Contact : Rosemary McMullen 412 780 4752 What: Three Rivers Bioneers Conference When: Friday, October 22nd & Saturday, October 23rd Where: The Pittsburgh Project The second annual 3 Rivers Bioneers (www.3riversbioneers.org) 3RB Illuminating Solutions for Regional Sustainability and Prosperity Regional leaders converge to share tools for the restoration of our communities and the environment [Pittsburgh, PA] – October 18, 2010 – The second annual 3 Rivers Bioneers (www.3riversbioneers.org) conference takes place this October 22nd and 23rd, 2010 at the Pittsburgh Project on the Northside. The 3 Rivers Bioneers (3RB) conference is an incubator for good ideas and strategies that inform and inspire positive change. Local efforts to reach a sustainable and just region will be highlighted. Transition to a lower energy lifestyle with Transition Pittsburgh. Work with the Ujamaa Collective to overcome food deserts and have fresh produce for all. Create stories of Healthy People and Planet with Interplay and its troupe of performers telling our own personal local tales. Listen and work with other young people as they delve into introductory topics such as health and personal wellness, the basis of strong communities and the environmental effects of consumption. Hear from the many youth participating in the 3RB youth track during the reception to nationally renowned film YERT (Your Environmental Road Trip). Expanding the definition of sustainability, 3RB is exposing solutions for social justice and environmental sustainability. The host, the Urban Ecology Collaborative (UEC), is a network of organizations and individuals working to enhance the health and vibrancy of Pittsburgh. Building upon the success of two previous conferences—the Green Forum and MERGE (Methods to Engage Residents in Grassroots Efforts), the UEC is proud to partner with Bioneers (www.bioneers.org ) for the second local Bioneers conference. Bioneers is a nonprofit educational organization hosting the national Bioneers Conference in California for its 21st year. 3RB will broadcast multiple visionary speakers from the national conference to Pittsburgh, including renowned primatologist Jane Goodall, climate scientist James Hansen, and Executive Director of the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at Ohio State, John A. Powell. Going beyond workshops and presenters, 3RB brings together networks of people passionate about solutions at the intersection of personal and planetary healing. Ongoing exhibits and activities complement the program; they include an urban chicken coop, art exhibits of recycled materials pulled off our hillsides, spoken word performances by the 3RB youth, and many eco-art installations. The Pittsburgh Project (www.pittsburghproject.org ), a community development center on the Northside, provides the backdrop for the 3RB conference. To view the full conference program, visit www.3riversbioneers.org/schedule . Registration is available online at www.3riversbioneers.org and will be available at of the conference. # # # About the Urban Ecology Collaborative The Urban Ecology Collaborative (http://www.urbanecologycollaborative.org/uec/ ) is a ten-city collaborative that cultivates healthy, safe and vibrant cities through collective learning and united action. The UEC does this by developing a unique multi-city network for urban ecosystem research and restoration that makes the connections to issues of social justice; combining programs in education, urban forestry, and advocacy to address common urban ecosystem issues; and creating an integrated tool-kit for sharing these strategies. About Bioneers Bioneers (www.bioneers.org) is a nonprofit educational organization that highlights social and scientific innovations inspired by nature and human creativity. Its acclaimed annual national conference brings together people passionate about making a difference and serves as an incubator for new strategies for just and sustainable change. Through the conference, recordings, books, a radio series, online social network and other resources, Bioneers provides the tools and inspiration to help people connect with each other and catalyze positive change in their own communities. Mary Beth Steisslinger marybeth.steisslinger@gmail.com