Top environmental journalists meet at UM for annual conference

Hundreds of top environmental journalists from around the world got a very Montana welcome Wednesday to kick off the 20th annual Society of Environmental Journalists conference.

The University of Montana is hosting the conference, which brings together experts and reporters to talk about environmental issues. Wednesday night, UM hosted the welcoming reception and awards ceremony in the University Center Ballroom.

More than 1,500 journalists, students and educators are members of SEJ, which works to encourage excellent environmental affairs reporting.

UM journalism professor Nadia White is a member of SEJ and said this is her fourth year attending the conference. She'll be serving as a moderator, guest speaker and tour leader on a few trips.

"I'm thrilled that it's here," she said. "It makes sense for this group to come here and meet the scientific community."

Dinner included salad from the Western Montana Growers Cooperative in Arlee and Flathead-cherry barbecue meatloaf, made with Bigfork cherries and Montana beef. It was emphasized that all the food came from Montana. The ceremony was kicked off by Native American singers performing a Blackfeet flag song.

Wednesday's speakers included former U.S. Rep. Pat Williams and U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, who mentioned his Forest Jobs and Recreation Act and asked that the reporters present treat the issue with "facts and fairness."

The annual awards for environmental reporting also took place last night. A team of UM students and professors won honorable mention in student reporting for the Grace Case Project, a class that blogged and Tweeted coverage of the W.R. Grace asbestos trial.

On Thursday, the conference is sending out people on environmental tours of Montana. "It's a very active conference," White said. "I'm taking people on a hike up Blodgett Canyon. I know one group is going to Glacier; another is going on a Superfund trek."

The rest of the conference schedule includes panel discussions and "mini-tours" of Missoula, White said. "I'm doing the obligatory hike up the M to talk about ancient Lake Missoula," she said.

The Environmental Protection Agency has several representatives at the conference, including Terri White, a press agent based out of Philadelphia. She said the EPA wants to learn the issues and help reporters. "It gives us the opportunity to learn the challenges environmental reporters face," she said.

This is Terri White's first visit to Montana, and she said she's excited to go hiking in wilderness. "I'm looking forward to the field trip," she said.

UM Relations Director Rita Munzenrider said she's been working to bring SEJ to Montana for three years. "I thought this would be wonderful exposure for The University of Montana," she said.

Munzenrider said about 600 people were registered for last night's reception. In the last few years, the SEJ conference has been held at Stanford University, Virginia Tech and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "We're in the big leagues; we're playing along with the heavy hitters," she said.

kate.whittle@umconnect.umt.edu