It all started with trash in the woods. It was the summer of 1970 when I instigated a litter cleanup at camp, after seeing our beloved forest despoiled by careless hikers. It was a powerful moment for me, feeling that even as a child I could make the world a little better. It set me on a lifelong path of environmental advocacy.  My budding environmentalism did not come out of the blue. Earlier in 1970, before heading off to summer camp, something remarkable happened that made us all grapple with our impact on the Earth.  On April 22, 1970, 20...

Wooden Castles and Winter Flowers: Mark Wenzler Last Sunday was a beautiful day in Washington, D.C. With temperatures in the mid-70s, I put on shorts for the first time in months for my regular Sunday morning run. This was an especially magical jog through a faintly fragrant tunnel of blossoming cherry trees. The many thousands of cherry trees in our nation’s capital date back to a 1912 gift of friendship from the people of Japan. They are one of the things that makes D.C. so beautiful and a major driver of tourism. But should we be enjoying them in the...

 Welcome to the fall update on Chautauqua’s Climate Change Initiative (CCI). I hope that many of you were able to visit the Institution in October. The colors were stunning!  In this edition we provide a wrap-up of the 2023 Summer Assembly, review important progress in making the Institution more environmentally sustainable, and share some exciting updates about our ongoing investments in understanding and improving Chautauqua Lake’s ecological health.  We regularly post program updates by email and online at climate.chq.org. In addition, our Chautauquans for Sustainability group on Facebook now has 273 members. Please join us if you are a Facebook...

Welcome to the spring update of the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative (CCI). This special edition details the exciting climate and environmental programs you will find at Chautauqua this summer.  The Chautauqua Lake Water Quality Conference is coming up on Saturday, June 17, at the Athenaeum Hotel. To register online, click HERE. The event is free but there is a $10 online processing fee. If you wish to avoid the fee, you can register in-person at the Chautauqua Ticket Office.  Please join us in October for Chautauqua Travels: Clean Energy and a Changing Climate in Iceland. We had a fabulous time...

Welcome to the winter 2023 update of the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative. In this edition, you’ll get a sneak peek into one of the most exciting programs we have in store for you during the 2023 season. A full climate program list will appear in our Spring 2023 update along with some unique adventures coming up through Chautauqua Travels. You’ll also learn about the ongoing work of our Chautauqua Lake Initiative and our efforts to advance a greener, more sustainable Chautauqua. As of February 2022, we have more than 200 members on our Facebook group, Chautauquans for Sustainability. If you’re...

Welcome to the Fall 2022 update of the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative. In this edition we look back at how we did during the 2022 season and highlight some post-summer programs and events.  As a reminder, we have a dedicated page on Chautauqua’s website, climate.chq.org, where you can get updates on current programs and events as well as links to past programs on CHQ Assembly.  We also have a Facebook group, Chautauquans for Sustainability, now with nearly 200 members. For those who are not on Facebook, know that we will continue to send quarterly updates by email so you won’t...

Welcome to the spring update of the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative. This special edition details the exciting climate and environment programs you will find at Chautauqua this spring, summer and fall. The information is organized into four sections: (I) Chautauqua Institution lectures; (II) Partner programs in collaboration with the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative; (III) Special events and performances; and (IV) Classes and workshops. Under lined text links you to the web for more information. At the end of this update, you’ll find a one-page grid to help you follow along week-by-week. But first, a few reminders: You can get updates...

Welcome to the second quarterly update of the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative. There have been some exciting developments since the Fall 2021 update, including new climate and environment-themed programming and progress in our lake conservation and restoration efforts. We now have a dedicated landing page on Chautauqua’s website, climate.chq.org, where you can get updates on current programs and events as well as links to past programs on CHQ Assembly. Thanks to the Institution’s generous donors, we will have an excellent resource available to on-grounds visitors during the summer, free copies of a special Chautauqua edition of The World’s Littlest Book...

Welcome to the first quarterly update of the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative. It was a busy summer of getting to know the amazing Chautauqua community. I’m so grateful for the enthusiastic support that you and others have expressed for the things we will do together to build a sustainable Chautauqua and advance understanding and action on climate.  I plan to update interested stakeholders by email four times per year. I am also making space for our community to collaborate, share and learn together throughout the year. To that end, I’d like to invite you to join the new Sustainable Chautauqua group on Facebook, a space to:...