Thursday, May 30, 2024
Widener University, Alumni Auditorium, 1 University Place,
Chester, PA 19013
Conference Theme: Sustainability in Action
Registration and Breakfast with Exhibitors
Location: University Center Atrium and Pride Café
Event Host: Elaine Paul Schaefer, Delaware County Council
Keynote - Take Action in Fashion
Location: Alumni Auditorium
Fashion not only plays a part in our daily lives, but as an industry, it also has major social and environmental consequences. This presentation will share the harsh realities of the modern fashion industry and will provide participants with the sustainable alternatives and resources to take action.
Coffee Refill Break and Networking with Exhibitors
Location: Alumni Auditorium and University Center
Creating Circularity for Recycled Glass in the Delaware Valley
Location: Alumni Auditorium
This presentation will introduce current trends in infrastructure construction and will share how Aero Aggregates of North America is seeking to disrupt the norm by creating a circular economy for recycled glass in the Delaware Valley.
Sustain Delco: A Sustainability Plan for Delaware County Update
Location: Alumni Auditorium
The Importance of Community-Based Organizations as Watershed Stewards
Location: Alumni Auditorium
This presentation will summarize current conditions for streams in the Delaware River Basin, describe what we have learned about our efforts to protect and restore streams, and provide engaged communities with recommendations for more successful efforts to protect and restore stream health and clean water.
2024 Sustainability Awards
Location: Alumni Auditorium
Closing Remarks to Morning Session
Location: Alumni Auditorium
Lunch and Networking with Exhibitors
Location: University Center Atrium and Pride Café
This track is catered toward individuals looking to be more sustainable in their everyday lives.
Breakout Session #1: Bright Ideas – Maximizing Efficiency Within Your Home
Location: University Center, Room G (Basement Level)
Moderator: Corey Crews-Williams, Energy Engineer, BPI MFBA, New Ecology, Inc.
Local energy experts will share bright ideas for maximizing efficiency in the home. Presentations will take participants through each step of the process, from identifying projects, to evaluating alternatives, to utilizing incentives and financing options for completing upgrades. Participants will leave with resources for completing upgrades and working knowledge of alternatives, like heat pumps.
This track is catered to the Business Community and other participants interested in learning how businesses can be more sustainable in their operations.
Breakout Session #1: Building a Sustainable Business
Location: University Center, Room F (2nd Floor)
This session serves as a practical guide on how businesses can incorporate sustainable practices into their day-to-day operations.
This track is catered to Non-Profit Organizations, Universities, Organizations, and other participants looking to make structured or mission-driven organizations more sustainable.
Breakout Session #1: Starting the Journey to Build Climate Resilience into an Organization: The Case of Tyler Arboretum
Location: University Center, Room C (1st Floor)
Tyler Arboretum is an organization focused on connecting community to the natural world and rich history found within its 650 acres. As an organization focused on sustainability, recently this has meant looking at the challenge of climate resiliency and what this means for natural resource conservation strategy at Tyler. This talk will go into planning steps Tyler has used to link climate resiliency to its mission as well as how certain projects Tyler is working on are addressing components of resiliency across its lands, from storm water management to prescribed burns. The session will also build in time for analysis on what that means for your own organization/university with discussion on lessons learned from group time.
This track is catered to Municipal Leaders, Environmental Action Committee (EAC) members, or participants looking to implement change on a community-wide scale.
Breakout Session #1: Birds, Bees, and Trees – Municipal Certifications for Sustainability
Location: University Center, Webb Room (1st Floor)
Moderator: Carol Martsolf, Chair, Delaware County Sustainability Commission
This session includes fast, fun, and factual presentations regarding sustainability certifications available to municipalities. Four local Delaware County communities will share their experiences in implementing sustainability projects and getting their communities certified as a Bee City (Media Borough), Bird Town (Concord Township), Tree City (Marcus Hook Borough), and through Sustainable PA (Haverford Township).
This track is catered to broad audiences who are looking to be informed and inspired in areas of sustainability that may be transferable across all aspects life and business.
Breakout Session #1: Love What You Do – Sustainable Living - Resilience and Independence
Location: University Center, Wyham Room (1st Floor)
This session will provide an overview of small- and large-scale sustainability measures you can take with buildings, energy, utilities, transportation, food, clothing, and such in all aspects of life. Through stories and examples, this session will highlight reuse, recycling, and preservation can enhance resilience and financial independence.
Afternoon Break and Final Time with Exhibitors
Location: University Center
This track is catered toward individuals looking to be more sustainable in their everyday lives.
Breakout Session #2: The Gifts of Gardens: How Home, School, and Community Gardens Impact Health and Land Stewardship
Location: University Center, Wyham Room (1st Floor)
This session is geared toward individuals, educators, health care professionals, and nonprofit and government leaders who are interested in learning about the value and benefits of local and small-scale gardens and how they are a vehicle for health, land stewardship, and access to fresh food. We will also share Greener Partners' approach incorporating gardens into educational and clinical settings. Participants will leave with a greater understanding of the role and importance gardens, of any size, can play in our built and lived environments.
This track is catered to the Business Community and other participants interested in learning how businesses can be more sustainable in their operations.
Breakout Session #2: From Green Dreams to Real World Impact: Strategies for Small Business Sustainability
Location: University Center, Room F (2nd Floor)
EMAP provides free and confidential environmental assistance to small businesses across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This session will draw on real-world examples of small businesses undertaking sustainability initiatives. In addition, this session will cover additional opportunities (stakeholder relations, strategic initiatives, artificial intelligence) for businesses to become more environmentally inclusive to people, the planet, and the economy.
This track is catered to Non-Profit Organizations, Universities, Organizations, and other participants looking to make structured or mission-driven organizations more sustainable.
Breakout Session #2: Resilience and Empowerment – Planning for Change in the Darby Creek Watershed
Location: University Center, Room C (1st Floor)
The Darby Creek watershed is home to nearly half a million people, spread across 31 Townships, Boroughs and Cities. The population is diverse, but not consistently integrated. The upper watershed features open space, forests, large parks and sprawling suburbs. The lower watershed includes vibrant, walkable downtowns, and denser development. As climate change affects the region, more intense and more frequent storms erode the streams at the top of the watershed and flood the communities in the lower watershed. Together, Darby Creek Valley Association and Natural Lands, are working on a plan to empower every resident, community, non-profit and government, to take action to make the watershed more resilient, to improve the quality of life for everyone.
This track is catered to Municipal Leaders, Environmental Action Committee (EAC) members, or participants looking to implement change on a community-wide scale.
Breakout Session #2: Designing for Safety and Sustainability
Location: University Center, Room G (Basement Level)
Learn how to make your community safer and more sustainable though roadway design. Hear about grant opportunities and get hands on with designing a safer intersection.
This track is catered to broad audiences who are looking to be informed and inspired in areas of sustainability that may be transferable across all aspects life and business.
Breakout Session #2: The Role of Recycling in Addressing the Plastics Crisis (and Anything Else You Want to Know about Recycling)
Location: University Center, Webb Room (1st Floor)
In this session, Alex Danovitch will present a framework developed by the Alliance for Mission Based Recycling (AMBR), to understand what makes something “technically” recyclable and what factors, including economic, climate, toxics, and environmental justice can determine if recycling is the best strategy for handling the material. The presentation will conclude with a robust Q&A session where participants can ask any lingering questions about recycling.
Conclusion of Professional Program
Location: University Center