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While evidence suggests fluctuations in solar activity can affect climate on Earth, the majority of climate scientists and astrophysicists agree that the sun is not to blame for the current and historically sudden increase in global temperatures on Earth, which have mostly been caused by the human race.

SOLARFEST PRESENTERS

Thank You to Our Workshop Presenters!

Without the generosity, talents and passions of the following presenters, SolarFest could never have grown into the premier educational event it is today. Each person listed below, volunteers her/his time and expertise to provide the SolarFest community with inspiration, information and practical experience; helping us all to live more gently and authentically within our communities and upon our planet Earth. Thank you to all of our presenters. You are the educational heart and soul of SolarFest.

2011 Workshop Presenters in alphabetical order (Kid's Corner Workshop Presenters listed separately below.)

Erin Ackerman-Leist is homesteader, farmer, and homeschooling mother. She is the illustrator for Up Tunket Road: The Education of a Modern Homesteader, and she tries to live artfully even when there's too little time to pursue her art projects. tunketbiz@wildblue.net

Philip Ackerman-Leist is a homesteader, farmer, and college professor at Green Mountain College where he directs the Farm & Food Project as well as the undergraduate and graduate programs in sustainable agriculture & food systems. His latest book, Up Tunket Road: The Education of a Modern Homesteader, published by Chelsea Green, encourages readers to reconsider certain assumptions about what it means to homestead in our contemporary world. ackermanleistp@greenmtn.edu http://www.greenmtn.edu/ackermanleistp.aspx

Kathi Altobell has been a vegan for 3 years and believes we have a responsibility to be compassionate toward animals and informed of the fact that we need to change the way we eat in order to live healthier lives on a healthier planet. She works at Rutland Regional Medical Center as an LNA, technician, and secretary. marykathi@gmail.com

Erik Andrus farms with draft horses in Ferrisburgh, Vermont. He has 12 years of experience as a builder and has been operating Boundbrook Farm since 2006. He has a strong interest in simple technologies and historically-proven approaches. erik@goodcompanionbakery.com www.goodcompanionbakery.com

Lindsay Arbuckle, with her partner Scott, runs Alchemy Gardens, a 1-acre mixed vegetable farm. Together they also manage the Shrewsbury Cooperative at Pierce's Store, a 150-year old general store that reopened in August 2009. Lindsay loves gardening, visiting other farms and building community. alchemygardens@gmail.com, www.alchemygardensvt.com

Jill Perry Balzano has been involved in local agriculture as a farmer, writer, and now as the New Markets Specialist for the Rutland Area Farm and Food Link (RAFFL). In developing new markets for farmers, Jill is managing a workplace CSA, pursuing avenues for increasing farm to institution sales in Rutland County, and planning collaborative ventures for farmers to reach larger markets. She and her husband are starting a farm and orchard in Wells, Vermont. jill@rutlandfarmandfood.org www.rutlandfarmandfood.org

Michael Beattie, an adjunct professor at Green Mountain College, has been working as an architect in Vermont since the mid-1970's. He came of age just as the modern renewable energy era was sprouting, and has been laboring in that garden ever since. His work spans solar composting toilets to ski resort base areas. Recent work has included rescue, renovation and energy retrofit of dilapidated commercial structures and the first LEED Gold certified house in Rutland County.

Harley Blake holds certifications in Building Analyst (BPI), Envelope Specialist (BPI), Thermographer Level 1 (Snell IR) and has been applying building science methods to retrofit homes, businesses, municipal, and agricultural properties through the Weatherization Assistance Program. He owns Earth ROI and is a Participating Contractor under the Home Performance with Energy Star and Building Performance Programs with Efficiency Vermont. info@earthroi.com http://earthroi.com

Mark Bowen manages the poultry flock at Larson Farm and markets eggs locally.

