Harpeth Conservancy hosted its third Conservation Conversation, a monthly online educational series with experts answering your questions, on Wednesday, May 24, 2020.
This month’s topic was Ensuring Environmental Equity: Public Participation in Governmental Decision-Making in the Pandemic Era. A panel of experts including Dr. G.S. Hans Director of the Stanton Foundation First Amendment Clinic at Vanderbilt, Deborah Fisher of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, and Harpeth Conservancy’s Vice President and COO Jim Redwine discussed with more than 45 viewers recent challenges with government proceedings not always being open and/or available to the public.
The discussion included:
- The challenges to open government posed by the coronavirus,
- Whether governments can close meetings,
- Ideas of how to make sure important issues are discussed openly
Watch our video of the event on YouTube.
Be sure to watch our calendar and sign up for our next Conservation Conversation on July 22 at 6 pm. Our topic will be water quality and harmful algae blooms as water heats up in summer. Dr. Ryan Jackwood, Harpeth Conservancy Director of Watershed Science, will host the conversation and help the public understand what’s at risk when going into Middle Tennessee’s Rivers.