About Bioneers

The Collective Heritage Institute, aka Bioneers, was founded by Kenny Ausubel in 1990. Bioneers was conceived to conduct educational and economic development programs in the conservation of biological and cultural diversity, traditional farming practices, and environmental restoration. Since 1990, the Bioneers have assembled for an annual conference, a gathering of scientific and social innovators who have demonstrated visionary and practical models for restoring the Earth and communities.

As individuals Bioneers are scientists and artists, gardeners and economists, activists and public servants, architects and ecologists, farmers and journalists, priests and shamans, policymakers and citizens. They come from many cultures and perspectives, and all walks of life. Their stories demonstrate that just as people have created the environmental and social problem we face, people can solve them. Over and over, they show how great a difference the actions of one individual can make.

In 2005, Inspiring Futures began to gather local Bioneers for the annual Bioneers S.E. FORUM, which is one of 20 similar Bioneers events that take place each October across North America. The longterm goal of the event is to engage current and future leaders in a conversation and a learning process to increase their understanding of root causes and "upstream solutions” to economic, social and environmental problems. Through this process of ongoing discovery and dialog, the Bioneers hope to move the region toward sustainability, economic prosperity, political involvement.