Last week, an all-star cast of speakers and performers, including Ken Burns, Krista Tippett, Jackie Evancho and the Capitol Steps, drew record numbers at Chautauqua Institution. Clear skies and brilliant sunshine only added to the charm.
The Chautauqua Property Owners Association will hold its annual area picnics event from 5:30 to 7 p.m. tonight.
The Seneca Indians who named Chautauqua Lake were captivated by its beauty, tranquility, and nourishing connectivity with nature, and so settled here centuries ago. The founders of Chautauqua Institution also recognized the draw of the waterfront when they first built their Sunday school training camp on Chautauqua Lake. Today, the lake is a playground for all forms of recreation, from boating and fishing to sailing and swimming, and the Institution uses its strategic position to fortify its recreational mission of relaxing intellectual engagement.
For those curious about water invertebrates — the animals without backbones sometimes referred to as water bugs — zoologist Tom Erlandson will conduct the season’s first Lake Walk at 6:30 p.m. today beginning on the covered porch at Heinz Beach, below the Youth Activities Center.
Erlandson returns this season after having thoroughly enjoyed last year’s experience, he said.
The Chautauquan Daily 