2022 Forum Series:
Sustainable Communities and Environmental Justice
Butte Environmental Council’s Community Forum series continues in 2022 with a focus on sustainable communities and environmental justice. These FREE forums aim to open conversations, provide information, and empower our community. All events will have a virtual option (if not fully virtual). Our participants are encouraged to listen to a panel of experts our Outreach Committee invites to speak on each topic, then engage in discussions about how these topics affect our community now and into the future. The takeaway from each forum helps to drive BEC’s focus in its efforts for advocacy, action, and education. Thank you to our sponsors and donors for funding these events.
Make sure you are subscribed to BEC’s Monthly Newsletter and are following us on Facebook and Instagram so you will see updates and details about our upcoming forums.
February 9 from 6:00-8:00 pm - Air Quality Impacts on Vulnerable Communities - Online - REGISTER HERE
Participants will hear presentations from a panel of regional experts and have the opportunity to engage in the conversation of understanding of air quality impacts in our region and ways to mitigate air pollution. Topics to be discussed:
Introduction to air quality basics
Common sources of air pollutants in Butte County
Monitoring and predicting air quality
Health and environmental impacts of poor air quality
BEC’s CAPE program overview
Ways to reduce your impact and protect yourself
April 23 from 11:00am-2:00pm - Endangered Earth Rally
Part of this year’s Endangered Earth Event, celebrating 43 years of the Endangered Species Faire. More info coming soon. Check the event page for more details about the entire event, including the Walk for Earth Procession at 10:30 am. Free and fun for all ages!
August 24 - Water Justice
More info coming soon.
December 8 - Sustainable Land Use
More info coming soon.
2021 Forum Series:
Community Resilience & Climate Change
Butte Environmental Council’s Community Forums series continues in 2021 with a focus on community resilience and climate change. These FREE forums aim to open conversations, provide information, and empower our community. Thank you to the Strong Foundation, Klean Kanteen, and Chico Naturopathic Medicine for funding these events and making them accessible to the public. Make sure you are subscribed to BEC’s Monthly Newsletter and are following us on Facebook and Instagram so you will see updates and details about our upcoming forums.
April 22nd 6:00-7:30pm - Transportation & Climate Change
Learn about local and regional transportation issues that affect climate change, and the steps we can take toward a more sustainable transportation network. Panelists will discuss efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Chico, Butte County, and Statewide through increased access to public transit, walking, biking, remote work, and more. Participants will have the opportunity to voice their ideas and shape BEC’s involvement in transportation advocacy. Panelists include Cheri Chastain, Director of Sustainability and Energy at Chico State University; Jon Clark, Executive Director at Butte County Association of Governments; and Bryce Goldstein, BEC Board Member and Transportation Planner at the Planning Commission.
June 24th 6:00-8:00pm - Shelter & Climate Change
Housing and homelessness have been at the forefront of our community’s minds and we want to come together and start thinking of a solution that will benefit everyone. Butte County lost thousands of housing units to the devastating 2018 CampFire and subsequent wildfires, compounding the effects of the statewide housing shortage and causing prices to rise beyond community members’ means. This lack of affordable housing has left numerous residents of Paradise, Chico, and surrounding communities without permanent homes or even a temporary roof over their heads. Climate change is predicted to increase the intensity of wildfires and floods, leading to further destruction of housing and an increased need for community resilience through sustainable shelter solutions. We are not currently prepared to deal with such disasters should they arise again. Panelists include Ed Mayer, Executive Director of the Housing Authority of Butte County; Mark Stemen, Professor of Geography and Planning at Chico State University; Hilary Crosby, Caring Choices; Lauren Kennedy, Executive director of the North Valley Housing Trust; Larry Halstead, Political Scientist and activist; and Alex Brown, Chico City Councilmember.
August 26th 6:00-8:00pm - Wildfire & Climate Change
We are bringing together four experts on wildfires and the environment to share their knowledge and vision for possible solutions to mitigate the effects of wildfires in our region. Panelists will discuss efforts to reduce the effects of wildfires in Butte County and the surrounding areas by talking about past and current land management policies, issues, and wildfires that have happened in the region. Speakers will also share knowledge about how the climate interacts with our landscape, driving these increasingly catastrophic events, as well as how these large, intense wildfires impact our watersheds into the future. Panelists include Dr. Don Hankins, Professor of Geography and Planning at CSU, Chico; Dr. Sandrine Matiasek, Professor in the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at CSU, Chico; Zeke Lunder, Wildfire Analyst and Manager at The Lookout; Calli-Jane DeAnda, Executive Director of Butte County Fire Safe Council; and Wolfy Rougle, Prescribed Burn Association Coordinator at Butte County Resource Conservation District.
November 16th - Food Systems & Climate Change
BEC has invited six community experts with backgrounds in sustainable farming, soil health, and food security to share their knowledge and lead group conversations aiming to build a more resilient food network in our community:
Pamm Larry- Initial Instigator and Chief Rabble Rouser, Butte County Local Food Network
Eric Chisler- Local Farmer, GRUB
Cindy Daley- Director and Co-founder of the Center for Regenerative Agriculture & Resilient Systems
Jared Geiser- Carbon Farm Planner
Eric Wright- Freelance Restoration Specialist
Maria Giovanni- Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Science at California State University, Chico
Attendees can anticipate learning from our region's experts on these topics and experiencing an interactive group discussion in both the in-person and online audiences. This FREE event will be held at the GRUB Farm, 3269 W Sacramento Ave, Chico, CA 95973 on November 16, 2021 from 6:30-8:30pm. We also have a zoom link available at: bit.ly/BEC-FoodForum21 if you would like to join us online.