When the 16th biennial State of the San Francisco Estuary Conference convenes in Oakland March 11-13, it will showcase the innovative work many agencies, organizations, and individuals are doing to sustain and improve the estuary’s habitats, living resources, water quality, climate resilience, and environmental stewardship.
Several of those with leadership roles in protecting the estuary and organizing the conference are part of the extended USF MSEM community, and four alumni joined Professor John Callaway in a panel discussion on Zoom in February to share their perspectives on a few of the many important conversations that will take place as well as tips for how first-time attendees can make the most of the event.
Conversation 1: Environmental Justice in the Spotlight
A pre-conference workshop “Environmental Justice 2.0 for the Bay-Delta Estuary: Lessons Learned from EJ Expert-Government Agency Partnerships and Models for the Future” will be held on Monday, March 11. Megan Thomson (USF MSEM ‘20), who works for the Delta Stewardship Council, is excited to explore potential partnership models for the future and discuss the challenges and opportunities in bringing together government agencies, community-based organizations, indigenous tribes, and other stakeholders to collaborate on environmental justice-focused initiatives and learn from EJ experts.
Conversation 2: Hearing from More Voices
Liz Juvera (USF MSEM ‘15) of the SF Estuary Partnership, who is managing the conference, discussed the Partnership’s newest effort to center more community voices at this year’s conference, including a panel with youth ages 16 to 24 who will share their experiences as frontline community members, their hopes for the estuary, and what they really want to see in their environment. (Spoiler alert: the panel will even include some poetry!)
Conversation 3: Leadership in Protecting the Estuary
Both Xavier Fernandez (USF MSEM ‘04) of the SF Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board and James Muller (USF MSEM ‘11) with the SF Estuary Partnership have Thomas Mumley’s presentation “35 Years of Partnership in Action” as a must-see session. The soon-to-retire Assistant Executive Officer of the SF Bay Regional Quality Control Board will share learnings from his decades of experience with the agency, providing a historical perspective on efforts to protect the estuary that can inform future plans.
The full conference program, information about the speakers, and registration details are available here.
If you go, please share photos with us here.
Also, keep in mind these tips panel members shared for making the most of the event:
- Explore the program in advance to map out the sessions you don’t want to miss.
- Research the people you want to meet at the conference – and find a warm introduction through a shared connection if possible.
- Identify the posters you want to see and engage the presenters in conversation – they love questions and are happy to talk about their research.
- Use the mobile app before, during, and after the conference to organize your gameplan and communicate with other participants.
- Bring your curiosity!
