Dr. Irakli Loladze earned his BA degree in Applied Mathematics in Georgia (the former USSR, not Atlanta ). After earning his MA and PhD in Mathematics at Arizona State University, Irakli, as a postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University, advanced a hypothesis that rising atmospheric CO2 is affecting human nutrition by worsening the quality of plants worldwide. It took him 12 years to collect the empirical evidence confirming the hypothesis; he is now an Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Bryan College of Health Sciences, Bryan Medical Center.

Andrew Y. Glikson is an Earth and paleo-climate scientist, graduated at the University of Western Australia in 1968. He conducted geological and geochemical surveys of the oldest geological formations in western and central Australia, South Africa, India and Canada; studied large asteroid impacts, including effects on the atmosphere, oceans and mass extinction of species. Since 2005 he studied the relations between climate and human evolution. He was active in communicating nuclear and climate change evidence to the public and parliament through papers, lectures, conferences and presentations.

Karla Mantilla is the author of Gendertrolling: How Misogyny Went Viral(2015). She is a longtime editor and collective member of off our backsnewsjournal. She has taught at Gettysburg College, University of Maryland, George Mason University, and McDaniel College.

Will Falk is a biophilic writer and lawyer. The natural world speaks and Will’s work is how he listens. He believes the intensifying destruction of the natural world is the most pressing issue confronting us today. His first book "How Dams Fall: Stories the Colorado River Told Me" will be released by Homebound Publications in October, 2019. You can follow Will’s work at willfalk.org. 

Richard Olson is chair of the board of Sustainable Berea, a community non-profit, and director of the Berea Urban Farm. He has advanced degrees in ecology and sustainable agriculture, and many years of experience conducting basic and applied research in forest ecology. He recently retired from the faculty of Berea College where he taught sustainability, environmental justice, and ecological restoration. 

 Cheyenne Olson is Executive Director of Sustainable Berea. She received her Ph.D. in communications from the University of Kentucky, and secured a Fulbright Post-doc in Australia to study the impact of Rupert Murdoch on the creation and presentation of news. Cheyenne has transformed her yard into an edible landscape and raises a small flock of chickens. In 2018 she designed and implemented Harvesting Hope, a job training program for women recovering from opioid addiction.

Rachel Stewart is a writer/Journalist, and current columnist with the NZ Herald, 2016 Winner of the ‘Opinion Writer of the Year’ at New Zealand’s Canon Media Awards. Ex-agricultural leader turned dairy industry critic, falconer, protector of rivers, and everything wild. 

A licensed psychologist, biologist and educator, Susan Eirich has taught at universities around the world, worked in maximum security prisons, developed a university counseling center, directed a Nature Conservancy Preserve, and lived in remote corners of Nepal, the Mid and Far East, the Northwest Territories and the Amazon rainforest. Her goal is always to see through other’s eyes as a way to enhance understanding between cultures, peoples and species. She founded Earthfire Institute: Wildlife Sanctuary & Retreat Center in 2000 in order to give a voice to wildlife and help people find their own natural voice. Earthfire’s mission is to help humans change how they see, and therefore treat, wildlife and nature. Susan lives with these animals throughout their lifetimes, developing deep relationships and insights. This makes it possible for her to bring wild animals’ voices into our awareness and into conservation decisions.

Sam Mace is the Inland Northwest Director for Save Our Wild Salmon, a coalition of conservation organizations, sport and commercial fishing businesses, and clean energy advocates working to restore wild salmon & steelhead to the Columbia and Snake Rivers.  She works to build support for restoring the lower Snake River by removing four outdated dams on the lower Snake River that are preventing recovery of fisheries in Idaho, Oregon and Washington.  She lives in Spokane, WA.  

David Holmgren is an Australian environmental designer, ecological educator and writer. He is best known as one of the co-originators of the permaculture concept with Bill Mollison. 

Jared Lloyd is a wildlife photographer and environmental journalist whose work takes him around the globe in search of stories and photographs. Most of the projects that Jared works on are centered around climate change, biodiversity, and coastal issues. He has worked on BBC natural history documentaries, PBS shows, and publications ranging from Audubon to National Wildlife.