STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

When representatives of Blue Forest were looking for money to make forests more resilient by improving watersheds and culling overgrowth, they met a bank’s chief sustainability officer at the Sun Valley Forum.

With the capital he provided to operate their project, they protected 50,000 acres of wildland, including 120,000-acre feet of water supply, while supporting 600 jobs.

“Those are the kinds of connections we see at the Forum where people meet each other and end up working together to make a real impact,” said Forum Founder Aimee Christensen, CEO of Christensen Global. “it’s just the magic that happens when people come with intention to make a difference. They find common goals and opportunities that align between them to work together and restore nature.”

Legendary singer-songwriter Carole King, a staunch environmentalist, presented the inaugural Sun Valley Forum Resilient Leadership Award at the 2025 Sun Valley Forum, and she will present the 2026 award, as well.

This year’s four-day Sun Valley Forum will be held Monday through Thursday, June 15-18, with events taking place at Sun Valley Resort, Galena Lodge and Redfish Lake.

Keynote presentations will examine the latest science about solutions regarding climate change, and attendees will enjoy culinary experiences at the Sun Valley Lodge, Trail Creek Cabin, Galena Lodge and Redfish Lake.

There also will be morning hikes and tours of a regenerative farm and a net zero home. And the final day will include a variety of outdoor adventures ranging from whitewater rafting on the Salmon River to an eBike Ride from Smiley Creek to Redfish.

Half-day, full-day and dinner passes are available for those who can’t attend the entire forum. The Forum offers scholarships to as many people as possible and welcomes volunteers. Go to https://www.sunvalleyforum.com/2026-forum for more information.

Attendees settle in for dinner at Trail Creek during the 2025 Sun Valley Forum.

This Forum is titled “Powered by Nature: A Blueprint for Innovation, Investment & Impact.”

“We gather in Sun Valley at a moment of global insecurity to collaborate to accelerate the industries of a safer world, to spotlight innovation and leadership, to mobilize capital, to build community, " said Christensen. “The Forum has a track record of results and we look forward to once again stewarding this very powerful group to accelerate solutions.”

Singer-songwriter and environmental advocate Carole King will present the 2026 Sun Valley Forum Resilient Leadership Award to Maggie Baird, founder of Support + Feed, a nonprofit that addresses both food insecurity and the climate crisis by providing plant-based meals to communities in need.

Christensen noted that earlier this year, Carole King had presented the Grammy for Song of the Year to Maggie Baird’s children Billie Eilish and Finneas.

Aimee Christensen kicked off the Sun Valley Forum 11 years ago with a keynote presentation by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker.

“We are so honored to present this award to Maggie Baird,” Christensen said. “Maggie’s leadership with Support + Feed is a perfect expression of our Forum’s belief that nature and human well-being are inseparable, and she has turned compassion into action at meaningful scale. In a wonderful full-circle moment, we are thrilled that Carole King will present this well-deserved recognition.”

New this year are three free film screenings open to the public that will include Q&A with filmmakers.

“I feel like storytelling is such a powerful tool to engage people and inspire,” said Christensen.

4-5 p.m. Tuesday—“Where the Forest Roars” is local filmmaker Kim Frank’s examination of conflicts between elephants and humans in the Northern Himalaya.

Brooke Bonner will lead a tour of her regenerative Drinkers of the Wind Farm.

5-6 p.m. Sunday --“River of Return” depicts the experience of members of the Shoshone-Bannock tribe bringing their family to the Middle Fork of the Salmon.

6-8 p.m. Sunday—“Oceania” by Natalie Zimmerman examines the impact of climate change on Pacific Islanders.

Filmgoers can get free tickets at https://www.sunvalleyforum.com/.

The Forum programming begins Monday, June 15, with an opening keynote of beautiful footage and groundbreaking insights from David Gruber of Project CETI, the Cetacean Translation Initiative, of National Geographic.

Dr. Jennifer Watts, will discuss groundbreaking rangeland research that’s unlocking new climate investment opportunities at scale.

