Beyond the gates of Yellowstone National Park, over 500 Montanans gathered in Bozeman to plug in to the 18th annual Bioneers conference that was held in San Rafael, CA.

Before attending the conference, I had the notion that Bioneers was a progressive solutions-based network.

It is, but it's also has this going for it:

Bioneers Defined - Bioneers is a hub of practical solutions for restoring the Earth and people. It's a thriving network of visionary innovators who are working with nature to heal nature. Bioneers Experienced – The definition above came to life throughout the conference, but more intensely in the days to follow. The spirit of innovative inspiration was pervasive. Everywhere I went, there it was - in the workshops, the hallways, within the food, the music and in the people. In short, attending this conference fueled the innovator and net worker within, including few take home points:

Innovation Doesn’t Require a PhD:

If you’ve ever hung out with a “star”, you realize that they are just like the rest of us, albeit more attractive. I was inspired by many of the presenters that were “average” people who had a good idea and ran with it. Everyone can be of great benefit without having highly specialized skills or unusual talents. Bioneers provides an effective hub for guiding such creative purpose.

Beam Global, Act Local:

The format of the conference is worth noting. All of the 18 chapter conferences watched the main speakers in CA through a satellite feed for part of the day. The rest of the time was spent on workshops/presentations about various issues.

This “Bioneers Beaming” format fostered a surprising synergy between the satellite and national conference. I especially admired how the MT conference was able to take that inspiration and support from the national conference, and direct it towards making a difference locally. I’d love to see these satellite conferences continue to showcase (and inspire) innovative solutions within each state or bioregion.

More about Bioneers: Bioneers puts ideas into action, forms individuals into alliances, moves inspiration into innovation. The annual Bioneers Conference applies nature's intelligence in practical ways to serve human ends in sustainable and productive ways. Over and over, it's the story of how individuals, working together and in harmony with nature, change the world.