The Bioneers Conference Is a Beacon of Hope Amidst Climate Crisis
What can we, as individuals, do in the face of the climate crisis? According to the 36th Annual Bioneers Conference, quite a lot! Last week, I spent three days in Berkeley attending this gathering, where I had the privilege of listening to prominent climate activists such as Baratunde Thurston (America Outdoors), Joy Harjo (Poet Laureate), and Cesar Rodriguez-Garavito (More Than Human Life).
In the mornings, keynote speakers shared powerful insights, and in the afternoons, I visited the Residence Hotel to learn about land stewardship and re-matriation from some of the members of the over 151 Indigenous tribes represented at the event.
Headed by Kenny Ausubel and Nina Simons, Bioneers is Bioneers is a progressive forum and media enterprise attracting movement leaders and activists from around the country and internationally. What sets Bioneers apart from other conferences like TED Talks is its steadfast commitment to remaining free from corporate sponsorship. Against the backdrop of media headlines lamenting the state of the world, Bioneers offers an inspiring three days focused on tangible solutions.
One keynote speaker, Cesar Rodriguez-Garavito, really spoke to the moment. The founding director of More Than Human Life (MOTH) spoke about the creation of Song of the Cedars, a 2022 collaboration with Giuliana Furci, Cosmo Sheldrake, and the sounds of the Los Cedros cloud forest in Ecuador. The song’s beauty is made even more powerful by Rodriguez-Garavito’s decision to list the Los Cedros Forest as part owner, granting it joint copyright (or “copygreen”). In doing so, he creates a precedent for the legal recognition of nature’s rights, setting a powerful example of how we can defend and preserve land.
For the rights of nature to be upheld, someone must speak for the mountains, rivers, forests, and other ecosystems. We humans need to step in, not like the mythical Lorax on his stump, but in real-world legal spaces. According to Rodriguez-Garavito, the people currently able to do this are Indigenous communities because of their long history with the land that they live on.
A good example of this is the Yurok tribe who have carried out a multi-generational effort to remove the dams from the Klamath River. These communities act as custodians, protecting the places they have lived with for generations. This work intersects with efforts in California where many Indigenous groups focus on re-matriation. During Bioneers, I learned about several local organizations doing important work on this front.
“Today, as we look around the world, we’re looking at a time that is really difficult, and we are going to rely on one another in order for us to survive this next move, this next change, this next turn of the world.” – Corinna Gould (Ohlone), Bioneers 2025
SNAG Magazine, Audiopharmacy, and the NEST
The first person I encountered at the conference was Ras K’dee (Pomo), the editor of SNAG (Seventh Native American Generation) Magazine, as well as a DJ and MC for Audiopharmacy. K’dee’s home, the NEST, serves as a hub for arts and culture, built for and by the Indigenous community. “As a musician, I have spent my life bridging community and seeing the power we create when we come together,” K’dee said. SNAG Magazine has been uplifting Indigenous voices for over two decades, and the NEST now offers a space for artists, including opening their Yurt Gathering space to the broader community. To learn more about SNAG, visit their website.
Alliance for Felix Cove
The Alliance for Felix Cove advocates for the protection of the last 19th-century Tomalko-built home at Point Reyes National Seashore. Their mission is to re-indigenize the Felix Family’s ancestral lands—the last Tomalko family to live on the western shores of Tomales Bay. Learn more at alliance4felixcove.org.
The Cultural Conservancy
This Native-led organization, based in the San Francisco Bay, has worked since 1985 to protect and restore Indigenous cultures. Their work empowers Indigenous communities to apply traditional knowledge and practices on their ancestral lands. For more, visit nativeland.org.
Destiny Arts Center
Destiny Arts Center in Oakland is another incredible example of arts and activism. The program partners with 26 schools and reaches 2,600 students annually, offering art, spoken word, and community-building activities. Watching their performance on the main stage was one of the most inspirational moments of the conference.
Segorea Te’ Land Trust
Segorea Te’ Land Trust is led in part by Corinna Gould (Ohlone), who opened the conference with a powerful statement. “Today, as we look around the world, we’re looking at a time that is really difficult, and we are going to rely on one another in order for us to survive this next move, this next change, this next turn of the world.” Gould has been at the forefront of securing land for Segorea Te’ Land Trust. She’s working toward rematriation, emphasizing the importance of changing our behaviors to free ourselves from the legacies of past harm.
The Center for Ethical Land Transition
The Center for Ethical Land Transition works to decommodify and rematriate land, making it more accessible to Indigenous, Black, and POC communities. Their work offers a hopeful alternative to capitalist-driven land use, demonstrating how real estate and land management can center community rather than profit.
Kanyon Konsulting
Kanyon Konsulting is another organization that resonated deeply with me. Led by Kanyon Sayers-Roods (Indian Canyon Nation), the consulting firm bridges the gap between Indigenous and contemporary Western value systems. Sayers-Roods shared their belief that we can build sustainable futures by embracing Indigenous pedagogies and recognizing the rights of nature. The work of Kanyon Konsulting is especially crucial now, as Indian Canyon is at risk of being sold and developed. To learn how to help, visit #SAVEINDIANCANYON at kanyonkonsulting.com/saveindiancanyon.
“What an amazing and terrible and beautiful story we are all in together. We are all part of what is going to happen, and we each have a part in which way the story will go.” – US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo
Bioneers is a powerful reminder that solutions are possible. Rather than leaving the event feeling overwhelmed by the climate crisis, I left with a to-do list and a renewed sense of hope.
As Poet Laureate Joy Harjo said, “We all come in with story, we all come in with gifts, every one of us. Sometimes we get lost. That’s part of the story. We wouldn’t have stories if no one was lost. We wouldn’t have stories if everybody behaved. Nobody wants to hear about that.
Think about the story we’re in right now. What an amazing and terrible and beautiful story we are all in together. We are all part of what’s going to happen, and we each have a part in which way the story will go.”
For more ways to get involved, visit the Bioneers website.
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