber
  Where: Tables 8 and 9, Lower Level
• #SEJ2025 in Phoenix & Future Conference Sites
  Discussion leader: Annie Ropeik
  Where: Table 10
• An Update on SEJ's Membership Bylaws and Policy Review
  Discussion leader: Jennifer Bogo
  Where: Table 11

Lunch Breakout Sessions

Breakout 1. Drop-In Networking Opportunity Focused on Engaging New Audiences

11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Location: Room 500, Annenberg School for Communication, 5th Floor (map) Enter the building through the Walnut Street doors. Once you pass the security desk, continue into the lobby, and make a right to the elevator room. Take the elevator to the 3rd floor. Exit the elevator, make a right, another right, and then a left toward a set of double doors. Take the double doors and follow the corridor to the end. The elevator is on the right. Take it to the 5th floor to get to room 500.

This session is a continuation of this morning’s Mini-Workshop 1. Next-Level Community Engagement: Tools and Strategies for Growing Environmental News Audiences, 9:00 – 11:15 a.m.

New participants welcome! Following a short, sweet recap of the morning's conversations, everyone is invited to roundtable conversations with the speakers. Now is the time to get supportive feedback on your ideas about engaging new audiences. Bring your questions about newsletters you'd like to start or grow; ways to create short, engaging videos; events or chapbooks you'd like to develop; how your newsroom can use the AI tools our speakers have pioneered. Stay at one table, or move around.

Breakout 2. Decarbonizing Transportation: A Reporter’s Guide

11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Location: Room 109, Annenberg School for Communication, 1st Floor Enter the building through the Walnut Street doors. Once you pass the security station and into the lobby, proceed down the ramp. Room 109 will be the second classroom on the left.

This is a continuation of this morning’s Mini-Workshop 8, 9:00 – 11:15 a.m. 

Panel 3. Policy Deep Dive: New York’s Implementation of Congestion Pricing

New participants welcome! Coverage.

Moderator: Caroline Spivack, Reporter, Crain’s New York Business

Speakers:
Mary Barber, Climate and Transportation Consultant
Juliette Michaelson, Deputy Chief External Relations Officer, State of New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Betsy Plum, Executive Director, Riders Alliance

Exhibits

11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Location: Lobby, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Don’t miss the wealth of information offered by the 2024 exhibitors. Learn about environmental issues and innovations, see some great displays and add to your source list.

Closing Plenary. Battling Disinformation, Fending Off Despair and Staying Relevant: What’s the Future for Environmental Journalism?

1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Location: Zellerbach Theatre, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Environmental journalism — much like the news business more broadly — is in a state of flux. An increasingly urgent climate crisis combined with an evolving media landscape have raised big questions that linger over our profession and our beat. In this session, we’ll grapple with some of those big-picture issues. We’ll explore the best ways to combat the ever-present climate disinformation and consider evolving views on journalistic objectivity. We’ll consider how to cope with the feeling of despair. And we’ll also look at how some journalists and outlets have created new business models to fund their journalism. Coverage.

Emcee: Meg McGuire, Founder, Delaware Currents and #SEJ2024 Conference Chair

Moderator: Justin Worland, Senior Correspondent, TIME Magazine

Speakers:
Emilia Askari, Journalist, Teacher, Researcher – Lecturer II, University of Michigan
Emily Atkin, Editor-in-Chief, HEATED
Tony Barboza, Editorial Writer, Los Angeles Times; and Treasurer and Finance Chair, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists
Mark Schleifstein, Environment Reporter, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate

Mini-Tours

3:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Mini-tours will depart from the Annenberg Plaza promptly at 3:00 p.m. Meet up with your tour leaders at least 10 minutes before departure either on your bus for tours 1, 2 and 3, or inside the big tent on the plaza for tours 4, 5, 6 and 7, or at the tour site for tour 8 (see address and directions for the tour below).

Mini-tour registration is online this year! See the descriptions below and sign up here for one of our afternoon mini-tours. You must preregister by signing up online but there's no charge — mini-tours are included with registration. Note: You must be registered for the #SEJ2024 conference in order to sign up for a mini-tour.

Mini-Tour 1. Urban Farming, Food and Land Sovereignty, and Environmental Justice

Big cities may not come to mind when one thinks of agriculture and food production — yet Philadelphia has a rich and ongoing tradition of food production, rooted in Black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrant and refugee communities who have nurtured and nourished the city for generations. Urban agriculture has the potential to address biodiversity loss, soil degradation, waste and climate crisis, in addition to connecting people more deeply to the land and each other, particularly in neighborhoods impacted by food apartheid. On this mini-tour we will visit two vibrant urban farms and hear from a line-up of community activists, land stewards, seedkeepers, tree tenders, gardeners and farmers.

