Day 1 - Friday
April 25, 2025

5:30pm Cocktail Reception & Earth Central Hub
7:00pm Keynote Address: William Bryant Logan
7:30pm “Giants Rising” Film Screening
Zoom Q&A with Lisa Landers, Director

Earth Central Hub

Join us for a cocktail reception to spotlight local environmental advocacy groups sharing tips, news, and know-how:

Cornell Cooperative
Long Island Pine Barrens Society
Central Pine Barrens Commission
Canio’s Books

Keynote Address: William Bryant Logan

William Bryant Logan is the author of Sprout Lands, Oak, Air, and Dirt, the last of which was made into an award-winning documentary. He is a certified arborist, on the board of the faculty of the New York Botanical Garden, and founder and president of Urban Arborists, Inc. Autographed books will be available for purchase.

Giants Rising: The Secrets & Superpowers of Redwoods

Director & Producer: Lisa Landers
Co-producer: Jennifer Ciraldo
Editor: Damon Claussen

A journey into the heart of America’s most iconic forests, GIANTS RISING reveals the secrets, superpowers and saga of the redwoods— the tallest and some of the oldest living beings on Earth. Living links to the past, redwoods also hold powers that may play a role in our future, including their ability to withstand fire and capture carbon, to offer clues about resilience, and even to enhance our own well-being.

Through the voices of biologists, artists, Native communities and others, we discover the scientific wonders of redwoods, our deep cultural ties to them, and efforts to help these iconic forests overcome the legacy of logging that nearly wiped them out. It’s a tale that offers lessons about resilience, and the promise of solutions that will help us ALL rise up to face challenges that lay ahead.