Theme: COUNTDOWN Regenerative Generation

On May 30th, Environmental Studies, at Humboldt State University, will be hosting a student-produced, prerecorded, virtual gathering, COUNTDOWN: TEDxHumboldtStateUniversity with the theme Regenerative Generation.

TEDxHumboldtStateUniversity (TEDxHSU) faculty films will include How to Keep Your Cool on a Warming Planet by Dr. Sarah Jaquette Ray of Environmental Studies https://enst.humboldt.edu/people/sarah-ray; Land Return; Reimagining Possibilities by Dr. Cutcha Risling Baldy of Native American Studies https://nasp.humboldt.edu/people/dr-cutcha-risling-baldy; and Restorative Ocean Farming by Dr. Rick Zechman of Natural Resources and Sciences https://cnrs.humboldt.edu/people/rick-zechman.

The TEDxHSU talk, Restorative Ocean Farming, will also include Kendall Barbery of Greenwave, a non-profit organization that focuses on regenerative farming techniques for aquaculture. Along with these changemakers, an additional collaboration will include Environmental Studies student and compost director of the Waste Reduction Resource Awareness Program at HSU, Krissi Fiebig who will join Stephanie Alexandre of Alexandre’s Family Farm to talk about Regenerative Organic in their talk entitled, Climate Restoration’s Meal Ticket: It’s in the soil!

In addition, Humboldt County Supervisors, Mike Wilson and Steven Madrone will have a Climate Conversation where they will discuss environmental policy that is needed to address climate issues. Steven Madrone is a graduate of HSU in Watershed Management, and Natural Resources, and taught forestry and watershed classes at HSU. In addition, Mike Wilson holds a Masters of Science in Environmental Systems Engineering from HSU and serves on the California Coastal Commission, as well as on the board of directors for Redwood Coast Energy Authority. Other TEDxHSU talks and changemakers are as follows:

Zero Waste is No Joke, or Is it? Bi-cycling, Re-cycling, Up-cycling, and Bidets by Trish Riel, a graduate of Theatre Arts Production from HSU;

CO2 Utilization: why, why now, and how? By Dr. Volker Sick, Arthur F. Thurnau, Mechanical Engineering, DTE Energy Professor of Advanced Energy Research and Director, Global COo2 Initiative at the University of Michigan;

Protecting the Forests of the Pacific Northwest is Key for Climate Policy by Kimberly Baker, Executive Director of the Klamath Forest Alliance, and Public Land and Advocate at EPIC-the Environmental Protection Information Center;

The Worker Owned Economy: A Cooperative Approach to Environmental Justice by Tobin McKee of Worker Owned Humboldt, a project of Cooperation Humboldt;

This Fungi May Be Your New Best Friend by Levon Durr, owner of Fungaia Farm;

Sporting for Social Justice; what does Environmental Justice have in common with Sports? by Sivonnia DeBarros, Attorney at Law and Protector of Athletes;

Seeding a Better Future, Who Do We Plant for Anyway? by Tali Orad, Founder of 1treellion.org;

Reviving Earth's Heartbeat Before It Flatlines by Romal Mitr, Founder of Reimagining Earth;

Climate Justice, unwinding the Sorties Paradox by Aylin Salahifar, Co-founder of DIY Earthcycle;

TED’s COUNTDOWN speaker Tom Schuler, How We Could Make Carbon Negative Concrete.

We will be opening TEDxHumboldtStateUniversity with a previously recorded TEDx song by Lee Coulter and poetry by Gill Sotu in this moving message, Please Don't Look Away Anymore, followed with powerful poetry in Earthrise by Amanda Gorman, National Youth Poet Laureate.

TEDxHSU starts at 11am on May 30th. For more information and to attend, please follow this link and sign up https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/39108

About TEDx, x = independently organized event
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)

About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, often in the form of short talks delivered by leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED conferences, intimate TED Salons and thousands of independently organized TEDx events around the world. Videos of these talks are made available, free, on TED.com and other platforms. Audio versions of TED Talks are published to TED Talks Daily, available on all podcast platforms.

TED's open and free initiatives for spreading ideas include TED.com, where new TED Talk videos are posted daily; TEDx, which licenses thousands of individuals and groups to host local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; the TED Fellows program, which selects innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities; The Audacious Project, which surfaces and funds critical ideas that have the potential to impact millions of lives; TED Translators, which crowdsources the subtitling of TED Talks so that big ideas can spread across languages and borders; and the educational initiative TED-Ed. TED also offers TED@Work, a program that reimagines TED Talks for workplace learning. TED also has a growing library of original podcasts, including The TED Interview with Chris Anderson, WorkLife with Adam Grant, Pindrop and TEDxSHORTS.