Josh Brill, along with his partner Meadow Squier, runs Breezy Meadows Orchards & Nursery in Tinmouth, VT. Breezy Meadows is a permaculturly, biodynamically, and organically influenced farm where experimental farming practices is the norm. He is also on the SolarFest and Vermont Farmers Market Board of Trustees. josh@breezymeadowsorchards.com http://breezymeadowsorchards.com/

Margot Brooks, along with Alex Eaton, is the farm manager of the Consider Bardwell Farm in West Pawlet, VT. There they manage a heard of 100 Oberhaslis milking goats which supply the majority of milk for the farm’s artisan cheese. http://www.considerbardwellfarm.com/

Lucas Brown is a green architect who teaches design/build and renewable energy classes at Green Mountain College, where he is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies. As well as finding innovative ways to incorporate these topics into a liberal arts college, Lucas is also a talented furniture maker and--by necessity and vocation--a jack of all trades. brownl@greenmtn.edu http://www.greenmtn.edu/reed.aspx

Maureen “Reeni“ Cain currently works with children who have autism and has worked with preschool children at the Rutland Recreation Department. She recently trained her dog, Martini, to play Toto in the Rutland Youth Theater production of the Wizard of OZ. She currently lives a “veganish” lifestyle.

Pamela Cargill is principal of Chaolysti, a solar marketing and business consulting firm. She has grown a Massachusetts solar contracting company from a three-person basement office into a $1M 8-person operation and over two mergers/acquisitions into a major regional player posting $60M in sales. Cargill is a 2004 graduate of Hampshire College, where she designed her program of study in solar energy, sustainability advocacy, and interest-based new media. solarfest@chaolysti.com www.chaolysti.com/solarfest

Melissa Chesnut-Tangerman has been a SolarFest volunteer for 16 years. She has also served as Co-Executive Director, promotional and grantwriter, Board President, and Volunteer Coordinator.

Tina Clarke is a certified Transition Trainer and has worked with over 50 Transition Initiatives in the U.S. and Canada. She has been a trainer, consultant, advocate, and director of nonprofit programs for over 25 years, helping hundreds of national, regional and local nonprofit organizations. She directed several national training programs in Washington, D.C. and directed Greenpeace USA's citizen activist network. Tina lives in a passive solar, Platinum LEED, low-toxic "Power House" that she helped design and build. TinaClarke@TransitionNetwork.org www.TransitionNetwork.org www.TransitionUS.org

Scott Courcelle is co-owner of Alchemy Gardens and co-manager of the Shrewsbury Co-op at Pierce's Store. Born in Rutland, Scott returned to this area after working in environmental education in Maine and serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA for Montpelier's Parks Department and Conservation Commission. His educational background is in environmental science with a focus in natural resources. alchemygardens@gmail.com, www.alchemygardensvt.com

Alex Eaton, along with Margot Brooks, is the farm manager of the Consider Bardwell Farm in West Pawlet, VT. There they manage a heard of 100 Oberhaslis milking goats which supply the majority of milk for the farm’s artisan cheese. http://www.considerbardwellfarm.com/

Mitchell Estrin was raised in his family’s hardware store where he developed his love of tools, customer service and knowledge of the detailed inner workings of a house. He is a Certified Energy Efficiency Home Specialist for Efficiency Vermont and consults on how to improve homes’ energy performance. He lives with his family in a Five Star Plus energy efficiency rated home he built using local, natural materials. two.chels@gmail.com

Ben Falk, M.A.L.D., operates a small farm and post-peak oil homestead and directs the permaculture design and land development company Whole Systems Design. He has been growing rice and other nutrient-dense crops on his 10 acre homestead for 7 years, as well as growing mushrooms for food and soil enhancement in various settings for 5 years. ben@wholesystemsdesign.com www.wholesystemsdesign.com

Charen Fegard has worked for the Association of VT Recyclers for 5 years, leading workshops and providing technical assistance to Vermont schools around solid and hazardous waste issues. She worked in the Civil Service overseas on military bases in Haz-Mat/Environmental Compliance and has a bachelor's degree in biology. She lives in a little cabin in the woods. www.vtrecyclers.org

Angela Ferrelli is a Maine Conservation Corps AmeriCorps member who is currently serving with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection Air Bureau. She also helps the Maine Energy Education Program present to schoolchildren on Energy and the Environment, Climate Change, and Maine Green School Projects. angela.ferrelli@maine.gov