Tour Leaders:
Octavia Feliciano, Freelance Journalist
Feini Yin, Freelance Journalist and Fisheries Specialist

Speakers:
Maebh Aguilar, Seed Collection Manager, Truelove Seeds
Nora Elmarzouky, Climate Justice Organizer and Member, Philly Palestine Coalition
Phil Forsyth, Co-Executive Director, Philadelphia Orchard Project
Sally McCabe, Associate Director of Community Education, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
Maitreyi Roy, Executive Director, Bartram’s Garden
Debbie Wei, Community Activist and Educator, Asian Americans United

Mini-Tour 2. Urban Hiking: Explore Wissahickon Valley Park

Join us for a visit to the Wissahickon, a protected 1,800 acres of forested land within Philadelphia along the Wissahickon creek. We'll discuss the challenges of recreational access and conservation in urban settings — and how the city of Philadelphia and a nonprofit group have found success. We will also learn about projects to address climate change on the land. The park has more than 50 miles of trails as well as historic sites. Please be prepared to walk two miles over about two hours. Wear sturdy shoes or boots with socks. Guided hikes may be on rocky, rugged trails that may be wet and slippery. Walks are cancelled in heavy rain or icy conditions. Service animals are welcome. Coverage.

Tour Leaders:
Frank Kummer, Environmental Reporter, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Rebekah Ward, Climate and Environment Reporter, Houston Chronicle

Speakers:
Pauline Berkowitz, Project Manager, Friends of Wissahickon
Rick Howley, Environmental Engineer, City of Philadelphia Water Department
Erin Mooney, Interim Executive Director, Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education
Ruffian Tittmann, Executive Director, Friends of Wissahickon

Mini-Tour 3. Chasing Justice: Compromised Air Quality and Climate Vulnerability in Philadelphia

The U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index, a new mapping tool developed in partnership by health scientists at Environmental Defense Fund and Texas A&M University, ranks U.S. census tracts to visualize the intersection of the risks caused by a polluted climate and the cumulative impacts of systemic environmental and racial injustice. The CVI shows that Grays Ferry is among the most vulnerable in the U.S., facing significant threats from flooding, childhood asthma rates, proximity to pollution sources and more. Join us for a hybrid bus/walking tour to see firsthand the consequences of policies and practices that contribute to environmental injustices and drive vulnerabilities to climate change, and hear about community-driven efforts to monitor local air quality on the fenceline of the former south Philly oil refinery — once the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and particulate pollution in the city.

Tour Leaders:
Alejandra Martinez, Environmental Reporter, The Texas Tribune
Kay Wood, Producer and Host, Planet Philadelphia

Speakers:
Lisa Frueh, Doctoral Student, Environmental and Occupational Health, Dornsife School of Public Health, Drexel University
Carol Jackson Foy, Member, Philly Thrive
Logan Lewis, Doctoral Student, Landscape Architecture Program, Jefferson University
Kristina Pinegar, Doctoral Student, Landscape Architecture Program, Jefferson University
Jerome Shabazz, Executive Director, Overbrook Environmental Education Center
Grace Tee Lewis, Senior Health Scientist, Environmental Defense Fund

Mini-Tour 4. Trolleys, Trains and Buses: Philly Mass Transit

SEPTA fee is discounted to $2 one way with two free transfers if you use a card as payment. They accept all credit and debit cards. On the way back from the mini-tour, the trolley will drop participants at the 36th Street Trolley Portal Station, which is catty-corner to the Sheraton HQ hotel.

SEPTA, the sixth largest public transportation system in the United States, has an enviable network of infrastructure and a mix of options to get where you want to go. It’s also struggling to regain the level of ridership it had before the pandemic; faces a $240 million deficit and potential 20% cuts in service; and is plagued by anti-social behavior, especially on the subway, elevated train and buses. We take a loop on one of Philadelphia’s iconic trolleys — one of the few cities remaining in North America with a sizable network of streetcars — to explore how the entire system fits together, as well as to learn its history and plans for the future. Bring questions.

Tour Leaders:
Tom Fitzgerald, Transportation Reporter, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Don Hopey, former Environment Writer, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, former SEJ Board President and two-time SEJ Conference Chair

Speakers: TBA

Mini-Tour 5. Sniffer Dogs, Invasives and Rare Plants

Our walking tour begins at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. From there, we'll walk to the University of Pennsylvania's BioPond gardens, where we will tour rare plant species, learn about invasive plant and animal species and climate change, and get an inside look at how sniffer dogs are trained in conservation and removal. Coverage.

• Learn about UPenn’s Working Dogs (video).

Tour Leaders:
Nancy Castaldo, Journalist and Author, “Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World”
Maddy Lauria, Freelance Journalist

Speakers:
Arden Blumenthal, Conservation Dogs Program Coordinator, New York-New Jersey Trail Conference
Kathryn Butler, Greenhouse & Garden Manager, BioPond, University of Pennsylvania

Mini-Tour 6. Biking the Circuit: Trail Networks As a Green and Healthier Option?