Follow TED on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and on LinkedIn.

A special thank you to the following:
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences;
Environmental Studies Department;
Division of Enrollment Management;
Center for Teaching & Learning;
Native American Studies;
Marketing and Communications;
Department of Politics;
Department of History;
Environment and Community Program;
Campus Center for Appropriate Technology;
Film students; speakers and Alma Zechman for making this event a success;
An additional thanks to Deborah Ketelsen and Kylie Holub for their production work.

Virtual Gathering
1 Harpst Street
Humboldt State University
Arcata, California, 95518
United States

Aylin Salahifar

co-founder of DIY Earthcycle

Aylin Salahifar, environmental activist and co-founder of DIY Earthcycle brings creative ways to uplift, upcycle and repurpose materials in her community. She is passionate about tackling environmental issues using scientific research. Her goal is to share environmentalism with others so people can work together toward a cleaner, safer future for all.

Dr. Cutcha Risling Bald Risling Baldy

Associate Professor and Department Chair of Native American Studies

Dr. Cutcha Risling Baldy, Associate Professor and Department Chair of Native American Studies is the incoming program coordinator of the Environment and Community Program at Humboldt State University. She received her Ph.D. in Native American Studies with a Designated Emphasis in Feminist Theory and Research and a M.F.A. in Creative Writing & Literary Research. She also has a B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University. Her research has focused on Indigenous feminisms, California Indians, Environmental Justice, and Decolonization. She is also an award winning author.

Dr. Rick Zechman

Associate Dean, Natural Resources and Sciences at Humboldt State University

Dr. Rick Zechman, Associate Dean of Natural Resources and Sciences is a graduate of Louisiana State University (Ph.D.), University of New Hampshire (M.S.) and University of North Carolina, Wilmington (B.S.). Following a postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University, Rick was a Professor of Biology at Fresno State for 16 years, where he taught courses in botany, phylogenetics and evolution, and marine biology. In addition, Rick has taught field marine science courses at Shoals Marine Lab (Cornell University) for over 20 years.

Dr. Sarah Jaquette Ray

Associate Professor, Department Chair of Environmental Studies at Humboldt State University

Dr. Sarah Jaquette Ray, Associate Professor, Department Chair of Environmental Studies at Humboldt State University teaches and advises in the Environmental Studies BA Program and the Environment and Community Master's program. Her research areas are interdisciplinary environmental studies and the environmental humanities, environmental justice, climate change emotions, and youth activism. Dr. Ray’s most recent book is A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety: How to Keep Your Cool on a Warming Planet, which is an essential guidebook for the climate “generation”—and perhaps the rest of us—as we confront the greatest environmental threat of our time.

Dr. Volker Sick Arthur F. Thurnau

Mechanical Engineering, DTE Energy Professor of Advanced Energy Research and Director, Global COo2 Initiative

Professor Volker Sick Arthur F. Thurnau, PhD, Mechanical Engineering, DTE Energy Professor of Advanced Energy Research and Director, Global COo2 Initiative earned his doctorate in Physical Chemistry from Heidelberg University. As the director of the Global CO2 Initiative, he leads a team that is working on accelerating deployments of CO2-utilization technologies. He has received numerous prestigious awards throughout his career, including the President's Award for Distinguished Service in International Education (2018). His more recent accomplishments include being selected by the Royal Society of Chemistry to deliver the Spiers Memorial Lecture (2021), being named an associate editor for the prestigious scientific journal, Frontiers in Climate Change (2021).

Kendall Barbery

Program Director for Greenwave

Kendall Barbery is Greenwave’s Programs Director. She graduated from Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies where she studied social ecology and water resources management. Kendall heads Greenwave’s national reef replication effort and oversees their inaugural farmer training program and kelp nursery, based in New England.

Kimberly Baker

Executive Director of the Klamath Forest Alliance, and Public Land and Advocate at EPIC-the Environmental Protection Information Center

Kimberly Baker, Executive Director of the Klamath Forest Alliance, and Public Land and Advocate at EPIC-the Environmental Protection Information Center has worked in defense of wildlife and wild places since 1998. She’s gained two decades of knowledge through monitoring and commenting on nearly every single national forest timber sale in California’s Pacific Northwest. Her awareness of community, forest ecology and history, environmental law, policy and science informs her experience with regional and national conservation networks, collaborative partnerships, Native Tribes, federal and state agencies.

