Orondo native to speak at WVC on surviving heat and wildfire smoke

WENATCHEE — Wenatchee Valley College alum Dante Jester will give a free public lecture Wednesday, Oct. 14, on how communities can prepare for extreme heat and wildfire smoke.

"Growing Grassroots Climate Resilience: Surviving Extreme Heat and Wildfire in the Inland Northwest" will be held in the Grove Recital Hall on the Wenatchee campus. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Jester, who was born and raised in Orondo, manages the Climate Resilience Program at Gonzaga University's Institute for Climate, Water, and the Environment. The talk will compare Spokane's heat and wildfire problems with similar issues in the Wenatchee Valley, and cover how community buildings such as libraries can serve as "resilience hubs" before, during and after climate events. Jester will also discuss a climate resilience plan Spokane is carrying out that was co-written by more than 30 local organizations, and ideas for building networks of neighborhood leaders.

The lecture is part of WVC's Climate Solutions and Climate Justice Speaker Series. It is hosted by the college's Sustainability Committee and English Department with Sustainable NCW and CAFE.

More information: wvc.edu/sustainability.