IEC's 2025 Annual Conference

Connecting Advocates and Creating Pathways to Action within Iowa's Environmental Movement

Join us on September 16 at the Olmsted Center at Drake University in Des Moines where you'll have the opportunity to learn about key environmental issues, develop deeper relationships within the community, and build momentum for action and change in Iowa. Choose from sessions in three tracks: policy, advocacy, and community-building, with a focus on the most urgent environmental issues facing Iowa today, including water quality, renewable energy, climate change, environmental justice, and public health. 

General admission tickets are just $50, and students can access the entire conference for free (please note that registration is required). This year, your admission ticket gets you access to two powerful keynote speakers: award-winning journalist Florence Williams, who wrote the acclaimed book "The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative," and EMMY-winning meteorologist and climate expert Chris Gloninger, whose story about his experiences in Iowa made national news. Learn more about both change-makers below.

Thank you for your interest! Conference registration has reached capacity and registration is closed. 

Schedule and Agenda

8:30 – 9:00 a.m.: Registration, coffee, and pastries

9:00 – 9:15 a.m.: Welcome and opening remarks: Sarah Green, Executive Director, Iowa Environmental Council

9:15 – 10:15 a.m.: KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Your Brain on Nature: Why Being Outside Makes Us Feel Happier, Healthier, and More Creative – Florence Williams, author and journalist

10:15 – 10:30 a.m.: Break and Exhibitor Exploration, plus "The Nature Fix" book signing with Florence Williams

10:30 – 11:30 a.m.: SESSION 1

• POLICY TRACK: Floods, Droughts, and Extreme Weather: Managing Water Quantity and Quality in Iowa: Keith Schilling, State Geologist of Iowa and Director of the Iowa Geological Survey; Mary Skopec, Executive Director of the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory; Amy Kahler, Chief Executive Officer, Des Moines Water Works; Moderator Colleen Fowle, Water Program Director of the Iowa Environmental Council
• ADVOCACY TRACK: Defending Environmental Work in a Shifting Federal Landscape: Rayan Makarem, Community Outreach Associate, Environmental Protection Network; Heather Navarro, Director, Midwest Climate Collaborative; Brady Watson, Campaign Officer, Climate & Energy Program, Union of Concerned Scientists
• COMMUNITY-BUILDING TRACK: The Role of Mutual Aid and Community Support During Climate Disasters: Trisha Rivers, Executive Director, Red Sky Nation; Zakariyah Hill, Executive Director, The Supply Hive; Tyler Henderson, Fiscal Director, Upper Des Moines Opportunity; Shakira Meyer, Director of Program Development, Compliance and Reporting, Upper Des Moines Opportunity; Moderator Deaconess Irene Demaris, Executive Director, Iowa Faith and Climate Network

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.: Lunch and Exhibitor Exploration

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.: SESSION 2

• ADVOCACY TRACK: Listening to Iowans: Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors: Colleen Fowle, Water Program Director, Iowa Environmental Council; Adam Shriver, Director of Wellness and Nutrition Policy, The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement; Tommy Hexter, Policy Director, Iowa Farmers Union
• COMMUNITY-BUILDING TRACK: How We Fight Pollution in Iowa Communities: Terry Langan, Co-President, Nishnabotna Water Defenders; Lexi McKee-Hemenway, Campaign Organizer, Iowa Environmental Council; Moderator Corey Dion Lewis, Founder, My City My Health

1:30 – 1:45 p.m.: Break and Exhibitor Exploration

1:45 – 2:45 p.m.: SESSION 3

• POLICY TRACK: Hot Topics in Energy: Joshua Byrnes, Commissioner, Iowa Utilities Commission
• ADVOCACY TRACK: They Poisoned the World: Life and Death in the Age of Forever Chemicals: Mariah Blake, investigative journalist and author
• COMMUNITY-BUILDING TRACK: Restoring Natural Systems in Iowa’s Changing Landscape: Heather Jobst, Senior Land Protection Facilitator, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation; Brian Ritter, Executive Director, Nahant Marsh; Megan Schneider, Director of Programs Des Moines Metro, Trees Forever; Moderator Cynthia Farmer, Policy Manager, Center for Rural Affairs

2:45 – 3: 15 p.m.: Break, Exhibitor Exploration and Pop-Up Programming: Enjoy popcorn and snacks, and "pop" into any of the following engaging learning opportunities and hands-on demonstrations:

• The Groundbreaking Polk County Water Quality Report: Key Takeaways from CISWRA with Jennifer Terry, Dr. Elliot Anderson, and Dr. Claire Hruby, co-authors of the Central Iowa Source Water Research Assessment 
• Documentary Screening: "Iowa's Dirty Secret: The True Cost of Burning Coal in Iowa" 
• Water Quality and Nitrate Testing Demonstration with Ginny Malcomson, Water Quality Coordinator, Polk County Conservation, and Christine Curry, Outreach Coordinator, Iowa Division, Izaak Walton League
• "They Poisoned the World" book signing with Mariah Blake and Beaverdale Books
• "Sacrifice State: Iowa Voices on Environment and Justice" book and project information 

3:15 – 4:15 p.m.: KEYNOTE ADDRESS: The Climate-Health-Weather Nexus: A Call to Action for Iowa’s Future: Chris Gloninger, Senior Climate Scientist, Woods Hole Group, and meteorologist

4:15 – 4:30 p.m.: Closing remarks: Sarah Green, Executive Director, Iowa Environmental Council