HEP Conference 2025: Ripple Effects: Local Actions for Estuary-Wide Change
Join us at HEP Conference 2025 for a day of inspiring talks and discussions on making waves of change in our estuaries!
Date and time
Location
Stevens Institute of Technology
1 Castle Point Terrace Hoboken, NJ 07030Agenda
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Registration and Networking
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM
Welcoming Remarks
Rob Pirani, NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program
Isabelle Stinnette, NY-NJ Harbor & Estuary Program
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM
Keynote Speakers: Homegrown National Park
Douglas Tallamy, University of Delaware
10:15 AM - 11:30 AM
Morning Plenary: Habitat Restoration: Big Change from Small Spaces
John Evangelista, Groundwork Elizabeth
Carolyn Khoury, Billion Oyster Project
Douglas Tallamy, University of Delaware
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM
Scientific Poster Session, Interactive Art Display & Networking
12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
Lunch
1:00 PM - 2:25 PM
Panel 1: Shoreline Strategies That Work
Laura Kerr, Stevens Institute of Technology
Katherine Cann, Rutgers, The State University of NJ
Karen Appell, AECOM
Laurian Farrell, NYC Dept of Environmental Protection
1:00 PM - 2:25 PM
Workshop 1: The Power of Art in Environmental Storytelling
Amanda Thackray & Alethea Pace, Artists
Evelyn Powers, Interstate Environmental Commission
Marcy DePina, Newark City Parks Foundation
2:25 PM - 2:40 PM
Transition Period
2:40 PM - 4:00 PM
Panel 2: Building Waterfront Greenways
Sarah Neilson, New York City Department of Parks and Rec
Tiffany Robinson, North Jersey Trail Network
Francesca Giarratana, Hudson County Division of Planning
Hunter Armstrong, Brooklyn Greenway Initiative
2:40 PM - 4:00 PM
Workshop 2: Creative Funding Strategies
Ana Porzecanski, American Museum of Natural History
Ingrid Haeckel, NYSDEC, Hudson River Estuary Program
Charles Jenkins, NJDEP
Cameron Robello, City Parks Foundation
4:00 PM
Closing Keynote
Tentative: Congressman Robert Menendez, Jr. (NJ-08)
Amanda Thackray, Artist
Alethea Pace, Artist
Good to know
Highlights
- 8 hours
- In person
Refund Policy
About this event
This conference will explore how small-scale projects can play a pivotal role in shaping healthy watersheds. How can local actions ripple outward to influence policy, strengthen ecological resilience, and inspire transformative change estuary-wide?
Morning sessions will focus on urban habitat restoration and ecological connectivity, showcasing innovative approaches to revitalizing local environments.
Afternoon sessions will broaden the conversation to include green infrastructure, water quality improvements, public access and greenway development, and creative funding strategies.
Through dynamic panels, workshops, and case studies, participants will engage with leading experts and practitioners who are driving estuary-wide change through localized initiatives.
Want to connect? Join our LinkedIn group, where you can connect with other conference participants before, during, and after the conference, as well as share relevant news, upcoming events, and open job postings. We will also post updates as the conference date gets closer. You are encouraged to continue the conversations we start at the conference on this platform and use it as a networking resource.
Agenda details and more: Check https://hudsonriver.org/article/2025-hep-annual-conference/ for full agenda and more details about the conference!
Location details: Tech Flex is located in the University Center Complex (UCC), the two towers situated along the river in the middle of Stevens campus. If you enter campus from 6th Street, walk up the main pathway alongside the river; the UCC will be on your right. If you enter from 8th or 9th Street, walk down the main pathway along the river; the UCC will be on your left. Once inside the UCC, take the stairs or elevator down to the Ground Floor, then proceed down the hallway to reach Tech Flex.
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