Pener Conference spotlights climate resiliency

When it comes to standing up against the onslaught of climate change, not all landscapes are created equal. 

Dr. Mark Anderson, director of The Nature Conservancy’s Center for Resilient Conservation Science, delivered that message in no uncertain terms as the keynote speaker for the third annual James Tufts Pener Environmental Stewardship Conference, which was held April 14 at Thayer Academy. 

Anderson, who over the last decade has led the effort to identify climate-resistant lands and waters across the continental United States, described the concept of a “microclimate” — a small area of varied climate conditions within a larger, more uniform area — and said that the more varied the conditions within a particular region, the better the environment for biodiversity to thrive. Painting with a broad brush, he urged listeners to think of a microclimate as a hill covered with snow on one side yet bare on the other. 

“The more climatic options you have, the more resilient it is,” explained Anderson. 

Citing the teamwork of hundreds of scientists over more than a decade of research, Anderson said that the Conservancy had successfully identified and mapped the United States in terms of climate resiliency. The maps allow nonprofits such as the Conservancy to see which natural habitats would benefit the most from long-term investment. And, Anderson noted, those mapping tools have been shared for other researchers and, indeed, the rest of the world to see. 

“Nobody likes being told what to do,” said Anderson, referring to the need to build consensus in tackling climate change, “but if we can get all this good science into people’s thinking, they’ll make the right decisions.” 

Climate change, Anderson told the audience, is contributing to declines not just in rare species of plants and animals but in the more common varieties that we see day to day. He cited several instances where the populations of mammals, birds, amphibians, and plants were decreasing because of the loss of their habitat or, as is often the case, the degradation of their habitat. 

“It is a change in the ambient conditions of the planet,” Anderson said of the climate change crisis. 

But the researcher’s talk was less a dour assessment of a very real problem than an optimistic and enthusiastic call to action. Anderson, who holds a PhD in ecology from the University of New Hampshire and has worked as a conservation scientist for more than three decades, began his remarks by thanking his young listeners for their interest in the environment. He then told them that much of the science he had learned in high school — that plants were essentially passive material, that animals were purely instinct-driven, and that land was a blank slate — was simply wrong. 

“All of that science has been overturned,” said Anderson, noting the remarkable breakthroughs in the past few decades alone which are helping scientists to build a more resilient natural world. 

And Anderson offered examples. We now know, Anderson said, that trees and other plants can communicate with one another in a variety of ways, be it through fungal networks or the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and can use such social networks to protect one another. Animals, he said, have incredible brains and are capable of both conveying and understanding emotions. The idea that animals are emotionless creatures acting solely upon instinct, he said, is incorrect and antiquated. 

“If you have a dog or a cat, you know that [idea] doesn’t make sense,” he said. 

Flora and fauna, Anderson added, also relate in their own way to the concept of beauty and, in many ways, practically invented it. As examples, he offered the colors and scents of flowers as well as the plumage of a male peacock. 

“When you’re out there enjoying life,” he said, “understand that a lot of the rest of nature is enjoying it with you.” 

Anderson discussed the “30x30” goal held by the Conservancy and others: to protect 30% of the planet’s lands, fresh waters, and oceans by 2030. He noted the importance of such goals and ended his talk on an optimistic note.

“It’s a goal that’s completely achievable with enough people engaged in the work,” he said. 

Anderson’s keynote address was one part of the daylong Pener Conference, an event that focuses on student-driven presentations and workshops devoted to environmental sustainability. Organized by Upper School Science Faculty Don Donovan P ‘10, ‘13 and Upper School Science Faculty Skip Schneider P ‘20, ‘22, the conference honors the life and legacy of James Pener ‘23. A rising Thayer senior at the time, Pener died in July of 2022 in a car accident in Maine. 

Donovan and Schneider spent the day facilitating events and making sure that all participants enjoyed an incredible experience. 

“If it sounds like a lot, it totally is,” Schneider told students midway through the jam-packed conference as he previewed the afternoon schedule. “But that’s what’s awesome about it.” 

The day’s schedule included student presentations on, among other topics, using artificial intelligence to bolster recycling efforts, the importance of impact investing (investing which seeks social and environmental benefits as well as financial return), and the takeaways from local shark research. There were also several student-led workshops, including those on the benefits of walking/biking over driving, ocean conservation and turning plastic into art, and a forum of participating schools’ sustainability clubs. 

In his concluding remarks, Donovan expressed his gratitude for the day of scholarship and community. 

“This is just a fantastic way to honor James’ memory,” he said. 

The Pener family attended the April 14 event and James’ father, Mark Pener P ‘23, addressed the crowd and spoke of his son’s passionate embrace of the natural world from a very young age. The elder Pener also spoke of his son’s continuing positive impact on the lives of others, citing the recent addition of a hiking trail in James’ honor at the Pond Mountain Natural Area in Connecticut. 

Pener thanked all those who made the conference possible in memory of his son. 

“You’ve all done more than you can imagine,” he said. “James would be deeply honored. Thank you.” 

Head of School Chris Fortunato P ‘26, ‘28 thanked the students for displaying the same passion for the environment so evident in James Pener. 

“We do this work today for one another and for the generations of students which will come after you,” Fortunato said. 

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The schools and organizations participating in this spring’s conference were: 

Belmont Hill School, Brooks School, Chatham Harvesters, Cohasset Center for Student Coastal Research, Dana Hall School, Mass Oyster Project, Milton Academy, The Roxbury Latin School, St. Mark’s School, St. George’s School, and Thayer Academy (host).

The day’s student presentations included: 

Tackling Recycling With AI by Eliot Park (The Roxbury Latin School)
Impact Investing: What Is It? by Giacomo Turco & Alex Zhang (Belmont Hill School)
Local Shark Research by Reilly Fraga, Ellie Louvar, Alexandra Mignosa & Abigail Shannon (Thayer Academy)
Exploring the Nuances of Sustainable Consumerism: A Society Overflown With Media Displaying Greenwashing and Overconsumption by Navya Swarna & Serena Zhao (St. Mark’s School)
Using and Advocating for Sustainable Transportation by Nathan Zhang (Belmont Hill School)
The Creation and Protections of Green Legislation in Massachusetts State Government by Austin Archabal (Thayer Academy)

Each Pener Conference participant attended two workshops. The day’s workshops included: 

Policy Advocacy 101: Using Your Right to Petition for Environmental Goals led Olivia Negro (Thayer Academy) 
Communicating Environmental Topics through Photography led Nikki Pardo (Thayer Academy)
Oysters: Conserving a Foundational Species and How You Can Help led by John Cigliano & Liv Woods (Mass Oyster Project)
From Ocean to Community: Redefining Sustainability Through Fishing Co-ops led by Chatham Harvesters
Advocating for Biking/Walking More Often to Places Instead of Driving led by Brendan Brosnan & Charlie Foley (Thayer Academy)
Sustainability Clubs Forum led by Theo Dowd, Ellie Louvar, Brooke McHugh & Steven Silvers (Thayer Academy) 
Turning Plastic into Art and Ocean Conservation led by Sadie Borushko, William Bunn, Giavanna Christiano & Alex Kaye (Thayer Academy) 
Net Positives: Crafting Homemade Fishing Traps to Learn About The Benefits of Aquarium Fishing on the Amazon led by Theo Dowd & Steven Silvers (Thayer Academy)