News and Events June 2026
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A Busy Spring for Kathleen Biggins
Kathleen buckled up her seatbelt over the past few months as her presentation schedule took her from Florida and Virginia to Colorado and Ohio.
Jacksonville: It was gratifying to be asked back to this coastal community after a successful tour there in 2025. While in Jacksonville, Kathleen presented to audiences at St. John’s Cathedral, Christ Church in Ponte Vedra, the Rotary Club of Bartram Trail, and the Bolles School.
Charlottesville: On another return trip, Kathleen presented to the Rivanna Garden Club, which she also spoke to in 2025. The club’s leadership honored Kathleen with the Women’s History Month 2026 Award for “Leading the Charge: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future.”
Denver: Kathleen headed to the Rocky Mountains, where the Garden Club of Denver hosted an event for 200 people at the beautiful Denver Botanic Gardens. Kathleen took particular note of how the staff is working to adapt and prepare for climate change, including in “assisted migration” – bringing plants from as far south as Phoenix because temperatures are getting too hot for them there, and preparing for a much hotter future in Denver. During her visit, Kathleen also presented to the Denver Rotary Club. The audience, including former oil and gas lawyers, had a spirited, engaged Q&A session.
Akron: This was C-Change’s third trip to Ohio (and we’re already mapping out our fourth). The Akron Garden Club, along with Summit Metro Parks and Akron Summit County Library, hosted a large public event featuring the general Climate Primer. Kathleen also presented the Business Primer to the Rotary Club of Akron and spoke to 8th grade students at Old Trail School, which invited her on the spot to return to talk to future classes.
A talk to Optum Employees
In May, Kathleen expanded our roster of presentations to businesses, delivering a presentation via Zoom to 116 Optum employees from across the country. Optum is a healthcare solutions provider. Kathleen’s discussion focused on the intersection of health and climate change and how to more effectively engage on the issue. Optum’s Serena Swanson said of the presentation:
“Kathleen made a complex, often overwhelming topic approachable by breaking it down in a way that resonated with our community – focusing on likelihood, consequences, and cost, while connecting impacts to the economy, health, and global stability. She effectively balanced the seriousness of the issue while reinforcing that meaningful action is still possible, leaving our community with hope. … We would highly recommend C‑Change Conversations to any organization looking to foster informed, constructive dialogue on climate change and its real-world implications.”
Our Speakers on The Road
Dallas Hetherington, long-time C-Change presenter, delivered the Health Primer to the Garden Club of Reading (PA) at the Wyomissing Public Library. One organizer noted that it is important for the club to focus on “a feet-on-the-ground approach,” adding that C-Change did exactly that. In April, Dallas presented members to the Harrison Park Towers Climate Club (Orange, NJ), highlighting how C-Change approaches climate communication and outreach. A lively Q&A session inspired several attendees to develop their own shortened climate presentations for local students, drawing on much of the science and framing from the C-Change Primer.
Nicole Curnan, C-Change speaker and outreach coordinator, presented to Princeton (NJ) Day School juniors and seniors. Students participated in an animated discussion on topics including China, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, and climate-related career paths. The school subsequently invited C-Change to return for future student cohorts.
Sally Coenan, a member of our Athens (GA) affiliate, presented at Emmanuel Episcopal Church (Athens) to parishioners and community members interested in the intersection of climate and health. Attendees were highly engaged and cited C-Change’s nonpartisan approach as a standout feature of the presentation.
Karen Florini, C-Change strategic advisor, presented an abbreviated version of the Primer to the Rotary Club of Winchester, VA. The presentation, which was offered both live and via Zoom, focused on solutions and recent advancements in electrification technology. The discussion that followed featured thoughtful, in-depth questions, highlighting strong engagement from attendees.
