A SUMMIT FOR A LIVEABLE WYOMING
Bringing together Wyomingites from all corners of the state, including the Wind River Reservation, to learn about and work on meaningful solutions to the impacts of climate change on our Wyoming communities.
Lander Community Center
950 Buena Vista Drive
Lander, WY 82520
SCHEDULE
The summit is free and open to the public.
Lunch will be provided for a suggested donation—$5, $10, or whatever you can chip in. Bring your own water bottle, bowl, utensils, and coffee mug to help reduce waste!
(Attendees are encouraged to RSVP so we can plan appropriately and communicate with you about any changes.)
Check-in / Registration: 8:15–9 a.m.
- Sign in, get a name tag, and enjoy coffee and snacks.
All Day: 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
- Electric vehicle car show in the parking lot outside the community center. The car show will feature several new EV models (the Rivian R1T and the Ford Mustang Mach-E) and models already being driven by Wyomingites. During the lunch and networking portion of the day, attendees will have a chance to talk to the owners.
Morning Schedule: 9 a.m.–12:30 p.m.
- Welcome and summit kickoff by Lander Climate Action Network co-founder Ariel Greene and other members of LCAN steering and summit planning committees.
- Land acknowledgment by Ivan Posey, Eastern Shoshone Tribal Member, Tribal Education Services Coordinator at Central Wyoming College
- Engaging Indigenous Peoples and Honoring Traditional Knowledge Systems by Dr. Margaret Redsteer, Crow Tribal Member, Assistant Professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences at the University of Washington
- Climate change in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem by Dr. Bryan Shuman, Professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Wyoming, co-author of Greater Yellowstone Climate Assessment
- Wyoming Community Climate Action and Planning Panel that will be co-moderated by Dr. Rachael Budowle Assistant Professor at the Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming and Monika Leininger, community organizer. Panelists will showcase climate action efforts underway in Albany County/Laramie, Teton County/Jackson, Fremont County/Lander the Wind River Reservation.
Lunch and Networking: 12:30–1:30 p.m.
- Light snacks and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided throughout the day.
- For a donation, we will be serving a locally catered lunch of soup, salad, and bread. We will have vegan/vegetarian options. You are more than welcome to bring your own lunch as well.
- We will have plates, bowls, silverware, and cups—but highly encourage you to bring your own water bottle, mug, and lunch utensils to help us reduce waste!
Afternoon Schedule: 1:30–5:30 p.m.
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Panel. The panel will be moderated by Big Wind, Northern Arapaho Tribal Member and staff at the Indigenous Land Alliance of Wyoming and will include perspectives from Colleen Friday, Northern Arapaho Tribal Member, Greater Yellowstone Coalition; Yufna Soldier Wolf, Northern Arapaho Tribal Member, Indigenous Land Alliance of Wyoming; Phillis Young, Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Member, Oceti Sakowin Camp; Margaret Redsteer, Crow Tribal Member, University of Washington; Jasilyn Charger, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Member, 7th Defenders Project.
- All Roads Lead Electric. An update and perspectives on the rollout of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure in Wyoming communities by Alicia Cox, Executive Director of Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities.
- Change as Opportunity: How New Wind Energy Development Can Benefit Wyoming. A presentation and discussion on the benefits and buildout of wind energy and infrastructure in Wyoming, by Kara Choquette, Director of Communications and Government Relations at Power Company of Wyoming and Wyoming Energy Authority Board Member.
- Upcycle Fashion Show. This youth-led event was planned by Wyoming students concerned about plastic pollution as a final project from an 8-week citizen advocacy training facilitated by the Wyoming Outdoor Council and Indigenous Land Alliance of Wyoming.
- Keynote: A Mindset for the Age of Humans by Dr. Rob Davies, Associate Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Physics at Utah State University. This keynote presentation will focus on understanding the underlying systemic causes of climate change and the mindset from which this crisis has emerged. It will suggest ways for each of us to navigate the complex landscape of interconnected ecological and social crises we are experiencing as opportunities to create a future of well-being for all.
- Be a Part of the Solution and Summit Closing Remarks. Led by Ariel Greene and members of LCAN steering and summit planning committees.
MEET THE SPEAKERS & PANELISTS
The Wyoming Climate Summit will welcome a talented group of leaders, thinkers, and organizers who are doing incredible work on climate across the state and in the Mountain West.
