LEARNING CONFERENCE

Cina Canada is the founder and director of Wild Arts Learning. Her background is in international documentary film and media production, kids nature camps and nature-based arts education. Her current focus is developing the Wild Arts Learning Curriculum for educators and the Wild Arts Learning Center in Springfield, MO. She specializes in facilitating educators and creating spaces and opportunities for kids and adults to connect with the natural world through hands-on experiential learning.

Myke Gemkow is a educator with a background in establishing Montessori schools and programs with an emphasize on optimizing spaces for hands-on learning. He specializes in individualized education, trauma-informed practices, working with neuro-diverse learners, children with learning and emotional differences, and curriculum development. He and his wife Claire run their farm and the Dockley Ranch home school program in Douglas County, Missouri. The are also the founders and organizers of the Highlonesome Music festival at their ranch. 

Matt Levy of Matt Levy Ceramics is an artist and educator. Raised in Flagstaff, AZ and educated in Wisconsin and Montana, Matt's connection to the geology around him and the materials found within are the constant driving force in his practice. He is a Materialist at heart, motivated by what can be found in the soil beneath his feet and the rocks he finds in the landscape. He is co-author of the book "Wild Clay: Creating Ceramics and Glazes from Natural and Found Resources."

Justine Lines has been a biology and health science educator for Springfield Public Schools for more than 25 years. She was lead teacher in STEM Academy, Health Science Pathway, School Garden Ecology Farm to School program and is currently the director of the Greater Audubon Society of the Ozarks' GLADE (Green Leadership Academy for Diverse Ecosystems) program. Justine continues her work to educate young people in the fields of conservation, ecology and leadership.

Ryan Neil is an international bonsai artist and educator. After six years in one of the most rigorous Japanese bonsai apprenticeships, Ryan returned to the US to establish a new art form of nature-in-miniature through this craft called American Bonsai. This style seeks to capture the essence of America’s wild spaces, utilizing native species and calling on ancient, asymmetrical forms. Based outside Portland, Oregon, Ryan is at the helm of Bonsai Mirai and Mirai Academy.

Lily Urmann is a biomimic, educator and nature communicator. She is the creator and host of "Learning from Nature: The Biomimicry Podcast." She specializes in biomimicry, the practice of learning from nature’s forms, processes, and systems to create life-friendly designs that benefit both people and the planet. She is currently a visiting professor at Pratt Institute and runs after-school nature connection programs for the Kiva Center atDenver, CO elementary schools. Her passion lies at the intersection of biomimicry, place-based experiential education, and engaging change-agents in this exciting field.