Next summer, the Bird, Tree & Garden Club plans to show hundreds of visitors one of its oldest landmarks on the grounds: the Arboretum. Located near the south end of the grounds, the Arboretum is
Bats were a constant presence in the summers Caroline Van Kirk Bissell spent at Chautauqua while growing up in the ’40s and ’50s. “We had lots and lots of bats. We grew up with them,”
As a botanist and horticulturist, Dan Jaffe’s job is to keep native plants thriving. “It’s all about finding a plant that would thrive very well in the conditions that are already present,” said Jaffe, a
The question of whether to use herbicides still lingers over Chautauqua Lake nearly two months after chemicals were used to test killing invasive vegetation. “Herbicides can be a good thing or a bad thing depending
At Chautauqua, when it rains, it pours. And when it pours, rainwater picks up pollutants and flows into the lake. Chautauqua Institution, though, has several safeguards in place that limit stormwater runoff with nutrients, such
Arzu Geybulla believes it’s imperative that people speak up for journalists’ rights — not just in the United States, but throughout the globe. “We live in the 21st century, where information is abundant, in a
After spending several years observing gardens while living in England and Italy, Melinda Wolcott realized a passion for designing arrangements of flowers. “I said, ‘I really like this,’ ” Wolcott said. “It’s creative. It energizes you.
“Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice,” reads a famous 1920 poem by Robert Frost. But entomologist John Wenzel considers another possibility: loss of insect populations. “If you were to
Meg Pickard’s passion for recreation stems from her belief that any form of physical activity is beneficial to one’s well-being. “I encourage all of you to get out and get active and enjoy a healthy,
A myriad of instruments, voices and genres will converge on the Amphitheater stage Friday, all in the name of acoustic collaboration. “It feels very fluid to all of us,” said Sara Watkins, one third of
Betsy Burgeson believes Chautauquans can make a big impact with small gardens. “Such minor changes can have a humongous impact,” Burgeson said. “Everyone can do a little and that means we can do a lot.”
In 1950, a power plant in Chautauqua County began generating electricity on the shores of Lake Erie, running on the country’s main power source at the time: coal. Now, the plant – located about 20
Most nights, Bill Evans will secure a microphone on top of his house, run a cable inside and record audio until morning arrives. No, he’s not snooping on his neighbors or searching for aliens; he’s
Sharon Metcalf has spent much of her career in Washington, D.C., working in media, politics and education. But it was when she left the capital in 2015 to visit Mexico that she fully realized another
Turning a metal crank, Jack Gulvin lowers a large, white structure down a wooden pole near the Chautauqua Lake shoreline. He carefully removes a small box from its compartment, handling a squawking baby bird while
For Sarah Ladislaw, energy is important because its meaning spans all levels of society. “It means something to you as a person, it means something different to the town you live in, the state you