Cincinnati Nature Center is excited to present a free online speaker series this fall, featuring compelling speakers who are changing the conversation about our environment, making an impact in their communities, and thinking about how to make nature more accessible and equitable for all. 

Conservation Changemaker Speaker Series - Fall 2022

Wednesday, September 28, 7-8 pm ET - The Bug Chicks, Entomologists and Educators, and Brandon Reynolds, Environmental Consultant and Founder of B the Keeper 
Join Jessica Honaker and Kristie Reddick of The Bug Chicks, along with Brandon Reynolds of B the Keeper for their take on the power of empathy and how exposure to the outdoors promotes self-expression, dissolves fear and bridges the gap between the natural world and our own. 

Wednesday, October 19, 7-8 pm ET - Nicole Jackson, Environmental Educator and Founder of Black in National Parks Week 
Join environmental educator Nicole Jackson for a reflective presentation on the benefits of building meaningful relationships with nature. She will share some of the challenges and triumphs she's faced in her career and discuss how we can be more impactful using nature as a guide for success. 

Wednesday, November 9, 7-8 pm ET - Priya Nanjappa, Toad Scientist and Vice President of Conservation Programs at National Parks Conservation Association  
Priya Nanjappa, Vice President of Conservation Programs at the National Parks Conservation Association, shares her journey as a nature lover, toad scientist, and environmental leader. Having worked on both the advocacy and governmental sides of the public policy world, she provides inspiration and useful strategies for people looking to shape policy for conservation. She also invites us to think about how overlooked creatures like amphibians can frame the way we think about inclusivity, equity, and one another. 

Wednesday, December 7, 7-8 pm ET - Lyla June, Indigenous Scholar, Musician and Community Organizer, and Jheri Neri, Founder of the Greater Cincinnati Native American Coalition 
Lyla June (Diné/Tsétsêhéstâhese) discusses native food systems in pre-Columbian times. Whether it's burning grasslands to maintain habitat for deer, buffalo, antelope, etc, or building intertidal rock walls to catch sediment for clam habitat, native people have a knack for building a home for their food in reciprocal relationships. Through this maintenance of the home of edible plants and animals, whom we see as relatives, our food can come to us through consensual and respectful relationship. Jheri Neri, Executive Director of the Greater Cincinnati Native American Coalition (GCNAC), provides an introduction and shares examples of current work that is being done by GCNAC to restore relationships with the land in the city of Cincinnati.