Cheryl King Fischer is the Executive Director of the New England Grassroots Environment Fund, a funder/activist grantmaking collaborative that focuses on community-based environmental issues, civic engagement, democracy and social justice. In 14 years, NEGEF has made grants totaling over $3.5 million to over 1100 grassroots groups throughout the region. She and her husband, Monty Fischer, live in Montpelier. They have two grown children who are now making their own ways in the world of social change. http://grassrootsfund.org/

Doug Fontein is an accomplished builder and woodworker. He uses diagnostic equipment and techniques, including infrared thermography and the blower door. Since the 1980's, his projects have included energy efficient passive solar houses, barns, outbuildings and sheds, renovations and cabinetry. He specializes in energy efficient, cost effective construction

Adam Goldsmith was born and raised in New Hampshire and has attended every SolarFest since he was born. When he isn’t at SolarFest, his hobbies include quantum physics, taking things apart, stop motion animation, robotics and making Linux work on everything.

Sarah Goldsmith is a New Hampshire native who has been attending SolarFest for 13 years. Outside of SolarFest, her hobbies include music, horseback riding, reading, ceramics and vegan cooking.

Richard Gottlieb has been teaching renewable energy since receiving his master’s degree in solar energy in 1977. His installation company, Sunnyside Solar, Inc., has installed homeowner, commercial and public PV systems since 1970. He recently received Master Trainer status through ISPQ and IREC. richard@sunnysidesolar.com www.sunnysidesolar.com

Ben Graham is an architectural designer, natural builder, permaculturalist, teacher, community organizer and student. He founded Natural Design/Build in 2001 and helped developed the Local Directory of Skills, Resources and Farms in the Plainfield-Marshfield area. He teaches at Yestermorrow, founded the Villagebuilding Convergence in Montpelier, and is on the steering committee of Transition Town Montpelier. bfg@naturaldesignbuild.us

Spook Handy has written hundreds of songs and performed over 2,000 concerts in his 20-year career. His songs have been covered by dozens of other artists including Pete Seeger, and he has won numerous awards and accolades including Best Folk Artist by Upstage Magazine. His most recent DC, Whatcha Gonna Do? topped out at #12 on the Folk Radio Charts and his song, Vote, was a top 10 hit on Folk Radio in October 2008. Spook@spookhandy.com www.spookhandy.com

Jules Harrell is a mother, wife, farmer, educator, and writer. She's published two books on bicycling for women, both of which contain bicycle repair chapters. Jules teaches bike repair to inner city youth and helped the Albany Police Department by repairing and distributing stolen bikes to economically challenged young people. Jules is the proud mom of Reesa Harrell, sophomore at Darrow School. photonicgirl@hotmail.com www.photonicgirl.blogspot.com

Kirk Herander is a nationally certified solar practitioner and founder of VT Solar Engineering, now celebrating 20 years as a design/build company of solar systems of all types. With systems from Maine to North Carolina, VT Solar is one of the most experienced and accomplished solar companies in the Northeast U.S. info@vtsolar.com www.vermontsolar.com

Shel Horowitz, marketing consultant and copywriter, is the primary author of Guerrilla Marketing Goes Green: Winning Strategies to Improve Your Profits and Your Planet. He specializes in strategies and materials to reach green, socially conscious consumers with marketing that has THEM calling YOU. He also writes the Green and Profitable and Green and Practical monthly columns. He lives in a 1743 farmhouse that may be the oldest solarized house in the US. shel@greenandprofitable.com http://greenandprofitable.com/

Diane Imrie is a Registered Dietitian and holds a Master’s of Business Administration from UVM and has 20 years of experience working in a variety of healthcare food service operations. She is passionate about local food, both personally and professionally, and is the co-author of a cookbook highlighting seasonal cooking titled Cooking Close to Home. For the past 12 years she has worked as Director of Nutrition Services at Fletcher Allen Health Care. Diane.Imrie@cookingclosetohome.com www.cookingclosetohome.com

Liz Johndrow of Earthen Endeavors has been working with natural plasters for several years starting with her first straw bale project in 2004. She has been exploring different plasters on a variety of wall systems and has most recently been playing with veneer plasters on sheetrock. She is excited to share how you can transform your home through creating your own custom plasters for reasonably low cost. naturalplasters@gmail.com

