cardinal red and gold-yellow, circular artwork with a stylized "W" blending into an arched graphic element that looks like a combination wave and mountain, foregrounded by silhouettes of trees and a curving river/roadOur Mission & Vision

Every second counts. Global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and so many others pose a clear and present threat to us and to the environment we depend on. In light of this, the mission of the Wrigley Institute is to create a more sustainable future for our planet and all who live on it by:

  • Educating, training, and empowering the next generation of leaders and change agents;
  • Leading solutions-focused research at the intersection of people and planet; and
  • Engaging with the public and our partners to raise awareness and inspire positive change.

Our Values

The science is clear that environmental and sustainability problems don’t affect all people and all regions of the world in the same manner. It is also clear that incorporating a wide range of viewpoints and experiences improves problem-solving, and leads to more creative and durable solutions to environmental challenges.

Therefore, in keeping with our mission to create a more sustainable future for our planet and all who live on it, we pledge to:

  • Provide a safe, welcoming, and responsive environment for all members of our community to engage in meaningful learning, research, and engagement opportunities;
  • Create programs and resources that are accessible to everyone; and
  • Uplift, include, and give recognition to all who contribute to, or are affected by, our mission.

 

From the Director

Every passing day seems to offer an alarming new report about the health of our planet. From endangered species and ecosystems, to wildfires and rising seas that are erasing landscapes as we know them, the message is clear: Our environment, the key to our wellbeing and survival, is in deep trouble.

Ironically, this is happening at a point in our collective history when it feels like our knowledge and ingenuity are boundless. We know, for example, how to manage a landscape so that species can thrive while fire risks are kept low. We know how to generate energy, and how to move ourselves from Point A to Point B, without emitting the greenhouse gasses that threaten our climate. We have at our fingertips the knowledge and the technology to make a more sustainable world.

And yet, for the most part, we fail to act.

It’s this irony that motivates the work of every single student, staff member, and scientist at the Wrigley Institute. And behind our interdisciplinary work is a mission that’s as bold as it is important: We strive each and every day to diagnose and understand the environmental challenges in front of us, to turn scientific discoveries into actionable solutions, and to account for the human factors that stand in the way of – or grease the rails toward – a more sustainable future.

Dr. Joe Árvai, Director