VCAW DAY 5 — FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2026

Community Leadership Day: Working Together for Lasting Change

Friday is Community Leadership Day during Valley Climate Action Week—and it’s all about people.

Climate solutions don’t happen in isolation. They happen when businesses, nonprofits, educators, volunteers, families, neighbors, and local leaders find ways to work together.

Friday offers three opportunities to learn, connect, and participate.

🌎 We Can Do It! A Science-Based, Hopeful Path to Stopping Climate Change

1–2 PM | Stillwater Public Library

Start Friday afternoon with world-renowned environmental scientist Dr. Jonathan Foley, Executive Director of Project Drawdown.

Dr. Foley will share a hopeful, science-based look at climate solutions that are already making a difference. Using Project Drawdown’s Drawdown Explorer, he’ll explore how solutions can be evaluated based on their impact, speed, cost, scalability, location, and additional community benefits.

This presentation is designed for everyone—from people who are brand new to climate action to those who have been involved for years.

Registration is required, and capacity is limited to 100 attendees, so if you’ve been thinking about attending, now is the time to register.

🍕 Your Voice, Your Valley

4–6 PM | Lift Bridge Cowork

Next up is Your Voice, Your Valley, a nonpartisan civic engagement happy hour designed to help residents feel more confident participating in the civic process.

Enjoy complimentary pizza while learning practical skills, including how to check your voter registration, find your elected representatives, research candidates and ballot issues using reliable nonpartisan resources, understand how government decisions affect your community, and communicate effectively with elected officials.

This event is strictly nonpartisan. Sustainable Stillwater MN does not support or oppose any political party or candidate.

Whether you’re a first-time voter or a longtime participant in civic life, you’re welcome.

🎲 EcoQuest: Family Fun Game Night

6–8 PM | Lift Bridge Cowork

Finish Friday with EcoQuest, a family-friendly evening of nature-inspired tabletop games hosted by Jeff Reigle of Green Guardian Wealth Management.

Try games including Ecosystem, Forest Shuffle, and Wingspan while learning about biodiversity, wildlife habitat, food webs, and the connections that help ecosystems thrive.

The featured games are recommended for ages 10 and older, but younger children are welcome, too, with age-appropriate activities available.

Pizza and refreshments will be provided, and no gaming experience is necessary.

Volunteers will be available to help everyone get started.

Why it’s part of VCAW

Friday shows that climate action is bigger than environmental projects. It’s also about informed, engaged people, hopeful science, collaboration, and the relationships that make lasting change possible.

There’s still room to join us throughout the day. Choose one event—or spend Friday with us from afternoon to evening!

Learn something new. Meet your neighbors. Play a game. Ask questions. Get involved.

Valley Climate Action Week