Friends and colleagues,

Wednesday, April 22, Earth Day! /The Anatole Hotel/Earth X

From 9 to 5. Free! If you can’t make the whole day, come for part of it.

The BioEconomy: planning a sustainable future for North Texas

I write to you today with a sense of urgency. North Texas is growing, bringing both challenges and opportunities.

With the good news of economic growth comes the responsibility to plan for a sustainable future.

On April 22nd, I will be leading a day long workshop as part of Earth X at the Anatole Hotel. Admission is free, and I want you to be there.

Business leaders, planners, conservationists, architects, students, master naturalists, engineers, and elders will all gather around tables to discuss and work on four key topics: water and the water shed; human infrastructure; biodiversity; and the intersection of land use and the built environment.

Many good people are working on these issues in North Texas, but we are not communicating with each other enough. We need to break down silos, reach across disciplines, and collaborate on our future.

Bring your smarts, your experience, and your commitment to a better future in North Texas.

I have attached a detailed agenda and a way to pre-register FOR FREE. No promo code is needed. Bring your staff. Invite your colleagues and your friends. It’s going to be an exciting day.

Earthx2026 – North Texas Day Earth Day Workshop

The Eco Future of North Texas: Building a Regional Framework for Sustainability

April 22, 2026

9:00 – 9:10 AM | Welcome & Opening Remarks

TBD

9:10 – 9:20 AM | Setting the Stage: The Eco Future of North Texas

Speakers: David Marquis & Kathryn Guerra (Chair, City of Dallas Environmental Commission)

An introduction to the day’s core themes—exploring the intersection of ecology and the economy through four critical lenses:

·      Water & Watershed

·      Land Use & the Built Environment

·      Biodiversity

·      Human Infrastructure

9:20 – 9:40 AM | Opening Exercise: Why Are You Here?

Facilitator: David Marquis (Water Issues Advisor to the City of Dallas Environmental Commission)

A guided centering exercise followed by table discussions to clarify individual purpose and shared intent—laying the groundwork for meaningful collaboration.

9:40 – 10:00 AM | Defining the Mission & Objectives

Speakers: Kathryn Guerra & David Marquis

An overview of the workshop’s goals:

·      Building a regional sustainability framework

·      Identifying key environmental and economic challenges

·      Scaling local solutions across urban, suburban, and rural contexts

·      Creating actionable next steps for participants

10:00 – 10:20 AM | Regional Outlook: Growth, Systems & Interconnection

Speakers:

James McGuire—Texas State Director, The Nature Conservancy

Cullum Clark—Fellow, Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Institute

A data-driven and systems-level overview of North Texas growth and how core issues—water, land, biodiversity, and infrastructure—interact across the region.

10:20 – 10:30 AM | Networking Break

Meet someone new and begin building cross-sector connections.

10:30 – 11:00 AM | Table Session I: Regional Challenges & Perspectives

Small-group discussions exploring key challenges from diverse professional and community viewpoints.

FOCUS AREA I: HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE

11:00 – 11:20 AM | Spotlight Presentations: People as the System

Speakers:

Ian Seamans--Dallas City Hall Advocate, Environment Texas: Building coalitions for a bird-friendly convention center

Jimena Vivanco-- Conservation Manager, Trinity Park Conservancy: Engaging youth as drivers of long-term sustainability

Short talks highlighting how human networks and leadership drive environmental progress.

11:20 AM – 12:00 PM | Table Session II: Building Human Infrastructure

Interactive exercises focused on forming durable networks, identifying shared goals, and establishing pathways for ongoing collaboration.

12:00 – 1:30 PM | Lunch & Networking

FOCUS AREA II: WATER & THE WATERSHED

1:30 – 1:50 PM | Spotlight Presentation: Regional Water Systems

Speaker: Susan Alvarez, Director of Environment and Development, North Central Texas Council of Governments

An overview of North Texas transportation and stormwater infrastructure planning and its implications for long-term water resilience.

1:50 – 2:30 PM | Table Session III: Water Challenges & Solutions

Collaborative discussions on watershed management, infrastructure, and the future of water in a rapidly growing region.

FOCUS AREA III: LAND USE & BIODIVERSITY

2:30 – 2:50 PM | Spotlight Presentations: Nature in the Built Landscape

Speakers:

·      Julie Fineman – Co-creator, Constellation of Living Memorials: Restoring biodiversity through historic landscapes

·      Michael Clifford – Strategy Director, Reverse the Red: Biodiversity as a measure of regional health

Exploring how land use decisions directly impact ecological resilience.