Krissi Fiebig

Compost Director of the Waste Reduction Resource Awareness Program (WRRAP) at Humboldt State University

Krissi Fiebig, Compost Director of the Waste Reduction Resource Awareness Program (WRRAP) at Humboldt State University (HSU) is a current student at HSU majoring in Environmental Studies with an appropriate technology emphasis and film minor. She has been a part of the organization on campus of WRRAP for the past two years. Her goal is to spread the knowledge about composting to any and every individual who is willing to listen. Through composting she is teaching others how to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

Levon Durr

Owner of Fungaia Farm

Levon Durr is the owner of Fungaia Farm, a local mushroom company that started in 2011 in Eureka California. He has been an organic farmer and a certified permaculture teacher/designer for over fifteen years. Levon studied Mushroom Cultivation and Mycorestoration with Paul Stamets at Fungi Perfecti.

Mike Wilson

Humboldt County Supervisor

Mike Wilson, Humboldt County Supervisor serves on the California Coastal Commission, as well as on the board of directors for Redwood Coast Energy Authority. He is a registered professional engineer and holds a Masters of Science in Environmental Systems Engineering from Humboldt State University. For over 30 years Mike has been an ecological engineer and project manager for numerous consulting firms as well as local government. Mike has dedicated his career working on environmental resource and coastal development issues for public and tribal organizations and is passionate about addressing the challenges we face regarding sustainability, the climate and protecting the environment.

Romal Mitr

Founder of Reimagining Earth

Romal Mitr, the Founder of Reimagining Earth, is a trail-blazer, tree-hugger, and change-maker. She is a fervent environmentalist with a mission to spread her passion for improving our planet one step at a time. As an active steward of this planet, Romal strives to shift the current paradigm through which we view our world ecosystems. Proposing novel solutions to complex problems, she is eternally pursuing environmental breakthroughs. Romal is constantly on the lookout for opportunities to showcase her love for environmentalism and share this spirit with the global community. Romal strives to make a change in her community and on a world-wide platform. She is willing to join the next revolution...or start one herself!

Sivonnia DeBarros

Attorney at Law and Protector of Athletes

Sivonnia DeBarros, Attorney at Law and Protector of Athletes is a First-Generation Business & Sports Lawyer and a former track and field Division-I College athlete. DeBarros has represented pro athletes from the NFL, MLS, NBA-G League, and Pro-Table Tennis sports. DeBarros is also a business owner, public speaker and a bestselling published author.

Stephanie Alexandre

Co-owner and Dairy Controller of Alexandre Family Farm

Stephanie Alexandre, Co-owner and Dairy Controller of Alexandre Family Farm is a Cal Poly graduate and currently serves on the National Farm Bureau Organic Committee and on the advisory committee of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF)’s Future Organic Farmer Grant Fund. She also served on the board of directors for CCOF for ten years. In addition, Stephanie has served on the California Organic Products Advisory Committee and is a Del Norte County 4-H Club leader and educator.

Steven Madrone

Humboldt County Supervisor

Steven Madrone, Humboldt County Supervisor is a graduate of Humboldt State University (HSU) in Watershed Management, and Natural Resources. Before being elected, he taught forestry and watershed classes at HSU. Steve has also served as executive director for the Mattole Salmon Group; director of Natural Resources Services, a Division of Redwood Community Action Agency; and board president of the National Network of Forest Practitioners. He has also served on a myriad of other environmental restoration related positions and projects. In addition, he has been bestowed with several prestigious awards regarding natural resources restoration. Since he was young, finding a way to be of service to the environment and the community has always been his goal.

Tali Orad

Founder of 1treellion.org

Tali Orad, Engineer, changemaker, and serial entrepreneur is the co-founder of Wibble, and the founder of Screen, a startup that helped balance technology usage between legitimate educational one and destructive addiction. Tali is also the founder of 1treellion.org an NGO with the mission to collectively make a meaningful global impact by bringing communities together to plant a trillion trees and help fight climate change. Tali’s previous NGO came about after she saved the life of a dying child, resulting in her founding an NGO to raise awareness to CPR education.

Tobin McKee

Co-op Developer for Worker Owned Humboldt, and the Co-director of Middleway Network

Tobin McKee is a co-op developer for Worker Owned Humboldt, a project of Cooperation Humboldt, and the co-director of Middleway Network, a free health education nonprofit. Their professional background is in small business incubation and vocational education. With a family history of cooperative development, co-housing and intentional community, and grassroots mutual aid, they bring both a practical and a visionary approach to their work.

Trish Riel

Independent entertainment professional

Trish Riel is an independent entertainment professional and a graduate of Theatre Arts Production from Humboldt State University. Trish is an acting teacher, focusing primarily on physical comedy, voice-overs, & on-camera work. She's also a children's book writer and author of Zephrum Gates & The Mysterious Purple Haze, Zephrum Gates & The Strange Magical Treasure, and Zephrum Gates & The Belly of The Beast.