You’re invited to the Ecology, Faith and Justice Conference.
This event will feature presentations on creation care, climate science, and neighbor love. Attendees will have the opportunity to visit local ecological sites in South Florida, engage with local groups and nonprofits focused on sustainability and explore our ethical obligation to be stewards of creation.
Plenary Speakers:
Dr. Norman Wirzba, Professor of Theology and Ecology at Duke Divinity School
Rev. Dr. Jessica Moerman, President & CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network
Dr. Thomas Chesnes, Professor of Biology at Palm Beach Atlantic University.
Ecological Explorations:
Lake Worth Lagoon Boat Tour
Loggerhead Marinelife Center Private Tour
West Palm Beach Bike Tour
Early Bird Pricing ends January 17!
$10 – Student Conference Access
$20 – General Conference Access
FREE – Ecology Fair and Panel Discussion | Feb 20, 6:30-8:30 PM
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Registration & Coffee
8:00 AM - 9:00 AMOpening Plenary with Rev. Dr. Jessica Moerman
9:00 AM - 10:15 AMCoffee Break
10:15 AM - 10:45 AMPaper Panel
10:45 AM - 12:15 PMLunch
12:15 PM - 1:30 PMPlenary with Dr. Tom Chesnes
1:30 PM - 2:45 PMEcological Explorations
3:15 PM - 5:30 PM
Lake Worth Lagoon Boat Tour or Loggerhead Marinelife Center Private Tour or West Palm Beach City Bike TourDinner
5:30 PM - 6:30 PMEcology Fair and Panel Discussion with Plenary Speakers
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
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Coffee and Refreshments
8:30 AM - 9:00 AMPlenary with Dr. Norman Wirzba
9:00 AM - 10:15 AMCoffee Break
10:15 AM - 10:45 AMPaper Panel
10:45 AM - 12:15 PMLunch
12:15 PM - 1:30 PMPaper Panel
1:30 PM - 3:00 PMCoffee Break
3:00 PM - 3:30 PMConcluding Round-Table Discusion
3:30 PM - 4:45 PM
Dr. Norman Wirzba
Norman Wirzba is the Gilbert T Rowe Distinguished Professor of Theology and the Director of Research in the Office of Climate and Sustainability at Duke University. He is the author of multiple books, most recently Love’s Braided Dance: Hope in a Time of Crisis, Agrarian Spirit: Cultivating Faith, Community, and the Land, and This Sacred Life: Humanity’s Place in a Wounded World. He loves to cook, bake, make things with wood, and play the guitar.
Rev. Dr. Jessica Moerman
The Rev. Dr. Jessica Moerman is a climate and environmental scientist, pastor, educator, and advocate. She serves as the President and CEO of the Evangelical Environmental Network and is a Board Member of the National Association of Evangelicals. Jessica earned her Ph.D. in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences from Georgia Tech and has held research positions at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Michigan, and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, studying climate change throughout Earth’s history. Previously, she was a AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of Energy. Jessica is passionate about guiding church communities toward solutions that protect our cities, neighborhoods, and future generations from climate change and pollution.
Dr. Thomas Chesnes
Dr. Tom Chesnes is a Professor of Biology and Associate Dean for the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Palm Beach Atlantic University. A Florida native trained in systems ecology, he specializes in estuarine and field biology. Dr. Chesnes has studied wetlands, estuaries, salt marshes, and coastal systems across the western hemisphere, focusing on vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. His research spans seagrass and invertebrate ecology, fisheries management, the invasive Burmese python in the Everglades, institutional sustainability and the intersection of science, faith, and culture. He has published extensively and received numerous awards for his contributions to research and teaching.
The conference is a joint effort between PBA’s Community Transformation Center, the School of Ministry and the Creation Care Project led by Dr. Paul Gould and Dr. Tom Chesnes, with support from Knox Theological Seminary.
