Happy Sustainable Holidays! Growing up in the 70s in a large Irish Catholic family that was just one generation removed from the deprivations of the Great Depression, Christmas was a time to make up for the lean times and boy did we go big! One day wasn’t enough to open all the presents, and so we started with stockings the night before. Christmas morning was a frenzied blur of wrapping paper flying in all directions as my siblings, cousins and I tore through present after present, barely pausing to appreciate any individual gift. Americans spend over half a billion dollars...
In 2014 Junk Free Skin began in a small retail space in Buffalo, New York, where the founders set out to create a bath and body line using clean ingredients and truly sustainable, plastic-free packaging at an affordable price. Today the company is a thriving manufacturing facility equipped with the latest technologies and delivering products nationwide. If you visited Chautauqua this past summer, you may have picked up a free sample of their foaming hand soap at the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative (CCI) table on Bestor Plaza. I got to see Junk Free Skin’s founder, Tom Akers, at the Western...
Empathy to the Rescue How Stories Help Us Find Common Ground on Climate Change The human suffering wrought by hurricanes Helene and Milton in the southeastern United States remind us as the climate crisis deepens, communities across the nation desperately need everyone working together toward solutions. But too often these days, political and social divisions stand in the way of understanding and collaboration — leading to stalemate, inaction and the next climate-fueled tragedy. We need only hear stories of armed militias confronting FEMA responders to understand how deeply polarized our country has become. It’s far more difficult for divided communities to...
2024 marks the third full season of programming for the Chautauqua Climate Change Initiative. While not as momentous as the Institution’s 150th anniversary, I think you will find much to love in our diverse exploration of nature, sustainability, environment and climate change. We kick off the season with the fourth annual Chautauqua Lake Water Quality Conference, Saturday, June 22 at the Chautauqua Golf Club. There you will learn from researchers at The Jefferson Project and State University of New York about the work of the Institution and our partners to address harmful algae blooms and ensure a healthful future for...
In late March, when Chautauqua still feels locked in the cold embrace of winter, a sign of springtime renewal appears in the sky above us. Having traveled thousands of miles from their wintering grounds in Central or South America, mating pairs of Osprey have returned to Chautauqua Lake. Their appearance is even more remarkable considering that Osprey were nearly wiped out by the devastating effects of DDT. It was only in 2021 that a pair successfully nested and raised a chick near the shores of Chautauqua Lake. As of spring 2024, multiple nesting pairs are now in the region. Osprey...
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...
