Scholars have shown how the soundscapes of intact ecosystems mimic orchestral arrangements. Over millennia, a landscape’s creatures have learned how to fit into their surroundings – knowing exactly when to chirp to be heard; knowing exactly when to be quiet. The result is a symphony of sounds, carefully layered – a coherence of place.

Today, as humanity’s footprint on Earth’s natural systems is larger than at any point in history, we are witnessing breakdowns in this orchestral arrangement – both globally and locally, both literally and metaphorically.

At the Tahoe Earth Institute, we see opportunity to usher in a deepened sense of place. To cultivate regional, land-based, regenerative economies. To strengthen a sense of ecological belonging through public engagement and storytelling. To approach sustainability challenges from the ground up, developing theories of change that simultaneously center community thriving and ecological resilience. To spark new ways of thinking about how ecology, community, and economy intersect.