2:50 – 3:30 PM | Table Session IV: Biodiversity & Conservation

Group work focused on integrating biodiversity into regional planning and development strategies.

3:30 – 3:45 PM | Break

FOCUS AREA IV: LAND USE & THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT

3:45 – 4:00 PM | Spotlight Presentation: Rethinking Urban Form

Speaker: Julie Hiromoto, Partner/Director of Integration, HKS: Land Use and the Built Environment

How density, vertical development, and design can reduce environmental impact while supporting growth.

4:00 – 4:30 PM | Table Session V: The Future of the Built Environment

Discussions on land use, conservation development, and scalable urban solutions.

4:30 – 5:00 PM | Closing Session: What Now? What Next?

Facilitators: David Marquis & Kathryn Guerra

A full-group reflection synthesizing key insights and identifying next steps.

Participants will explore:

·      How to measure success

·      How to share progress and challenges

·      How to sustain collaboration beyond the workshop

5:00 PM | Adjourn & Informal Networking

Program Notes

Each hour features a brief “top-of-hour” presentation to ground discussion in real-world examples and data.

Table sessions are the core of the workshop, bringing together diverse voices across sectors—business, conservation, policy, design, science, and community leadership.

The day emphasizes interconnection: regional systems—from water to transportation to biodiversity—are deeply linked, and solutions must be as well.

Register on the link below…

Earthx2026 Congress of Conferences Registration

Constellation of Living Memorials will have its booth at this year’s Oak Cliff Earth Day on Sunday, April 19, from noon to 5 p.m. We hope you will join us at Lake Cliff Park,1200 N. Zang Blvd., Dallas, TX 75203, for this wonderful annual community celebration. The event is free to attend and will feature entertainment, vendors, food trucks, and more.

Alongside us will be fellow CLM pilot cemeteries, Western Heights and Oakland. Also joining us is the Texas Professional Surveyors Association, Chapter 5, who will demonstrate the tools used by Warren Angus Ferris, the first surveyor of Dallas County, during its Blackland Prairie era.

This lecture introduces the Constellation of Living Memorials, a growing network of historic cemeteries reimagined as living civic infrastructure where cultural memory and native ecology are restored in tandem. Developed in Dallas through a two year pilot, CLM offers a replicable framework that transforms neglected sacred spaces into biodiverse habitats, outdoor classrooms, and meaningful places of community connection.

To date, the initiative has mobilized more than 13,500 volunteer hours across multiple pilot cemeteries, generated over 3,000 documented species observations, cleared invasive growth across acres of land, and returned these sites to functioning ecosystems that support pollinators, improve soil health, and reduce long term maintenance costs. Partnerships with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, the Native Plant Society of Texas, and other civic and academic institutions have helped ground this work in both science and community stewardship.

Participants will gain insight into how new historic cemeteries are onboarded into the constellation, from initial site assessment and partnership alignment to restoration planning, native planting strategies, and ongoing care. Each cemetery becomes a “star,” contributing to a connected system that supports biodiversity, climate resilience, and cultural preservation.

Rooted in the belief that memory is held in the land, this work demonstrates how we can reintegrate humanity with native nature, restoring not only landscapes, but our collective relationship to place.

Waiver Form

Please Print & Sign Event Waiver Form

We are pleased to invite you to join us at the SMU Hunt Institute on March 31 at 1:00 PM for a discussion on the Constellation of Living Memorials. This gathering will explore ideas, insights, and the vision behind this meaningful project.

Your presence and perspective would be invaluable as we engage in conversation and collaboration around this important work.

Details:
Date: Wednesday, March 31
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: SMU Hunt Institute, Caruth Hall, Suite 206, 3100 Dyer St, Dallas, TX 75205

We look forward to welcoming you and sharing this conversation together! See you soon!

Warm regards,

Dr. Candice Lucas-Bledsoe

Waiver Form: Please Print & Sign Event Waiver Form

Topic: Pooling Student Engagement via A+ Charter, DISD, and Private Schools
Location: Inspired Vision Compassion Center, 2019 N. Masters Dr., Dallas, TX
Cemetery Walk: Albert Carver Cemetery
Location Organizer: Kim Cole

Monthly Focus Meetings, PLUS
Held on the last Wednesday of each month at 2:00 PM, these meetings are in partnership with Texas A&M AgriLife. Each gathering will feature shared best practices, per topic, from each cemetery lead. Advance Training hours apply to Master Naturalists.

- A walk-through of the nearby CLM pilot cemetery site following indoor discussions.