What are the top environmental challenges for our region? Who is working to address these challenges? How can museums be involved? These are some of the questions to be posed on Oct. 14 by the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center to discuss how museums can inform their communities about environmental challenges and inspire action.

The 9:30-10:30am event is free and can also be viewed via webcast.

The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center and six other cultural organizations, all representing distinct bioregions across California, will engage museum, environmental, and community leaders in roundtable discussions as part of a statewide initiative, titled Ignite! Museums as Catalysts for Sustainability.

The goals are to explore the fundamental ecological issues facing each region and to seek ways in which museums can be partners in finding solutions to these challenges. The seven concurrent discussions will be connected virtually and environmentalist, entrepreneur, and author Paul Hawken will give the keynote address.

Ignite! Museums as Catalysts for Sustainability is spearheaded by the Green Museums Initiative, a program supported by the California Association of Museums. The regional roundtables will take place concurrently at seven host institutions: the Annenberg Center at Sunnylands in Rancho Mirage; San Diego Zoo; Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach; UC Merced Library; California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco; UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center; and Gateway Science Museum in Chico. Each site is convening museum leaders, scientists, environmentalists, community stakeholders, and artists to discuss how to preserve ecosystems and promote healthy communities in their region. Artists participating in the regional roundtable discussions will create artworks for a statewide traveling exhibition by Exhibit Envoy.