Shelby Jones is the owner of the Cobra Gymnastics & Dance Center in Rultand, VT. Born to be a dancer, Shelby has been sharing her knowledge of West African and Middle Eastern dance with the greater Rutland Community since 2004. She has performed many venues throughout the area including SolarFest, EthnicFest and Temple Night. As her passions for gymnastics and dance run deep within, she is excited to share this dance form with the community of SolarFest once again. cobravt@me.com www.cobravt.com

Lisa Kaiman is a raw milk farmer in Chester, Vermont. Lisa established Jersey Girls Dairy in 1999, where she milks 24 registered Jerseys. Her girls live a pampered life featuring intensive rotational grazing and an open space barn. Lisa sells raw milk from the farm, and in 2008, she opened We Are What We Eat (WAWWE), a year round farmers’ market featuring farm foods from 75+ local producers. jgirls@vermontel.net http://www.jerseygirlsdairy.com/

Sue Katt has 10 years of vegetable farming experience and several years experience working with livestock. She has managed a farm for a non-profit as well as run her own. She has hosted WWOOF volunteers for 6 years, and has a commitment to making WWOOFing a mutually beneficial, educational experience. twodogfarmvt@gmail.com, www.twodogfarmvt.com

Deb Katz, the Executive Director of Citizen Awareness Network, is a social worker and community organizer. In 2000, she won the Giraffe Award for sticking her neck out to protect Northeast reactor communities and the MA House of Representative cited her for outstanding leadership and service in the public health field. deb@nukebusters.org www.nukebusters.org

Robb Kidd is the Organizer for Rural Vermont, an organization founded by farmers with the mission of promoting economic justice for farmers. Previously, Robb had worked for numerous Vermont political campaigns and causes in and out of the Vermont State House. He lives in Montpelier. robb@ruralvermont.org http://www.ruralvermont.org

Kevin Kiefaber is a social worker by training, and is still hoping to be an engineer when he grows up.

Janice Kurkoski is an auto mechanic since the 70s (including electric vehicles at Solectria Corp.) and an electrical apprentice, installing PV systems in Massachusetts and Peru. In 2000, she joined the Village Empowerment Project in Peru and has participated in over 20 trips so far. jdauphin3@hotmail.com http://energy.caeds.eng.uml.edu/peru-07/index.htm

Steve Kurkoski is a Master Electrician and has been working in the photovoltaic field for over 12 years. He provides code compliant installation services and technical support for PV companies serving Massachusetts. He also teaches PV courses at the technical college level. He joined the Village Empowerment Project in Peru in 2002. skurkoski@hotmail.com

Jennifer Langstaff-French is a certified practicing Herbalist, Health Coach and Holistic Lifestyle Educator. With over ten years in the field of sustainable health, she offers rich insight into the natural world around us and how our health and the health of our environment are interdependent. aboriginalmedicinals@gmail.com

Kiah Laramie is a New Hampshire native. This is her fourth year attending and volunteering at SolarFest. Her hobbies include stop motion animation, robotics, softball, field hockey, Destination Imagination, music and art.

Rich Larson and his wife, Cynthia, are long-time farmers, raising dairy and beef cattle and have years of experience with small scale poultry production.

Joao Leao is a physicist and computer geek - when he’s not producing short films and videos. He enjoys learning by doing and helping young people do the same.

Craig Leggett, a Holistic Management Trainer, is a graduate of UVM's College of Agriculture and a student of Rangeland Ecosystem Science at CSU. He has worked with ranchers in the western US and pastoralists in eastern Africa to regenerate grasslands with the use of livestock. He is spurred on by the belief that the health of our communities - and our planet - is in the hands of agriculturalists. crleggett@leggettconsulting.com www.leggettconsulting.com

Carol Levin is Richard Gottlieb’s wife and has been his assistant for over 30 years. carol@sunnysidesolar.com www.sunnysidesolar.com

Leora Mallach has been teaching environmental education experientially for the better part of the past 14 years. She is currently co-launching the Boston area Jewish Garden Project and would love to talk about it. She is an avid hiker, backpacker and berry picker. mallach@rocketmail.com