Rob Davies
Professor of Professional Practice at Utah State University
Keynote Speaker. A Mindset for the Age of Humans.
Margaret Redsteer
Assistant Professor at the University of Washington Bothell
Speaker. Engaging Indigenous Peoples and Honoring Traditional Ecological Knowledge Systems.
Monika Leininger
Community Organizer
Moderator. Wyoming Community Climate Action and Planning Panel.
Colleen Friday
Wind River Conservation Organizer for the Greater Yellowstone Coalition
Panelist. Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Climate Adaption and Mitigation Panel.
Kara Choquette
Director of Communications for Power Company of Wyoming
Speaker. Change as Opportunity: How New Wind Energy Development can Benefit Wyoming.
Kara Colovich
Greenhouse Gas Inventory Specialist for the Lander Climate Action Network
Panelist. Wyoming Community Climate Action and Planning Panel.
Micah “Big Wind” Carpenter
Communications and Organizing Associate for the Indigenous Land Alliance of Wyoming
Moderator. Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Climate Adaption and Mitigation Panel.
Yufna Soldier Wolf
Tribal Advocacy Coordinator for the Indigenous Land Alliance of Wyoming
Panelist. Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Climate Adaption and Mitigation Panel.
Rachael Budowle
Assistant Professor of Community Resilience and Sustainability at the Haub School of Environment & Natural Resources at the University of Wyoming
Moderator. Wyoming Community Climate Action and Planning Panel.
Bryan Shuman
Wyoming Excellence Chair Professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Wyoming
Speaker. Climate Change in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Erin O’Doherty
Liaison to the Laramie City/County Environmental Advisory Committee
Panelist. Wyoming Community Climate Action and Planning Panel.
Melinda Cox
Lander City Council Member
Panelist. Wyoming Community Climate Action and Planning Panel.
Jarad O’Brien
Interim Organizer for the Alliance for Renewable Energy of Laramie
Panelist. Wyoming Community Climate Action and Planning Panel.
Johnny Ziem
Assistant Public Works Director for the Town of Jackson
Panelist. Wyoming Community Climate Action and Planning Panel.
Ariel Greene
Co-founder of the Lander Climate Action Network
Speaker. Summit introduction and closing remarks.
Alicia Cox
Executive Director of Yellowstone-Teton Clean Cities
Speaker. All Roads Lead Electric.
PRESS RELEASE
Lander Climate Action Network to host
Wyoming Climate Summit in June
Lander, WY — On Saturday, June 25, the Lander Climate Action Network (LCAN) will host the 2022 statewide Wyoming Climate Summit at the Lander Community and Convention Center in Lander, Wyoming. The summit is free and open to the public.
The summit is being organized by LCAN, a nonpartisan group of Lander citizens working to promote a resilient and sustainable future for the Lander community, in cooperation with other Wyoming-based community and Tribal organizations. The event will bring together community members from all corners of the state and the Wind River Reservation who are concerned about the impacts of climate change on their communities and are interested in working on meaningful solutions.
“Across Wyoming, the impacts of climate change are becoming more obvious with each passing year,” says LCAN co-founder Ariel Greene. “Here in Lander and across the state, we see these changes impacting our water supply, air quality, forest health, recreational resources, agriculture, and way of life. It’s time to take action.”
The Wyoming Climate Summit is designed to raise awareness, inspire action, and connect groups working to address climate change around the state. The full-day program, which begins at 9 a.m., will feature:
- Keynote presentations on the state of the climate and its impacts on communities in Wyoming and across the Intermountain West; how Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) can guide adaptation and mitigation of climate change; and findings from the Yellowstone Climate Assessment and what this says about Wyoming’s future.
- Panels showcasing community climate action efforts across several Wyoming communities, the importance of Indigenous knowledge, and the work of energy transition experts to support the next generation of good jobs and economic diversification for Wyoming.
- Hands-on workshops highlighting renewable energy and youth engagement in climate action.
- An electric vehicle car show and presentation on the future of electric vehicles in Wyoming.
We hope you will join us to further the conversation about where we are, and what we must do to make sure the Wyoming we have is the Wyoming we pass down to future generations. Snacks and beverages will be available for participants, as well as food trucks with food for purchase. The day will conclude at 5:30 p.m. Free overnight camping is available at Lander City Park.