Looking ahead to the House Tour on July 17, Chautauqua Institution Archivist Jon Schmitz will conduct the Bird, Tree & Garden Club’s Brown Bag lecture at 12:15 p.m. today in Smith Wilkes Hall.

“We thought we’d try something different; not the same kind of review as we’ve done for years,” BTG President Norman Karp said. “It is an exciting change to have Jon looking at Chautauqua in a different way.”

Schmitz’s topic, “Planning for Continuity: Chautauqua Past, Present and Future,” will give an overview of the planning that takes place with respect to the buildings and grounds in an effort to incorporate change in continuity. The talk will try to demonstrate how the buildings and grounds have helped preserve the community and the programs at Chautauqua.

“As a place, Chautauqua is recognized by understanding its identity, which can only be understood by understanding something about its history,” Schmitz said.