Hot Topics in Science 2009

The Helena Education Foundation sponsors an annual event called Hot Topics in Science, scheduled this year for September 16th, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. "Staying in the Game: Resilience in the Face of Climate Change," on the 4th floor of the Compass Block in the Great Northern Town Center, is a follow-up to our Steve Running presentation last winter.

We can provide guest teachers for the the first 30 teachers who sign up. Please follow this link to register for the event.

We also welcome high school students, please contact Lisa Cordingley at hefmt.net about registering your students.

Thank you and welcome back!

Keynote Speaker--Dayna Baumeister

Co-founder of the Biomimicry Guild, Dayna’s fascination and intrigue with the natural world began early with daily forays into the woods behind her home and weekend trips to the mountains with her family. As an adult, nature has been an inspiration in all of her personal and professional endeavors.

Starting at the coastal seashore of Florida, Dayna received a BS in Marine Biology from New College in Sarasota. After several years exploring the intricate relationships of coral reefs, she turned in her wetsuit and headed back to the mountains. There, Dayna earned a MS in Resource Conservation and a PhD in Organismic Biology and Ecology from the University of Montana in Missoula, specializing in dynamics of positive interactions among animal and plant life. With a background in biology, a devotion to applied natural history, and a passion for sharing the wonders of nature with others, Dayna has worked in the field of Biomimicry since 1998 as an educator, researcher, and design consultant. As co-founder and keystone for the Biomimicry Guild, Dayna acts as the liaison between all members of the Guild. In addition, she brings her skills as a systems thinker and organic communicator to her dynamic workshops, presentations, seminars, and exhibits, which have introduced the idea of nature as model, measure, and mentor to thousands of designers, business managers, and engineers around the country.

Bringing home the principles of life that she espouses in her work, Dayna finds physical and spiritual sustenance as a gardener, hunter, yoga instructor, and naturalist. She lives with her family in the foothills of the inspiring landscape of the rugged Rocky Mountain Front in Montana.

Richard Opper (Water)

Richard Opper was appointed as Director of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality in 2005 by Governor Brian Schwietzer. As Director of the Montana DEQ, Opper oversees his department’s pursuit of its mission to protect, sustain, and improve a clean and healthful environment.  DEQ works on superfund site cleanups, environmental enforcement, water quality planning, and environmental permitting.   As DEQ Director, Opper has also has worked with a statewide citizen committee to develop recommendations to reduce the state’s emissions of greenhouse gasses.  

Opper received a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science in 1979 from Montana State University, where his research focused on mined land reclamation.  Before working for state government, Opper worked on natural resource issues for a variety of non-profits.  Most recently, he served as Director for the Missouri River Basin Association, a coalition of the basin’s states and tribes that addressed policy issues regarding the management and recovery of the Missouri River system.  He is also the author of a sadly little-known novel.

Dorothy Bradshaw and Joan Miles (Public Health)

So you think that climate change and global warming are mostly nuisances that change the place we live in and the way we do things – our forests are dying, the ski season is shrinking, and you’re being asked to drive less (or at least buy a Prius).  Think again.  

Every change in our environment changes something else, and all of it eventually affects our health.  In this group, you will discover ways that climate change impacts our health and the health of our communities in more ways than imaginable.  How do we plan for future challenges? Who is most vulnerable and how do we protect them? How do we even know what is happening to us? A forest fire or a tsunami are pretty tangible, but what about other, less visible consequences? Our changing climate creates new problems, new risks, and potentially new opportunities for us as a community. We think people are resilient and can face these challenges.  Help us plan for a healthy Helena in the years to come.

Joan Miles

Joan Miles is the Director of Grants and Program Development for the Montana Hospital Association, working primarily with Montana’s small, rural hospitals.  Prior to joining MHA, she was Director of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and also served for 12 years as the Lewis & Clark County Health Officer and Director of the Lewis & Clark City-County Health Department.  Earlier in her career, she worked as a law clerk for the Montana Supreme Court and served two terms in the Montana Legislature as a representative of central Helena.

Miles is currently on the Board of the Public Health Foundation based in Washington DC, and has served on several national committees promoting public policy initiatives to address tobacco use, chronic disease prevention, and health promotion.  Miles is a faculty member for Montana’s annual Summer Public Health Institute and is a frequent presenter on public health law and policy topics.

She earned a B.S. degree in Medical Technology from State University of New York in Albany, NY; an M.S. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Montana; and her Juris Doctor from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, CA.  When not working on public health or health care issues, Joan and her family enjoy time in Montana’s outdoors – hiking, skiing, mountain biking or fly fishing.  Her favorite fly is a Royal Wulff.

Dorothy Bradshaw

Dorothy Bradshaw oversees the Community Health Promotion programs at the Lewis and Clark City-County Health Department, and has worked in public health since 2003. She has done media literacy training for the Helena school district, and has worked as an arts administrator, therapist, and game manual writer for SimCity and The Sims, among other things. Dorothy actually likes to do strategic planning. She also likes to mountain bike.

Will Selser (Materials)

Given that there are new technologies (Plasma Arc) that may be able to convert 99% of our waste into an inert solid AND yield a net energy output, is recycling really worth the time, energy and money we spend on it?

Vitae:
BS In Biology with Honors - Northeast Missouri State University
MS in Wildlife Biology - University of Montana
Wildlife Research Unit Fellow - University of Montana
NationalEndowment for the Humanities Fellow - Johns Hopkins University
Work:
Director, Environmental Health Section, L&C county Health Department,
1976-1996
Manager, Solid Waste Services, L&C County Public Works, 1996-2004
Manager, Headwaters Cooperative Recycling Program, 2005
Proprietor, WasteNotSolutions, solid waste solutions brokerage, 2005 - present
lobbyist, Montana recycling Association, 2009 session

Els Van Woert (Energy)

Els Van Woert works in Helena as the director of non-profit and public relations for the Boise-based wind energy company Exergy Development Group.  She recently worked with the Helena Climate Change Task Force as a member of the Energy Working Group.  Her previous experience includes a yearlong Middlebury College Fellowship in Environmental Journalism, working for the Montana chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and teaching humanities at St. Paul's School in New Hampshire.

Els is a soccer coach on the side, now entering her fourth year as an assistant with the Carroll College women's program.  Els holds a bachelor's degree from Middlebury College, where she majored in English and American History with an environmental focus.

Elizabeth Andrews (Transportation)

Elizabeth Andrews is the Montana Field Representative for the Transportation for America Campaign.  She has lived in Helena, Montana for the past 18 years, raising her two daughters and working on public interest issues.  She began her public interest work organizing around public health issues and has gone on to focus on environmental health, good government…and now healthy transportation issues.  She has been with the Transportation for America Campaign for the past year working to help outreach, educate and engage Montana community members around national transportation policy opportunities and looks forward to a new national transportation program that will help create healthier communities where people can better live, work and play!