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2025 Registration, Schedule, Speakers & Exhibitors Now Live!
2025 SCHEDULE
8:15-9:00
Registration & Mornings Snacks and Coffee (sponsored by Willy Street Co-op)
9:00-10:00
Opening remarks
Morning Keynote: Alex Booker
Orientation
Alex Booker
Alex Booker
Alex Booker is a Madison native who enjoys building a community through the land. In addition to coordinating the Black Excellence life readiness cooking series, he grows culturally significant crops at Firm Footing farm that he uses in culinary and herbalism workshops. Alex is also a part of the ASE cooperative that honors the troubled connection Black Americans have to the land. His overall goal is to help people get reconnected to their food systems and the land.
Alex Booker is a Madison native who enjoys building a community through the land. In addition to coordinating the Black Excellence life readiness cooking series, he grows culturally significant crops at Firm Footing farm that he uses in culinary and herbalism workshops. Alex is also a part of the ASE cooperative that honors the troubled connection Black Americans have to the land. His overall goal is to help people get reconnected to their food systems and the land.
10:00-10:30
Mid-morning snack with Indigenous foods made by MMSD culinary students and Madison Chef Yusuf Bin-Rella (sponsored by REAP)
10:30-12:15
Morning Workshops (in progress)
Mindfulness in Nature | Nathan Larson, Principal, Restorative Places (Outdoor Learning, Nature Connection/Mindfulness; all ages)
Nature Within: Teaching Resilience Through the Five Elements | Presenter: Erin Frey, Mind-Body Educator and Coach (Outdoor Learning, Nature connection/Mindfulness; all ages)
Climate Change, Biofuels, and Sustainable Agriculture | Kaitlin Ripley, Outreach Specialist, WI Energy Institute (Environmental Education, Climate/Energy; all ages)
Pedal Powered Projects: Spinning Wheels into Curriculum | Ben Varick, Dane County Programs Manager, Wisconsin Bike Fed (Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education, Policy/Systems Change; middle and high school)
Share your story using data: A hands-on session to boost strategic communication | Mary Michaud, Director of Experiential Learning, La Follette School of Public Affairs, UW-Madison (Policy/Systems Change; all ages)
Thankful for Trees: Build Your Own Lesson | Carolyn Byers, Education Director, Southern Wisconsin Bird Alliance (Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education; elementary focus, adaptable to preschool, middle, and high school)
Practical Projects | Jenna McCann, Teacher, Merrimac Community School-Sauk Prairie Schools (Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education, Food Justice/Sustainable Ag; elementary focus, all ages)
Can we go outside? YES! | Mary Bridget Nowicki, Science Teacher, and Emily Sonnemann, Culinary Teacher, East High School (Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education, Food Justice/Sustainable Ag; middle school, high school)
Growing Up Naturally | Emily Foster Hill, Field Educator, FIELD Edventures (Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education; early childhood/preschool)
Engaging youth in learning about the food system, food justice, and how to get involved | Jess Guffey Calkins, Community Food Systems Educator, and Ely Moya, Bilingual Positive Youth Development Educator, UW-Madison Extension Dane County (Food Justice/Sustainable Ag; elementary, middle, & high school)
12:30-1:30
Lunch & Exhibitor Hall
Lunch will be available for purchase from local restaurants, including pizza by the slice from Mentoring Positives and tamales from Tortillas Los Angeles.
