Listening to the Land
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History is proud to announce its schedule of events for the 18th annual Conservation Symposium, which will be held on Friday, September 10, 2021. This year's theme is Listening to the Land. During the day-long event, a variety of speakers, including boots-on-the-ground conservationists, educators, artists, and authors, will discuss and showcase their unique work.
Among these can't-miss presenters is Geo Rutherford, a Wisconsin-based artist, activist, and TikTok creator whose work explores the Great Lakes. Naturalist Dr. Drew Lanham, author of The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature, and science journalist Michelle Nijhuis, author of Beloved Beasts: Fighting for Life in an Age of Extinction, will be featured as this year's keynote speakers.
Through lively discussions and Q&A sessions throughout the day, attendees can explore the intersections of health, culture, economics, and nature. They'll also learn about the ways in which different communities view and prioritize conservation efforts, and how they're working to make environmental advocacy more inclusive. In conjunction with the Conservation Symposium, a small number of in-person field trips will be offered on the following Saturday.*
"This year's Conservation Symposium will open the doors to people who perhaps have zero experience with conservation, or don't know where to begin," says Allison Grazia, the Museum's Manager of Public Engagement. "These speakers—who are very in tune with listening to the land in their own ways—all have relatable approaches to environmental advocacy."
By the end of the symposium, attendees will walk away having discovered how they, too, can begin listening to the land. And they’ll have a better understanding of the ways in which the Museum can act as a resource as they begin their own advocacy work.
“Anything that you do is going to have an impact,” says Grazia. “It doesn’t matter how big or how small your journey is. Whether you’re watching videos, using your voice on social media, supporting sustainable brands, reading books, attending classes taught by experts, or volunteering, there are a lot of ways everybody can get involved in environmental advocacy. That’s why our Conservation Symposium presenters will speak to such a range of topics.”
The Museum will also announce the 2021 recipient of the Conservation Educator of the Year award, which is granted to a classroom teacher or naturalist in Northeast Ohio who excels in conservation education by bringing students together in a conservation project at their school or in their community.
With both in-person and virtual options for participation, Conservation Symposium attendees will get an up-close look at the Museum’s newly reimagined Murch Auditorium, which was recently unveiled as one of the Museum’s three Gateway Projects—the first steps toward a complete transformation of the institution’s campus. In-person attendees will also have the option to purchase a ticket that includes lunch courtesy of Exploration: A Zack Bruell Restaurant.
*Registration for field trips is separate from Conservation Symposium ticketing and includes its own fees. Those who register for the Conservation Symposium will receive 15% off on registration for any field trip on Saturday, September 11. A discount code will be emailed to all Conservation Symposium registrants.