Haywood Community College will welcome multiple speakers, guests, and partners to campus on Friday, March 20, for the WNC Environmental Summit.

The WNC Environmental Summit will provide educational opportunities for regional groups to come together, share ideas, encourage each other, and take action to make a difference. Community leaders, experts, agencies, and partners will share expertise related to WNC environmental topics. The conference is designed for adults and youth, offering opportunities for everyone to share ideas and connect. 

Additional science speakers will participate in two panels: one on fish and wildlife conservation and change, and the other on resilience in WNC’s waterways. Featuring over 20 community partners, this event will showcase the good work being done in our region with hands-on workshops and teaching booths.

The Environmental Summit will feature two keynote speakers, Cash Daniels and Atsei Cooper. Cash Daniels, known as the Conservation Kid, is a youth environmental activist from Chattanooga, TN. As a CNN Hero and Jane Goodall Roots & Shoots Youth Council member, he empowers young people to become environmental leaders. Cash will share powerful real-world stories from the field and delivers practical, youth-driven solutions to today’s environmental challenges. Atsei Cooper is a citizen of the Eastern Band of Cherokee in North Carolina. As an Indigenous archaeologist, community worker, artist, and botanical enthusiast, she uses painting, block printing, beadwork and other styles to share her creativity and mission with others.

This event will be held on the campus of Haywood Community College from 9am – 2pm on Friday, March 20. The conference is free to attend. For more details or to RSVP, visit: https://www.haywood.edu/events/summit.php. 

This event would not be possible without the generous support of the community, the HCC Foundation, The Smoky Mountains STEM Collaborative, the Barnes-Berry Family Trust, and The Sand Castle Foundation.

Source: Haywood Community College.