Maeve Mangine co-owns and runs Tangled Roots Farm in Shrewsbury, VT. We raise dairy goats, pigs, poultry and gourmet mushrooms on ecologically diverse and biodynamically managed forests and open spaces. As the farm continues to grow, our focus is on health from the soil up. www.tangledrootsfarm.com, tangledrootsfarm@gmail.com

Greg Marley has been collecting, studying, eating, growing and teaching mushrooms for over 35 years and is the founder of Mushrooms for Health, a small company providing medicinal mushroom education and products made with Maine medicinal mushrooms. He is the author of Mushrooms for Health; Medicinal Secrets of Northeastern Fungi, (Downeast Books, 2009) and Chanterelle Dreams, Amanita Nightmares; The Love Lore and Mystic of Mushrooms, (Chelsea Green, 2010). Marley lives and mushrooms along the coast of Maine. mushroom@midcoast.com www.mushrooms4health.com

Pamela Maynard writes from a 7.5 acres happy homestead that she shares with her husband, son, 3 dogs, 3 cats, 2 turtles, 8 chickens, 3 roosters and 11 guinea hens. Grit magazine published Pam's first article, Poultry Pest Patrol in 2009 and she has had several children's stories published in Kidz Rule USA and The Kids Ark Magazine. jcpams@yahoo.com http://pmaynardwrites.blogspot.com/

Ace McArleton, co-owner of New Frameworks Natural Building, LLC, teaches classes on natural building and teaches youth and adults about gender, sexuality and access to the building trades. Ace is a member of Natural Builders NorthEast and the Timber Framers Guild and is currently working on a forthcoming book/DVD project on natural building to be published in the spring of 2012. ace@newframeworks.com www.newframeworks.com

Kort McCumber is an incredibly talented multi-instrumentalist, dedicated performer, prolific songwriter, gifted and expressive vocalist. Kort McCumber has wandered beyond good and into the elusive land of great. More than a decade into his musical pilgrimage, he continues to define, and redefine, his sound, his persona, his love for music and his unwavering commitment to bringing good music, "no make that great" music, to listeners throughout the United States, Europe and Australia. http://www.kortmusic.com

James Moors lives in Wisconsin with his wife and two daughters. In 1996 he walked away from a secure job and headed to the north woods of Minnesota, sold all of his electric equipment, bought an acoustic guitar and started down the path from musician to troubadour. He now does more than 100 live shows every year, sometimes with co-writer and musical partner Kort McCumber. http://jamesmoors.com

Stephen Morris is the editor and publisher of the quarterly Green Living Journal and has a career that has spanned a variety of industries ranging from woodstoves to solar panels to books. He has helped companies and non-profit organizations define missions and develop effective marketing strategies and is the co-founder of The Public Press, a book publishing business that provides new options for writers whose works are too specialized for traditional publishers. stephen@greenlivingjournal.com www.greenlivingjournal.com

Kenneth Mulder is farm manager and research associate at Green Mountain College. He is a farmer, ecological economist, and educator who has been practicing and studying human-powered and animal-powered farming systems since the mid 1990s. His primary focus is on low-input, energy-efficient food production. mulderk@greenmtn.edu http://www.greenmtn.edu/mulderk.aspx

Joshua Nelson is an eco-entrepreneur who has been involved with sustainable agriculture, composting and product development for over 30 years. He works domestically and internationally, helping people and farmers capture and re-use critically important resources which need to be diverted from improper disposal. He has been worm composting for over 25 years. riwiggler@aol.com www.wormkits.com www.agrilab.ca

Tim O'Connor, a writer, teacher, and builder, has worked with sustainability efforts and green building for many years. Tim has started a community garden, designed and built a passive solar home, and holds the LEED Green Associate credential. He is currently teaching for the Community College of Vermont and writing articles on sustainable cities and the triple bottom line of natural capitalism - people, planet, and profit. bannonriverbooks@live.com

Ken Oldrid moved to VT 10 years ago to study anthropogenic impacts to the natural environment at UVM. He is an environmental scientist who enjoys working on the technology side of things. He has been installing SVO systems since 2003, and installing solar and wind residential electrical systems since 2006. Ken has personally logged 150,000 miles on SVO, and he lives off-grid in a solar powered 600 sq ft home he built largely from reclaimed building materials.

