The Salazar Center for North American Conservation will host its fourth annual International Symposium on Conservation Impact Oct. 6-7 in Denver. Registration is now open to the general public.
This year’s symposium will explore how transboundary conservation can drive binational cooperation and ecological outcomes at different geopolitical scales. An all-star lineup of conservation leaders will explore topics such as opportunities and barriers to conservation in the U.S.-Mexico border region, climate change impacts, balancing the diverse needs of the region, Indigenous leadership, and learning from the region’s distinct history and biogeography.
“The U.S.-Mexico borderlands represent a unique opportunity for conservation. It is an area with tremendous biodiversity and cultural and ecological connectivity. It is home to diverse, vibrant communities with a rich history,” said Center Director Beth Conover. “But the region also faces many challenges—and the essence of this symposium will be to share ideas and innovations for how multinational cooperation in this region can improve outcomes for people and nature.”
Featured Speakers
Tommy Beaudreau
Tommy Beaudreau serves as the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior, returning after serving for nearly seven years at the Department during the Obama-Biden administration, including as the first director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Acting Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management, and Chief of Staff to Secretary Sally Jewell. Deputy Secretary Beaudreau has more than a decade of experience in energy development, environmental conservation, and Tribal consultation. At the symposium, he will discuss America the Beautiful and how cooperative conservation can serve both the U.S. and Mexico’s national conservation goals.
Dinah Bear
Originally from southern California, Ms. Bear served for 25 years as General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel at the President’s Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the environmental agency in the Executive Office of the President. In that capacity, she oversaw implementation of the National Environmental Policy Act in the executive branch. She has long been involved in border issues from both an environmental and humanitarian perspective, including work related to border barriers and to the prevention of migrant deaths. She will provide context for how the border wall has changed over time and some of its associated impacts.
Peter McBride
Coloradan Pete McBride is a self-taught photographer, filmmaker, writer, and public speaker who has traveled to over 75 countries on assignment, including for National Geographic and Smithsonian. He has also spoken on stages for The World Economic Forum, Nat Geo Live, and more. McBride hiked the entire length of Grand Canyon National Park — over 750 miles without a trail — to highlight development challenges facing this iconic landscape. His book Grand Canyon: Between River and Rim won a National Outdoor Book Award, and his feature documentary Into the Grand Canyon for National Geographic Channel was nominated for an Emmy. His latest book, Seeing Silence, explores the power and fragility of natural sounds and quietude and was named a top photography book of 2021 by Smithsonian magazine. McBride holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College and resides in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. For the symposium, he will share his experiences traveling on the rivers of the borderlands in a visual storytelling session.
Calixto Mateos-Hanel
Calixto Mateos-Hanel is Managing Director at North American Development Bank. Prior to joining NADBank, Calixto gained more than 25 years of experience at the Mexican Central Bank (Banco de México), where he held various positions from 1988 to 2014, including economics researcher, deputy macro-financial programming manager, deputy project manager, macroeconomic analysis manager, strategic planning project manager, and risk manager. At the symposium, he will explore opportunities for sustainable economic development to benefit both the environment and communities in the borderlands region.
Tanya Trujillo
Tanya Trujillo is a water lawyer with more than 20 years of experience working on complex natural resources management issues and interstate and transboundary water agreements. She most recently worked as a project director with the Colorado River Sustainability Campaign. Before then, she served as the Executive Director of the Colorado River Board of California. She has served as Senior Counsel to the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and as Counselor to the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at Interior. A native New Mexican, Tanya attended Stanford University and the University of Iowa College of Law. She will share her experience working on binational water agreements at the symposium.
Learn more and register today
The Center is pleased to be able to offer the symposium in a hybrid format, with options for both in-person and virtual participation. Attendees are encouraged to choose the format that will allow them to be most comfortable.
For CSU faculty, staff and students interested in attending, contact Catie Boehmer for access to discounted pricing.
The in-person event will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Denver, Colorado. Learn more about the event by visiting the Salazar Center’s symposium page or by contacting Catie Boehmer for more information.
The symposium is made possible with support from the Kelley-Knox Family Foundation; Mighty Arrow Family Foundation; The Nature Conservancy; National Fish and Wildlife Foundation; Trinchera Blanca Foundation, an affiliate of The Moore Charitable Foundation, founded by Louis Bacon; Walton Family Foundation; Doris Duke Charitable Foundation; Wilburforce Foundation; Center for Large Landscape Conservation; Colorado Water Center; Great Outdoors Colorado; Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation; Warner College of Natural Resources; World Wildlife Fund; Center for Collaborative Conservation; New Belgium Brewing; and Odell Brewing Company.
About the Salazar Center for North American Conservation
The Salazar Center for North American Conservation at Colorado State University works to connect diverse leaders, communities, and resources across the North American continent in order to accelerate the pace and scale of equitable, innovative, and durable solutions for nature and all people. The Center brings together thought leaders, resources, and diverse perspectives to inform an intersectional approach to conservation challenges, building bridges that connect academic research, community practice, and policy development.
