In person event
Conference and panel discussion: Soil biodiversity for human and environmental health
Free - In person and online event French
- Date
- Language
- French
This event will be in two parts:
- a conference in English given by David R. Montgomery and Anne Bliké;
- followed by a panel discussion in French with Collen Thorpe, Marie-Élise Samson and Claudel Pétrin-Desrosiers.
A translation service will be available.
Biodiversity loss is one of the major global threats to soils in many parts of the world.
On December 12 during COP15, Équiterre invites you to a conference in English by geologist David R. Montgomery and biologist Anne Biklé. Their most recent book, "What Your Food Ate: How to Heal Our Land and Reclaim Our Health", explores the influence of agricultural practices on soil biodiversity by integrating ancient wisdom and modern science to reveal how agricultural practices directly influence human and environmental health. This conference will be followed by a panel discussion held in French.
To benefit from the translation service, please bring your cell phone and headphones.
Conference - in English
Geologist and professor of geomorphology at University of Washington
See profileCloseDavid R. Montgomery
Geologist and professor of geomorphology at University of Washington
David R. Montgomery is a MacArthur Fellow and professor of geomorphology at the University of Washington. He is an internationally recognized geologist who studies landscape evolution and the effects of geological processes on ecological systems and human societies. His research and award-winning popular-science books have been featured in documentary films, network and cable news, and on a wide variety of TV and radio programs, including NOVA, PBS NewsHour, Fox and Friends, and All Things Considered. David received his undergraduate degree from Stanford University and graduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Scientific writer and public speaker
See profileCloseAnne Biklé
Scientific writer and public speaker
Anne Biklé is a science writer and public speaker focusing on the connections between people, plants, food, health, and the environment. Prior to science communication, she worked in river and salmon restoration as well as public health. Her work has appeared in magazines and newspapers, and on radio and podcasts, while her soil-building practices have been featured in independent and documentary films. She attended the University of California, Santa Cruz earning Bachelors’ degrees in biology and natural history. She also holds a Master's Degree in environmental planning from the University of California, Berkeley.
Panel discussion - in French
Hosted by
Executive Director
Colleen Thorpe
Executive Director
A graduate in Journalism, and holding a master's degree in Environmental Management, Colleen Thorpe has 25 years of experience in environmental advocacy and social change. She has excellent knowledge of sustainable food systems, circular economy and corporate social responsibility. During her career, she has led numerous programs aimed at influencing decision-makers and mobilizing citizens towards an ecological transition.
Colleen joined Équiterre in 2018, first as Senior Project Manager, then Program Director, before becoming General Manager in 2019. Previously, Colleen worked as a journalist for several television channels covering events in Quebec. She is also fluent in German, having worked and studied in Berlin for several years.
Colleen is a trustee of the UPA-Fondaction Agricultural Land Trust and sits on the board of directors of the Maison du développement durable. She was also a board member of the Centre des services partagés du Québec, the Système alimentaire montréalais and the Espace de concertation sur les pratiques d’approvisionnement responsable.
Our guests
Agronomist and Assistant Professor of soil science at Université Laval
See profileCloseMarie-Élise Samson
Agronomist and Assistant Professor of soil science at Université Laval
Marie-Élise is an agronomist with a Bachelor's degree in agronomy and a Master's degree in soils and the environment from Université Laval. She completed a doctorate under joint supervision at Agrocampus Ouest, in France, and Université Laval. She is now an Assistant Professor of soil science at Université Laval. Her fields of expertise include agropedology and biogeochemical cycles of soil organic matter. Her work has allowed, among other things, to better anticipate the effect of different agricultural practices on crop yield, soil fertility and carbon storage on agricultural land.
Physician and lecturer at Université de Montréal
See profileCloseClaudel Pétrin-Desrosiers
Physician and lecturer at Université de Montréal
A family doctor in Montreal (Hochelaga Maisonneuve) and Head of Global Health at the Department of Family and Emergency Medicine (DMFMU), Claudel Pétrin-Desrosiers is well known in her discipline. Very early in her academic career, she sought to advance the cause of the environment in the medical field. Among other things, she has organized training sessions around the world for medical students and participated in discussions on the Paris Agreement. She has a Master's degree in environment and sustainable development and has been President of the Association québécoise des médecins pour l'environnement since 2018.
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