Beth Otto is the Carbon Footprint Educator as well as the central person working with Maine Green School Projects. She splits her time between Maine Energy Education Program and the Maine Department of Environmental Protection. beth.otto@maine.gov

Traci Pena, Giggle Ambassador, Reiki Master, Life Stylist & Travel Companion, has been on a journey to learn and share as much as possible. Reaching, helping, and bridging; teaching, guiding, and comforting; lighting, showing, and paving; reaching thousands upon thousands when you count the infinite ripple thing. ladytproductions@yahoo.com https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lady-T-Productions/183948158288845

Jen Peterson is Vice President for Grantmaking at the Vermont Community Foundation, the largest foundation in Vermont with a goal of building vital and healthy Vermont communities by increasing the philanthropic spirit and capital available to serve those needs. Prior to VCF, Jen worked at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England (PPNNE), most recently as their Annual Fund Director. Jen has a BA in sociology/anthropology and lives in Huntington with her two children Owein and Mae. http://www.vermontcf.org/

Kimberley Quirk, a graduate of Dartmouth College, has spent 25 years working in engineering design, technical and customer support, and engineering management. In 2009 she launched the Energy Emporium, an information center and showroom which designs, installs, and services solar hot water and solar electric systems, as well as providing products to foster sustainability for our households and our planet. kim.quirk@gmail.com www.energyemp.com

Jacob Deva Racusin has been creating functional art with wood, stone, straw, earth, and other assorted materials since 2000. As co-owner of New Frameworks Natural Building, he explores interests in cold-climate straw bale construction, natural painting and plastering, and the integration between buildings and their environments. He is currently working on a forthcoming book/DVD project on natural building to be published in the spring of 2012. jacob@newframeworks.com www.newframeworks.com

The Roots & Shoots program is about making positive change happen for people, for animals and the environment. With tens of thousands of young people in more than 120 countries, the Roots & Shoots network connects youth of all ages who share a desire to create a better world. nerootsshoots@janegoodall.org http://www.rootsandshoots.org/regional_offices/new_england/home

Jim Sabataso is a fourth-generation member of the Rutland community who works as a writer and editor for the Rutland Herald and the Rutland Business Journal. Since 1933, his family has owned and operated The Palms restaurant in Rutland. Jim is Coordinator of Sustainable Rutland, and a member of the Board of both the Downtown Rutland Partnership and the Rutland Creative Economy. jim@sustainablerutland.org www.sustainablerutland.org

Leslie Silver lives in Middletown Springs tending gardens, collecting wild foods and making medicines that nourish her family and community. She believes growing and preparing homemade foods is crucial for our well being now, and will be even more important in our uncertain future. She also teaches yoga as a means of connecting with and healing one’s own body and spirit.

Jeff Skelskie has a strong electrical/mechanical background, has been involved with batteries for 25+ years, and works as a consultant, teacher, and supplier for the alternative energy field. Jeff was a major player in the Tour de Sol and in 2009 received the Distinguished Service Award from NESEA. Jeff is currently a member of the SolarFest Board of Trustees. jeffski@the-spa.com

Theresa Snow is the Director of Agricultural Resources for the Vermont Foodbank. Her work, as co-founder of the grassroots non-profit Salvation Farms, now the Vermont Foodbank’s Gleaning Program, has been recognized through awards from Vermont Granges, the Vermont Secretary of Human Services, and E-town. She is proud to have worked within the farming community for the past ten years. tsnow@vtfoodbank.org www.vtfoodbank.org

Sock Puppets are wonderful site guides for the SolarFest Site Tour For Young People. Having spent their youth on our youth’s feet, they now spend their golden retirement years helping explain the complexities of alternative energy in fun and easy to understand ways.

Joe Solomon is the social media coordinator for 350.org, and a climate activist based in Burlington, VT.

Steve Spatz is a sustainable home designer, builder and Building Performance Institute trained Shell Improvement Specialist. He has presented at SolarFest in the past.

