Climate Toolkit Symposium 2026 Agenda

FEATURING SPEAKERS FROM

Botanical Garden of the Piedmont · CambridgeSeven · Central Park Conservancy · Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden · Duke Farms · Environment & Culture Partners · Getty · Green Jay Strategies · Historic New England · LENS · MASS MoCA · Missouri Botanical Garden · Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens · Reykjavik Art Museum · Seneca Park Zoo · South Ken ZEN+ · Taft Museum of Art · The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History · The Henry Ford · The Mariners’ Museum & Park · The Wild Center · Visual Thinking Strategies Institute

Wednesday, October 28

Opening Reception and Keynote: Visualizing the Future
5 – 8 p.m.
The symposium begins with opening remarks, welcome dinner, and a keynote address by Elizabeth Bagley, Ph.D., Managing Director of Project Drawdown, sharing a vision for what becomes possible when climate action succeeds, setting the stage for the conversations and collaboration ahead.

  • Opening Remarks: Margaret Waldock, Executive Director of Fermes Duke, and Richard V. Piacentini, President and CEO of Conservatoire et jardins botaniques Phipps
  • Keynote Address: Elizabeth Bagley, Ph.D., Managing Director of Prélèvement sur le projet

Thursday, October 29

Petit déjeuner
8 – 9 a.m.
Enjoy breakfast and connect with fellow attendees before the day’s sessions begin.

Plenary: Regenerative Thinking
9 – 10:30 a.m.
Explore how regenerative thinking can help climate leaders reconnect with purpose, move beyond burnout, and build more resilient approaches to their work.

  • Richard V. Piacentini, President and CEO – Conservatoire et jardins botaniques Phipps
  • Sonja Bochart, Associate Principal – Shepley Bulfinch

Breakout
10:45 a.m. – noon

  • Climate Education Programs
    Discover practical approaches for connecting educators and developing engaging, effective climate education programs.
    • Katherine Golden, Senior Manager, Sustainability Initiatives – Jardin botanique du Missouri
    • Maggie McCoy, Climate Change Education Coordinator – Jardin botanique du Missouri
    • Bruce Gatling-Austin, Educational Coordinator – Jardin botanique du Piémont

  • Leadership and Change
    Examine how leaders at every level can make climate action an institutional priority and navigate both top-down and bottom-up change.
    • Rebekah Beaulieu, Louise Taft Semple President and CEO – Taft Museum of Art
    • Joie Grandbois, Director of Sustainability – La Nouvelle-Angleterre historique
    • Deb Reid, Curator of Agriculture and the Environment – The Henry Ford

  • Community Partnerships and Relationships
    Explore how partnerships among cultural organizations, artists, governments, and communities can expand the reach and impact of climate action.
    • Elise Foster Vander Elst, Head of Exhibitions and Environmental Impact Lead – The Design Museum
    • Tiva Montalbano, South Ken ZEN+ Program Manager – South Ken Culture Quarter

Déjeuner
Noon – 1 p.m.           
Continue the conversation with fellow attendees over lunch.

Plenary: Funding Climate Action
1 – 2 p.m.              
Learn how organizations can approach fundraising, capacity building, financial planning, and capital investment to advance sustainability goals.

  • Andy Schlatter, Director of Facilities and Campus Planning – MASS MoCA
  • Pamela Reed Sanchez, President & CEO – Seneca Park Zoo
  • Sarah Sutton, Co-Founder and CEO – Partenaires de l'environnement et de la culture
  • Stephanie Shapiro, Co-Founder and Managing Director – Partenaires de l'environnement et de la culture

Breakout
2:15 – 3:30 p.m.              

  • Youth Climate Action and Advocacy
    Explore creative approaches that help young people participate in climate conversations, advocacy, and meaningful action.
    • Ariana Katrin Katrinardottir, Education Project Manager – Reykjavik Art Museum
    • Runar Orn Marinosson, Museum Educator – Reykjavik Art Museum
    • Jennifer Torrance, Youth Climate Advocacy Committee – Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens

  • Climate Storytelling for Visitor Engagement
    Learn how compelling stories can make climate issues more accessible, relevant, and actionable for visitors and communities.
    • Lisa Hardaway, Managing Partner – Green Jay Strategies
    • Nora Schnure, Deputy Executive Director, Personnel and Programs – Fermes Duke
    • Preeti Desai, Director of Communications – Jersey City Birds
    • Elizabeth Sorrell, Co-Founding Partner – Green Jay Strategies

  • Ecological Restoration
    Examine ambitious restoration and reforestation efforts and how institutions can align ecological restoration with broader climate and biodiversity goals.
    • Steve Bopp, Studio Director for Planning – Central Park Conservancy
    • Jacob Fiss-Hobart, Project Manager – Central Park Conservancy

Plenary: Living Systems at Duke Farms
3:30 – 5 p.m.              
Experience Duke Farms’ climate work through guided tracks focused on restoring natural systems, demonstrating climate solutions, and engaging communities.

  • Track One: Restore
  • Track Two: Demonstrate
  • Track Three: Engage

Optional Cocktail Hour
5 – 6 p.m.
Relax with fellow attendees and continue the day’s conversations in an informal setting.

Friday, October 30

Petit déjeuner
8 – 9 a.m.
Gather for breakfast before the symposium’s final day of programming.

Plenary: Buildings, Energy, and Decarbonization
9 – 10:30 a.m.
Explore how cultural institutions are reducing building emissions through retrofits, new construction, renewable energy, and long-term capital planning.

  • Megan O’Keefe, Director of Sustainability – Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
  • Mallory Geresy, Sustainability Manager – Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden
  • Sabrina Jones, Senior Director of Advancement – The Mariners’ Museum and Park

Breakout
10:45 a.m. – noon

  • Electrification Strategies
    Learn how organizations at different stages of electrification can assess their needs, build a roadmap, and manage the transition away from fossil fuels.
    • Jon Wagar, Deputy Executive Director, Operations and Sustainability – Fermes Duke
    • Jim Hanson, Sustainability and Technology Manager – Fermes Duke
    • Jamie Riker, Motor Pool Coordinator – Fermes Duke

  • Visitor Experience: Tools for Engagement
    Explore participatory tools that use observation, inquiry, and climate data to strengthen visitor learning and engagement.
    • Tara Geer, Program Director – Visual Thinking Strategies Institute
    • Kerri Ziemann, Program Director – Le Wild Center

  • Sustainable Exhibits and Resource Management
    Examine practical approaches for reducing the environmental impacts of exhibitions, materials, and institutional resource use.
    • Camille Kirk, Head of Sustainability – Getty
    • Leslie Tom, Chief Sustainability Officer – The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History
    • Douglas Flandro, Associate, Director of Sustainability – CambridgeSeven

Final Share-Out and Reflection
Noon – 12:30 p.m.         
Reflect on key ideas from the symposium and identify insights, connections, and actions to carry forward.

Déjeuner
12:30 – 2 p.m.            
Close out the formal program over lunch with fellow attendees.

Optional Peer Time and Duke Farms Exploration             
2 – 3 p.m.              
Continue conversations with peers or take a deeper look at selected restoration, landscape, and building projects at Duke Farms.

Acheter des billets >

Your $350 admission ticket includes full symposium admission and all food and beverages. Final registration deadline is Fri., Oct. 23!

Des questions ? Contact alampl@phipps.conservatory.org ou appeler le 412-622-6915, poste 6752