Shaping Our Primer with Expert Feedback
This spring, we continued to present our Primer to a wide range of senior climate experts in Washington, DC, to get their opinion on our outreach. In addition to expressing strong support for our goals, these experts complimented our strategy of reaching outside the climate choir and were enthusiastic about our framing of the issue as one of risk management. We were grateful to meet with people who have held distinguished positions, including head of NOAA, sustainability director at a leading investment management firm, and a White House official. Thanks to our strategic advisor, Karen Florini, for coordinating these insightful opportunities.
Public Radio Interview in Florida
Taking action on climate change is about saving the things that sustain our way of life and protecting the future for our loved ones. That message was at the heart of Kathleen’s radio interview on WJCT public radio in Jacksonville, FL. She discussed the intersection of faith and climate with Rev. Mark Anderson of St. John’s Cathedral on “First Coast Connect” while she was in town for a series of C-Change presentations. You can watch it here (starts at 31:40).
C-Change Wins Garden Club Award
C-Change Conversations, nominated by both The Garden Club of Princeton and Stony Brook Garden Club of Princeton, was awarded the 2026 Communications
Commendation of Zone IV of the Garden Club of America (GCA). The award citation reads as follows: For exceptional leadership in communicating the science and urgency of climate change through clear, nonpartisan and inspiring outreach.
This award is particularly meaningful for us, as GCA has been an ongoing source of support and inspiration. Garden clubs have brought so many people to the conversation and we’re humbled to receive this honor.
RepublicEn Shares B-Change Blog
C-Change Conversations was highlighted in RepublicEn’s weekly newsletter as a reliable resource for conservative audiences. This highly respected eco-right organization was started by Bob Inglis, a former conservative congressman from South Carolina, who has previously written a blog for us on why conservatives should care about climate change. In the newsletter shoutout, RepublicEn also featured Karen Dougherty’s informative “B-Change” blog about volunteering.
C-Change Athens
Our Athens affiliate members were busy this spring. In March, they attended several Athens-Clarke County planning department and mayor and commission meetings to offer input on revising local data center regulations.
In April, the team hosted a free, public Earth Day event, “Helping to Understand Your Utility Bills,” in partnership with Southface Institute at the Athens Community Council on Aging. Topics included: how residential electric and gas rates and fees are structured; how to read and interpret utility bills; how to review annual consumption data to guide energy efficiency decisions; how to estimate the annual cost of common household appliances; low-cost and DIY energy efficiency improvements; how utilities are regulated in Georgia and how residents can participate in that process. Georgia Power community engagement specialists offered one-on-one help to customers who qualified for discounts and rebates.
The Athens affiliate joined 10 other local organizations to host a mayoral candidate forum on energy and the environment before the May election. All five candidates addressed key issues including data center development, the local government’s clean and renewable energy plan, transportation, and infrastructure. A local media outlet shared a broadcast of the forum online. The forum was so well-attended and received that the coalition plans to host a similar event ahead of the November general election.
Exciting Work by Science Advisor Nadir Jeevanjee
We’re all dedicated to talking about climate change around here, but this one goes above and beyond! This spring, C-Change advisor and federal climate scientist Nadir Jeevanjee participated in a 50-hour marathon presentation on climate science and weather. Nadir talked about the origin of climate modeling and offered insight into how historical figures influenced forecasting today.
Click to watch Nadir’s talk on Manabe’s Climate Forecasts and the full 50-hour 2026 Weather and Climate Livestream.
Upcoming Events
- August 3: Lake Frederick, VA — Lake Frederick Conservation Club
- August 3: Shepherdstown, WV — Potomac Valley Audubon Society at Shepherd
University (open to public) - August 13: Linville, NC — Granddfather Golf & Country Club
- September 14: Woodbury, MN — Eco-Faith Collaborative x Sustainable Stillwater at
Woodbury Central Park Amphitheater (open to public) - September 15: Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis South Rotary Club at Midtown Global Market (open to public)
The Women’s Club of Minneapolis - October 13: Princeton, NJ — Medical Grand Rounds
- October 15: Oyster Bay, NY — North Shore Land Alliance (open to public)
- November 17: Princeton, NJ — The Garden Club of Princeton