Melody Squier is the host of SolarFest, among many other things! Melody cultivated an appreciation for antique and vintage items through her grandmother who had a large Victorian home full of antiques. Recently Melody became interested again in refinishing and rejuvenating furniture and researched home recipes as well as planet and user friendly products now available. After experimenting she is happy to share what she has learned with others. msquier@vermontel.net www.forgetmenotfarmvt.com

Bob Stannard is a registered lobbyist in Vermont having represented entities ranging from municipalities to citizen groups and issues from education funding to genetically modified organisms, to Right to Farm/nuisance issues. Currently, he represents the Vt. Citizens Action Network assisting them in their effort to close the Vermont Yankee power plant as scheduled in 2012. bob@bobstannard.com

David Stember is a volunteer organizer in several community-based climate action initiatives in Vermont. Like most of us, he's still trying to figure out what actually works to address the global climate crises and brings a grounding in organizational and business development, community organizing and project management. David facilitates the Climate Action Now social networking site and is a content and advertising coordinator at Green Energy Times.

Gaye Symington is the Executive Director of the High Meadows Fund (www.highmeadowsfund.org), a philanthropic fund based at the Vermont Community Foundation that focuses its grantmaking on initiatives that reduce the use of fossil fuels, strengthen sustainable agriculture and promote land conservation. For twelve years, Gaye served in the Vermont House, including one term as Minority Leader and two as Speaker of the Vermont House. Throughout her leadership she emphasized the importance of attracting thoughtful Vermonters to run for public office, particularly those who don’t think of themselves as “political.” http://www.highmeadowsfoundation.com/

Theo Talcott is a climate activist, writer, small farmer, musician and a spiritual being. He blogs at www.thinkingaboutsurvival.blogspot.com.

Carol Tashie, along with her partner Dennis Duhaime, owns Radical Roots Farm in Rutland. She serves on the boards of the Rutland Area Farm and Food Link and the Rutland Creative Economy and is Board President of Sustainable Rutland. She is also a columnist for the Rutland Herald.

Brian Tokar, is an activist and author who lectures widely on environmental issues and popular movements. He is the director of the Vermont-based Institute for Social Ecology, a lecturer in Environmental Studies at the University of Vermont, and the author of The Green Alternative, Earth for Sale, and Toward Climate Justice.

Michael Travis, along with his wife Colleen and their two daughters Ambiana and Jakobi, are hosting WWOOFERS to help with their organic garden and their sustainable building projects. The family spent three months WWOOFING in New Zealand and have WOOFED in Hawaii and across the United States. ambianasveggies@mochiandcolleen.com http://www.mochiandcolleen.com/ambianasveggies/

Mel Tyree is a research scientist in biophysics who used his scientific skills to design his own sustainable home in Ellenburg, NY. He has a BA from Pomona College and PhD from Cambridge University and is a Professor of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta. mtyree@hotmail.com www.ualberta.ca/~mtyree/SWEIP

Todd Tyson is a grassroots environmental, cultural and political activist. He and his partner, Betsy, live off the grid way up a dirt road in Tunbridge, Vermont with the help of the sun, a spring, a few chickens and cows. folkbloke@hotmail.com www.mtnfolk.org

Abby Valenta has been practicing yoga in various forms since 2001. In October of 2009, she received her 200 hour teacher training certification through Yoga Vermont, in Burlington, and has been teaching a weekly Ashtanga class on Mondays 5:30-7:00om at Cobra Gymnastics and Dance Studio in Rutland.

Greg Wallace is the founder of Sticks and Stones Construction which designs, builds, and renovates homes using green building techniques and materials. Greg has extensive experience timber framing and has a strong personal commitment to building and renovation projects that are affordable, energy efficient and environmentally friendly. He lives with his wife, 5 year old son, dog and one very large squirrel that eats a lot of compost.