Bides and helmets will be provided.

More than 150 U.S. communities are trying to develop regional trail networks for safer and more convenient biking and walking. With the federal Reconnecting Communities and ATIIP programs, there’s more optimism for success. The Circuit Trails is developing one of these networks. C’mon and ride along for about twelve miles of scenery and discussion, with a stop on the Ben Franklin Bridge. Riding pace — slow to moderate. We’ll have discussion breaks. Please bring your water.

• Resource list

Tour Leaders:
Charles Quirmbach, WUWM — Milwaukee Public Radio
Charmaine Runes, Interactive Designer/Developer, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Speakers:
Stuart Clarke, Program Director, Watershed Protection, William Penn Foundation
Brandi Horton, Vice President of Communications, Rails to Trails Conservancy
Patrick Starr, Executive Vice President, Southeast Region, Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Chair, Circuit Trails Coalition

Mini-Tour 7. Carbon Neutrality on an Urban Campus

The new Vagelos Laboratory for Energy Science and Technology (VLEST) will occupy a prominent and critical site on the University of Pennsylvania campus, simultaneously announcing one’s arrival to the campus core and furthering the University of Pennsylvania’s goal of enriching this entry point to the campus with inhabitation and urban intensity. The project calls for a highly sustainable building representative of the research it pursues. With an emphasis on passive low-energy design strategies, the project is also supported by progressive integrated, active strategies. As a result, the building will be a model of low-energy laboratory design, demonstrating Penn’s commitment to both environmental and operational sustainability in its goal to reach carbon neutrality.

Tour Leaders:
Tom Henry, Environmental-Energy Writer, The (Toledo) Blade
Erika Heinrich, Freelance Photographer, South Jersey Information Equity Project
Lauren Ingeno, Freelance Journalist

Speakers:
Nick Fazzini, Senior Project Manager, LF Driscoll
Matt Noblett, Partner, Behnisch Architekten

Mini-Tour 8. The Philly Heat Pump Lab: Electrification, Efficiency and the Home Energy Transition

Logistics: Address for the tour site is 106 West Clearfield Street, Philadelphia. We suggest ridesharing or going together on public transit. It's a straight shot on the Septa but requires a bit of walking on both ends. Or about a 20-minute drive. It's up toward North Philly. Directions.

Visit the Philadelphia Energy Coordinating Agency's Heat Pump Lab, opened in 2023, to get up close with a burgeoning high-efficiency electric heating and cooling technology that could have a key role to play in fighting climate change. Learn how heat pumps work, how they compare to fossil fuels and other systems in different kinds of homes, and their potential role in improving energy cost burdens, comfort, health and carbon footprints. Hear about Philadelphia's approach to bringing home the benefits of this transition to low-income communities through workforce training and public outreach, and get your questions answered for stories about the Inflation Reduction Act and other incentives for energy upgrades. Coverage.

Tour Leaders:
Susanna Granieri, Freelance Journalist, Delaware Currents
Annie Ropeik, Assistant Director, Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk; Freelance Journalist; and Secretary, Board of Directors, Society of Environmental Journalists

Speakers:
Liberty Britton, Marketing and Communications Manager, Energy Coordinating Agency
Steve Luxton, Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Energy Coordinating Agency
Jackie Robinson, Lead Instructor, Energy Coordinating Agency
Walt Yakabosky, Training Director, Energy Coordinating Agency

Dinner and Dance Party at the Brooklyn Bowl

7:30 – 10:30 p.m. ($60 fee)
Location: 1009 Canal St, Philadelphia, PA 19123

Bus transportation will be provided from all four hotels starting at 7:00 p.m.

SEJ’s 2024 Saturday night party at the Brooklyn Bowl includes dinner buffet, bowling, shoe rental and band Pure Harmony Project! Space is limited. Preregistration required.

Sunday, April 7, 2024

Bookstore

10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

The University of Pennsylvania bookstore is on site at Heinz NWR to sell SEJ member-attendees’ and speakers’ books, as well as offering environmental books handpicked for the SEJ conference.

Breakfast, Books and Birds

9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. ($25 fee includes admission, beverages, continental breakfast and airport transportation with arrival at airport no later than 1:00 p.m., then to the hotels)

Tour the John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum, established in 1972 to protect Pennsylvania’s largest remaining freshwater tidal marsh and the birds and other wildlife that depend on this habitat. It was also designated a Priority Urban Wildlife Refuge in 2014, promoting habitat protection to benefit both humans and wildlife. When you’re not seeing or hearing birds, you’ll be hearing stories about them and other wildlife, as well as getting writing tips from a panel of natural history authors. Preregistration and tour selection required. Coverage.

