Hello Natural Building (BioConstruction) enthusiasts! Wow, what a fantastic conference! I for one, can say my bucket is overflowing, and I’m carrying the hope and positivity from the weekend back into my normal day-to-day. Based on the feedback we’ve received, I can tell that sentiment is wide-spread. For those of you who weren’t able to join us, the weekend was filled with insightful presentations, new connections, and of course, getting our hands dirty with some tadelakt and natural plaster demonstrations. We were glad to be able to host a few architecture graduate students from Montana State University as well. We started the conference with something new: a Thursday night ‘science fair’ and happy hour. The event was free for local Bozemanites (thank you James), with the intent of sharing what we do with people who might not otherwise cross our path. Another exciting addition for this year: we were able to offer AIA Continuing Education credits for a majority of our sessions. This is a big deal as we look to expand our reach in the professional sector. I’m not going to get into all the presentations, you’ll just have to come to the next one. But I will share that for me, things came full-circle late on Saturday afternoon:  Our first keynote on Friday morning was Kritika Kharbanda from Henning Larsen. Kritika shared with us how bio-based construction materials are being used on large-scale commercial and civic projects. She then ended her presentation with a smaller, more human-scale project where they used mycelium (fungus) grown into formwork to create spheres, ultimately used for an installation at Milan Design Week.
Our closing session on Saturday was a panel discussion led by Chris Magwood. Chris requested that all the chairs in the room be arranged in a circle to encourage participation and a feeling of community. During the next hour, Chris and other members of the panel (Ace McArleton, April Magill, and Anthony Dente) led a discussion with the theme of ‘Resilience’ in the context of our day-to-day functioning. The work we do is hard. How outside factors, as well as internal ones, affect us is both universal and at the same time very personal. The final question for the panel was: “What tools and techniques do we have to deal with all of this when things get tough?” 
Here is where I thought back to Kritika’s mycelium. What we are all creating and cultivating here is a vast network to help move our collective cause forward. Attending a conference like this helps strengthen and grow our connections. When the fruiting body pops up, it might be just what you need at that particular time. Complimentary to that, the important work you are doing within your own niche might make its way to help someone else down the line without you even knowing. Take care of yourself and each other, with an awareness that what we do is desperately needed, and all interconnected. | 
