Musical acts included Will.i.am. (of the Black Eyed Peas), Melissa Etheridge, Maroon 5, John Legend and Michael Franti. Speakers included former Vice President Al Gore, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, National Wildlife Federation President and CEO Larry Schweiger, and…comedian Paul Reiser. Yeah, I didn’t know the former Mad About You star was into the environment either.

Check out Jason Kempin’s photos.

It was a fantastic setting for a great event. The Gallery’s courtyard was lit up beautifully for the event and guests were free to roam the halls (I made sure to get a picture with conservation legend Teddy Roosevelt).

Organizers made sure every detail was as green as possible.

Some Green Features:

• 100% of the carbon footprint of the event was being offset with high quality carbon offsets from Native Energy. The offsets will support a portfolio of renewable energy technologies.
• The event’s menu was developed by Grand Cuisine and Chef Bradley Nairne, in consultation with renowned organic Chef Nora Pouillon, and included locally-sourced, organic and seasonal food.
• Waste from the event was be recycled, reused and composted by the Waste Neutral Group. No plastic bottles were available.

Washingtonian’s Capital Comment blog reviewed the event and gave it an impressive average of 4.25 stars! Hopefully we’ll get to do it all again in four years.

I’m team leader Christine Dorsey from NWF’s Montpelier, VT office. My teammates come from our offices here and in Virginia and Colorado. I’ll be posting updates on our ride each day right here on Wildlife Promise (as long as I can find wireless hot spots along the way!).

In the spirit of NWF’s “founding father,” Ding Darling, the famed Des Moines Register cartoonist who helped create NWF in 1936, we’re taking our conservation message about confronting global warming to Iowa! Find out more about our great Iowa adventure.

We’ll be talking to Iowans and other cyclists–and we’re bound to run into presidential candidates along the way. We’re going to ask them what their plan would be as president to commit the U.S. to meaningful efforts to reduce global warming pollution. I’ll let you know what they say.

By the way, we’re all offsetting our carbon emissions from travel to and from Iowa by investing in TerraPass, Carbonfund or Native Energy. And, of course, we’re using clean pedal power to get across the state. I’ve checked out the 478-mile route and all I can say is, whoever said Iowa is flat is a liar.

Check back here throughout the week. Beginning Friday (if the technology gods have mercy on me), you can read our dispatches from the road.