Here in the Vail Valley, the leaves have turned from green to yellow and gold, and snow is appearing on the mountain peaks. The excitement of the season permeates the air around us, and sets the stage for the inaugural work of the Vail Centre for Sustainability.
At the Vail Centre for Sustainability, business owners, organizations, individuals, and communities will convene to develop environmental solutions that future generations demand. Adult learners will find inspiration, learn to ask questions and find answers, and build on shared experiences and knowledge to make the planet a priority in their work and community. The Centre will be a forum for conversations and education about sustainable business practices, protection and thoughtful use of natural resources, causes of and solutions for environmental change, and protection of the planet for future generations. Our programming will include sessions, speakers, and programs that integrate the Four E’s – ecology, economy, equity, and education – ensuring a well-balanced approach to the topic of sustainability.
Building on a strong foundation
Though the Centre for Sustainability is a new organization, the ideas behind our work have a strong foundation here in the Vail Valley. We are working with local organizations such as Colorado Mountain College and the Walking Mountains Science Center to deliver existing programming in new ways. We have begun conversations about the first of the university courses to be delivered in summer 2016, and are planning several local events that will provide opportunities for local learners to delve deeper into the topic of sustainability. By collaborating with the State of Colorado and the state university system, we can ensure that our programming aligns with broader regional efforts related to sustainability, community resilience, and environmental issues and solutions. Beyond our local community, the topics of sustainability and environmental solutions naturally support connections with the world around us. Issues such as water resource management, green building and sustainable business practices, transportation, and thoughtful land-use planning are examples of topics that fall under the concept of “sustainability” that affect our colleagues and friends across the United States and the globe.
Broadening the conversation
We have ambitious goals for the participants who attend the Vail Centre for Sustainability programming. We anticipate they will be thinkers, doers, collaborators, and innovators. We hope they will be willing to share their knowledge with each other, take a step back and learn something new, and translate their learning into action for their organizations and communities. We will challenge them to use our mountain environment as a way to bring a new perspective to their questions, and to be inspired to find new solutions that will help our and future generations make our planet a priority. We will offer programming that attracts attendees with a broad range of personal, career, and life experiences and perspectives in the hopes of building stronger solutions to environmental challenges. Likewise, we are collaborating with the other Vail Centres for Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Longevity to align and enhance our collective programming.
Fulfillment of the Vail Centre motto – “Inspiration in Action” – requires the involvement of curious and forward-thinking individuals and organizations who are willing to learn and collaborate together. I would like to personally invite you to engage in the programming at the Vail Centre for Sustainability. Join our mailing list, watch the newspaper and your in-box for programming that interests you, and attend our programming with a friend in tow.
We invite you to attend the second annual Torch Awards, to be held in Vail on December 11, 2015 to honor local individuals’ contributions to our community. Additionally, we have begun planning for sustainability programming in 2016 and beyond, so please share feedback and ideas with me.
As we watch for snow on the mountain peaks, and we hear birds flying south to warmer parts of the globe, the dramatic changing of the seasons is a reminder that the world around us changes every day. It is also a reminder that we, too, can create positive change in the world around us. Please join us at the Vail Centre for Sustainability to turn your inspiration into action!