Emcees:
Meg McGuire, Founder, Delaware Currents and #SEJ2024 Conference Chair
Feini Yin, Freelance Journalist and Fisheries Specialist

Agenda:

8:00 a.m. Buses depart from hotels to Heinz NWR

Coffee and Breakfast Snacks
8:30 – 9:00 a.m.

Session 1. Reporting on Non-Human Lives To Illuminate Our Own
9:00 – 10:15 a.m.

This session is concurrent with Tour 1.

This panel will focus on the practice, ethics and value of reporting on and centering non-human life, with the goal of using those stories and metaphors to illuminate our interconnected world. From cognition to physics, social justice to biodiversity loss, researchers in this field are radically upending classical notions of power and agency, which could have powerful implications as life on this planet is challenged. This panel will provide perspective and tips on how reporters can broaden definitions of which lives hold value and deserve protection, work that can ultimately help transform our world in this moment of crisis.

Moderator: Karen Pinchin, Independent Journalist and Author, “Kings of Their Own Ocean: Tuna, Obsession, and the Future of Our Seas”

Speakers:
Nancy Castaldo, Journalist and Author, "Sniffer Dogs: How Dogs (and Their Noses) Save the World," "Back From the Brink," "Beastly Brains" and "The Wolves and Moose of Isle Royale"
Sabrina Imbler, Staff Writer, Defector Media and Author, “How Far the Light Reaches”
Barbara “Bluejay” Michalski, Chief, Keeper of Culture, Lenape Nation of Pennsylvania

Tour 1. Tidal Marsh Birding at Heinz NWR
9:00 – 10:15 a.m.

This tour is concurrent with Session 1.

Learn about America’s First Urban Refuge, how it was established, through community action, and the resources that are protected at John Heinz NWR at Tinicum. The refuge is one of the most renowned birding spots in Pennsylvania, boasting the largest remaining tidal marsh in the state, against the backdrop of one of the largest metropolitan cities in the U.S. It has also become very much a National Wildlife Refuge that is more part of the community, and not that space “out there”.

Tour Leader: Lamar Gore, Refuge Manager, John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum

Beverage and Snack Break
10:15 – 10:45 a.m.

Session 2. The Faith + Earth Beat: A Template for News at the Intersection of Religion and Environment
10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

This session is concurrent with Tour 2.

Reporters are often confined to beats such as “religion” or “environment.” A panel of Pennsylvania faith leaders working on environmental issues will share about their initiatives and challenges and discuss the nuances of navigating and acting on environmental issues within their religious traditions. We’ll dig into what motivates or dissuades people in their communities from environmental action and hear how leaders address the moral component in many environmental issues. Reporters will leave with a heightened awareness of this underreported “beat” as well as a template for reporting environment and religion stories for local or national news outlets across the country.

Resources:

• Faith + Earth Beat Resource Sheet | SEJ April 2024, assembled by Rebecca Randall and Julia Shipley.
• "I Prayed With Quakers To Urge Vanguard To Invest More Responsibly," National Catholic Reporter, March 11, 2024, by Eleanor Harty.
• "Attention to True Climate Stewardship: Worship at Vanguard," Quaker Earthcare Witness, December 17, 2023, by Lina Blount.
• "Caring for Our "Garden of Eden": Solar Energy Benefits for Pennsylvania," June 30, 2023, by Julian Burnett.
• "A Philadelphia Energy Authority program Is Making Solar Possible for All Philadelphians," Grid Philly, August 1, 2022, by Marilyn Anthony.
• "Quaker Collective Action To Push Vanguard To Steward the Earth," Friends Journal, May 1, 2022, by George Lakey and Eileen Flanagan.

Moderator: Julia Shipley, Investigative Journalist and recent Fellow from the Religion and Environment Story Project, Boston University

Speakers:
Julian Burnett, Philadelphia neighborhood green energy advocate affiliated with Catholic-based ECO Philly focused on energy justice and Senior Community Partnerships Manager, PosiGen
Eileen Flanagan, former Board Chair, Earth Quaker Action Team, Spiritual Writer and Speaker
Israel Harris, Advocacy Director, Coalition on the Environment and Jewish Life (Scranton, Pa.)
Katie Ruth, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Interfaith Power and Light

Tour 2. "Knowing" Our Communities and Breaking Down Barriers
10:45 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

This tour is concurrent with Session 2.

The refuge has been on a journey of “knowing” three target communities, who have been facing a variety of environmental injustices for decades. The refuge works with the community in three areas to break down barriers between the refuge and the community, which are engagement, education and connecting. What we have learned on this journey is the depth of injustices impacting our communities. This tour will address the injustices faced, the impact on the community and how we work with the community to navigate barriers to success.

Tour Leader: Lamar Gore, Refuge Manager, John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum

SEJ’s annual conference ends at noon. Buses will go first to the airport, arriving no later than 1:00 p.m., then to the hotels.

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