1:45-2:45
Afternoon Sessions
Decolonizing Our Relationships with Nature and Ourselves | Ellen Sims, Executive Director, Healing Roots Collaborative, Inc (Policy/Systems Change, Nature Connection/Mindfulness; all ages)
Playful Pathways in Nature: Supporting Outdoor Learning with Loose Parts and Tools | Christie Moser, Founder/Owner, Naturing in Madison (Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education; early childhood--preschool, lower elementary)
Pathways to Play: Advancing Outdoor Equity for Every Child | Autumn DeMet--Nature Everywhere Program Manager, Aldo Leopold Nature Center; Justin Svingen--Public Health Planner, Public Health Madison & Dane County (Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education; all ages)
Cultivating Resilience: Integrating Cultural Diversity and Climate Adaptation in our School and Community Gardens | Claudia Irene Calderón, Teaching Faculty, PhD., Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences at the University of Wisconsin Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education, Food Justice/Sustainable Ag; Climate/Energy, Policy/Systems Change; all ages)
Nature Connections | Cheryl DeWelt, Environmental Education and Garden Manager, Madison Children's Museum (Environmental Education, Climate/Energy; preschool and elementary)
Building Community Center Partnerships for Inclusive Outdoor Education | Lael Pascual, Engagement & Visitor Services Manager & Angela Rivera, Education Coordinator, Dane County Parks (Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education; upper elementary and middle school)
Amplifying Our Actions: Climate Education in Our Classrooms and Communities | Mia Forslund, Education Engagement Specialist, PBS Wisconsin Education (Climate/Energy; middle, high school, all ages)
Games, games, games! | Moira Farrell, Owner / Nature Connection Facilitator, Hike and Heal Wellness (Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education; elementary, middle, and high school)
Rooted in Culture: Cultural Cooking with Youth | Sarah Karlson, Director of Urban Agriculture Education-Madison South, Rooted (Food Justice/Sustainable Ag, Outdoor Learning/Environmental Education; all ages)
Rooted in Community: Connecting Students to the Local Food System | Kelli Semrau, School Social Worker, Capital High School; Brian Counselman, Teacher and PBL Coordinator, Malcolm Shabazz City High School; Emily Sonnemann, Family and consumer Science Teacher, East High School (Food Justice/Sustainable Ag; middle, high school, and adults)
3:00-4:00
Afternoon Keynote: Adrian Lipscombe
Closing remarks
Adrian Lipscombe
Adrian Lipscombe
Adrian Lipscombe, a proud native Texan, embarked on her career in city planning upon earning her Masters in Architecture from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She made a significant impact working with the private sector and municipal governments in Austin and San Antonio on community-focused projects. (see more)
Adrian Lipscombe, a proud native Texan, embarked on her career in city planning upon earning her Masters in Architecture from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She made a significant impact working with the private sector and municipal governments in Austin and San Antonio on community-focused projects. (see more)
With a heritage deeply rooted in Central Texas for six generations. She is also a fourth generation pitmaster. Adrian possesses extensive knowledge in African American heritage in the U.S. She advocates passionately for fostering connections between local farmers and ranchers with chefs, promoting opportunities for everyone.
In 2016, Adrian took her talents to La Crosse, Wisconsin, where she established Uptowne Café, a cherished haven for the Northside community. Through her restaurant, she skillfully weaves her Southern upbringing, Midwest ingredients, and African American culinary heritage, creating a unique culinary experience. She created a theory that restaurants can become community impact spaces can drive changes of revitalizations within communities.
As one of the few Black restaurant owners in the area, Adrian's vision gave birth to the 40 Acres Project, aimed at preserving the legacy of Black agriculture and foodways by acquiring Black-owned land. She is ardently advocating for food sovereignty within all communities. She is also a Culinary Diplomat to the White House and State Department.
Additionally, she plays a pivotal role as a founding member of the Muloma Heritage Center in South Carolina, a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring the African Atlantic influences in American culture and their contributions to American cuisines. Adrian also serves on the board of the Edna Lewis Foundation, further highlighting her commitment to preserving culinary heritage.
Adrian is currently a PhD candidate in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Texas at Austin. In her return to Austin, Adrian looks forward to continuing to showcase the African American influences on food culture today and to feed friends,
family and the community. As a mother of four, she takes pride in creating stepping stones and a legacy for the future.
4:00-4:15
Networking
With gratitude to our sponsors:
With gratitude to our sponsors:
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