Dan's Papers -March 27, 2009 - Sustainability Conference

The newly formed Women's Initiatives for a Sustainable Earth (WISE), a nonprofit group founded by a group of local women concerned about climate change, will host its first statewide conference at Stony Brook Southampton March 27-29. With a theme of "Mobilizing for Resilient Communities One Conversation at a Time," the event focuses on educating East End residents - both men and women - about the effects of global warming, as well as what initiatives people can take at a grassroots level to help create more sustainable communities and make a difference in the movement to fight the effects of global warming.

"Women throughout New York State are ready to take action in their communities and governments to raise awareness of the risks of global warming and to move toward climate stability," stated Dorothy Reilly, a resident of Southampton and founder of WISE, in a press release, adding, "WISE is launching this conference because we feel that helping women collaborate in their communities and across the state will be a powerful way to energize action toward sustainable communities. Women are passionate about the environment, control over 85% of consumer spending, constitute a majority voting block and are the dominant teachers of our youth."

Co-hosted by Stony Brook Southampton and the Stony Brook Center for Wine, Food and Culture, this three-day event will feature keynote speakers that include Margaret Wheatley, founder of the Berkana Institute, author and international leadership consultant; Harriet Fulbright, president of the J. Williams & Harriet Fulbright Center; anthropologist Dr. Richard Leakey; Sarah Newark, director of the Coastal Resiliency Project for The Nature Conservancy; and many other professionals with a wide variety of experience.

"The issue of climate change is fundamental to life as we know it. People want to come together, be connected, feel inspired, learn and act," Reilly said.

The conference also encourages attendees to actively engage in discussions regarding the issue of climate change and how it's affecting our communities through World Caféé conversations and Open Space focus groups. In addition to the educational component, the event will feature films, music and dance performances, as well as early morning yoga, hikes and meditation.

Held in the Fine Arts Building at Stony Brook Southampton, the conference runs from 6:30 - 10:30 p.m. on March 27, 9 a.m.-10:30 p.m. on March 28 and 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on March 29.