Position Honors Community Member and Promotes Youth Climate Education

The Wild Center is pleased to announce the addition of Elodie Linck, who joined the interactive science-based museum as the first Jeanne Hutchins Youth Climate Coordinator this month. Linck’s title honors Adirondack summer resident, Jeanne Hutchins, who passed away in 2021 after a long life of community service.

This named position is being generously supported with leadership gifts from Ginny and Roger Valkenburgh, and family friends, Mary and John Brock, along with generous gifts from other Hutchins family members, including Kathy and Curt Welling. The gift will underwrite the position, the first of its kind at The Wild Center for the next four years, and is designed to inspire others to help preserve our natural world, promote youth climate education and support the expansion of the Wild’s Center’s award-winning Youth Climate Program.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to support the Youth Climate Coordinator position, named in honor of my mom. She loved nature, the Adirondacks and learning. We so appreciate the gifts to date from family and friends toward this position, and we hope others will be inspired to give to The Wild Center and its Youth Climate Program, to help make a difference in preserving the environment,” said Ginny Valkenburgh.

In her new role, Linck leads the organization of the annual Adirondack Youth Climate Summit, a part of the Wild’s Center’s Youth Climate Program, whose primary objective is to create a climate literate and empowered generation. Linck previously served as a Wild Center Climate Fellow and is a 2021 graduate of Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY.

“Our program is so grateful for the support. This level of generosity is a huge confidence builder and demonstrates just how much the Youth Climate Program matters to the community and that we are making a difference in our work with youth,” said Jen Kretser, Director of Climate Initiatives at The Wild Center. “Elodie will build on the groundwork laid by other members of The Wild Center’s climate team over the past 10 years, working with North Country schools and organizations around the world. It’s incredibly inspiring that we’ve been able to connect a team member’s title to one that will live on in Jeanne’s memory and continue to uphold values that were so important to her. Elodie brings a valuable and wonderful perspective as a former youth program alumni and a leader.”

The Adirondack Youth Climate Summit directly supports local high school students with creating and implementing climate action plans, coordinating youth field trips, and assisting with vital communications. Mentoring and supporting students through the lens of positive youth development is a core component.