Rangelands represent one of the world’s most undervalued assets for food security and climate resilience. The forum will bring together ranchers, scientists and investors to explore how new monitoring tools can verify outcomes at scale to guide the next generation of range-focused climate investments.

Matt Lee-Ashley, executive director of Ground Shift, will discuss building common ground  for nature. Lee-Ashley, who has two decades of public service with roles in the White House, the Department of the Interior and Congress, will also join Emily Wakild, Cecil D. Andrus Endowed Chair for Environment and Public Lands at Boise State University for a special session exploring the future of conservation leadership hosted by The Wilderness Society at Galena Lodge.

Jacques Cousteau’s grandson Philippe will put in a plug for the oceans.

“Exploring, protecting and restoring the ocean has been my family’s calling for three generations and that mission only succeeds when it’s connected to the broader work for a livable planet,” said Philippe Cousteau. “Being successful in that work depends on the kind of bold, cross-sector the collaboration the Sun Valley Forum has come to define. Its impact is a direct reflection of Aimee Christensen’s decades of leadership in climate and sustainability and the extraordinary ecosystem she has built around her.”

This year’s theme underscores how our oceans are resilient,” said Joel Johnson, President & CEO of the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation: “Last year I learned the Forum brings together doers, thinkers, and leaders who are advancing practical, achievable solutions and building shared understanding. I look forward to highlighting how America’s national marine sanctuaries serve as living laboratories of innovation—places where bold ideas can be tested, and real progress can take shape.”

Across the four days, featured speakers include:

Benji Backer, Founder & CEO, Nature is Nonpartisan

Philippe Cousteau, CEO & Co-Founder, Voyacy Regen

Dieter Fenkart-Froeschl, President & CEO, The National Forest Foundation

Dr. Elizabeth Gray, Chief Executive Officer, National Audubon Society

Dana Gunders, President, ReFED

Joel R. Johnson, President & CEO, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation

Matt Lee-Ashley, Executive Director, Ground Shift

Marcene Mitchell, Senior Vice President of Climate Change, World Wildlife Fund

Emmy Scott, Executive Director, Earth Guardians

Pooja Tilvawala, Founder & Executive Director, Youth Climate Collaborative

Amber Valletta, Founder, Beaux Beauty Inc., UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, Model and Actress

Emily Wakild, Cecil D. Andrus Endowed Chair for Environment and Public Lands, School of Public Service, Boise State University

Dr. Jennifer D. Watts, Associate Scientist, Woodwell Climate Research Center

Justin Worland, Senior Climate Correspondent, TIME

Woodwell Climate Research Center, named the world’s top climate change think tank four straight years by the International Center for Climate Governance, is returning as a Platinum Partner.

Joining Woodwell are the National Audubon Society, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation Microsoft and The Wilderness Society, their partnerships reflecting the Forum’s commitment to bringing together the world’s leading companies and conservation organizations to advance solutions at the intersection of technology, nature, and resilience.

"Woodwell is proud to once again be sponsoring the Sun Valley Forum and supporting its goal of accelerating resilience,” said Max Holmes, President & CEO of Woodwell Climate Research Center. “With over 50 percent of the earth's land area devoted to rangeland, and most of that land severely degraded, we hope to collectively shine a light on the need to restore and conserve this critical element of the ecosystem."

Christensen started the Sun Valley Forum in 2015 to build community resilience locally and globally following the 2013 Beaver Creek Fire that threatened Wood River Valley cities and such treasures as Galena Lodge.

“This is really about looking at strategies that work for protecting and restoring nature. When we think about this moment we’re in with the war, I think people are particularly sensitive to the vulnerability of our energy and our food systems,” said Christensen.

“It will make us more secure when we get off fossil fuels so the energy sector won’t face  price fluctuations, and when we can localize our food system so we are less dependent on chemicals and fertilizer, which are vulnerable to global disruptions. We can build greater security, reduce costs for farmers and households and use better practices for the soil.”