Ken Welch is a home performance analyst and green rehabilitation specialist with NeighborWorks of Western Vermont and has presented at SolarFest in the past. kwelch@nwwvt.org

Chris Wetherby is a Vermont native who received a BS in Forestry from the University of Maine at Orono. He currently sets up solar manufacturing (SHW collector) for Stiebel Eltron USA in Hatfield, MA and is the owner of Advanced Solar Heating Systems, Inc. of Rutland, VT. Chris is a member of the SolarFest Board of Trustees. chris.wetherby@stiebel-eltron-usa.com

Jenna Whitson is a volunteer organizer with 350VT and is deeply committed to building and supporting a strong climate movement and action in Vermont. Her primary project right now is planning for the September 24th 350.org Moving Planet day of action. She is an environmental educator with the Green Mountain Club and is working towards a Masters in Environmental Policy to strengthen her roots in climate advocacy.

Chris Williams is a long time sustainable energy policy activist. He has been active in campaigns fighting several nuclear power plants and is currently the Vermont Organizer for the Citizens Awareness Network, a grassroots organization working to end the use of nuclear power in the Northeast and replace it with sustainable, reliable and affordable energy generation. cevan@sover.net www.vtcitizen.org

Helena Wu is an herbalist and midwife living and practicing in southern Vermont. She enjoys helping people build relationships with plants. Helena@goodmedicinetree.net www.goodmedicinetree.net

David Young has been practicing architectural design, regional planning and information systems modeling since 1990, after decade as a carpenter, shipwright and chef. Trained as a Passive House Consultant and Permaculture Designer, he founded Eco-Logos LLC (aka New England Ecologic). He is faculty at CCV, where he teaches in the Environmental Sciences department a course in Sustainable Building Technologies. dryoung@eco-logos.net
 

2011 Kid's Corner Workshop Presenters in alphabetical order

George Bouret has made his living as a photographer for almost thirty years and still practices Antique, Traditional, and Digital processes. www.bouretphotography.com

Marilyn Brandner lives in Chittenden, where she raises sheep and angora rabbits. She has been exploring fiber arts for many years, including spinning, felting, & weaving. havewool@gmail.com

Jen Hogan, Educator at Hands On Minds On Children's Art Studio, is an avid creator in the arts, writing, and exploring nature - Jen loves sharing her artistic discoveries with children, while enhancing and encouraging their imaginations and creative processes. Jen studied Education at Castleton State College, and Landscape Horticulture at Ohio State University. Jen lives in Rutland with her husband and two sons. www.rutlandrec.com

Stephanie Alice Jones first discovered yoga in 1994. After several years of casual study, she began to practice seriously in 2004 when she started teaching yoga to children and adolescents at the day and residential treatments schools at Vermont Achievement Center where she is a schoolteacher. Stephanie completed a 200-hour teacher training through Integrative Yoga Therapy in 2006. She loves to share her passion for yoga with others, and strives to grow as a student and teacher through daily practice and continued training. Stephanie teaches students of all ages around Rutland. woolyspiderwoman@yahoo.com     

Bess Lewis is a graduate of Hartwick College, where she studied art and environmental sciences. She is a local artist and certified Kripalu Yoga Instructor. A former teacher for Nature's Classroom, Bess especially enjoyed teaching environmental art classes. Currently she is enrolled in an apprenticeship program, TAP, to teach K-12 Art.

Pamela Maynard writes and creates from a 7.5 acre happy homestead that she shares with her husband, son, 3 dogs, 3 cats, and a variety of chickens, guinea hens, turtles and geckos in New Hampshire . In her spare time, Pam fills full-time roles as wife, mom and MRI Technologist. http://pmaynardwrites.blogspot.com/

Rosemary Moser is a veteran Early Childhood Educator and Vermont Extension Master Gardener with a passion for cooking and the natural world, and especially for the places where all of those things meet. She is also the long-time coordinator of Kid’s Corner at SolarFest, and now of Family Stage, at SolarFest. Rosemary lives, grows, & creates in Middletown Springs with her husband, 6 birds, two cats, one dog, and a flock of chickens. woodspryte@vermontel.net

April Simpson has been teaching art to elementary school children in this area for 3 years. She enjoys drawing, rug hooking, gardening, and taking care of her cat, goat, and 10 hens. purple_rhino@hotmail.com
 

To see who presented workshops in 2010, download our 2010 Festival Program Guide.