In an era when public conversation often feels fractured, hurried or reduced to sound bites, genuine community dialogue has never been more essential. That is precisely why the Columbia Basin Badger Club forums deserve the attention – and participation – of every resident who cares about the future of our region.

For nearly two decades these forums have served as one of the Tri‑Cities’ most reliable spaces for thoughtful civic engagement, offering a rare opportunity to slow down, listen carefully and wrestle with the issues that shape our shared life.

Starting in February 2026, Badger forums became hybrid – in person and online – and free to all who register. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the forums were lunch meetings; during the pandemic, the forums were only online. The current hybrid format offers flexibility for speakers and participants but also enables an in-person discussion that many participants consider a vital component of the forums. The most recent forums on energy, water and wildfires have focused on topics that are of increasing importance to the Mid-Columbia region.

The strength of the Badger forum lies in its simplicity. It brings people together – students, retirees, business owners, educators, public officials and neighbors from every corner of the community – to hear from knowledgeable speakers and then engage in open, respectful conversation. There is no agenda beyond understanding. There is no expectation beyond curiosity. In a time when many feel overwhelmed by national headlines or disconnected from local decision‑making, the forum provides a reminder that democracy is not something that happens “out there.” It happens here, in rooms where people gather to learn from one another.

Each forum tackles a topic with real local impact, whether it’s infrastructure, education, public health and safety, economic development, or the changing needs of our workforce. These are not abstract policy debates. They are questions that affect our daily lives – how we meet energy demands, how our children learn, how our neighborhoods evolve, or how we plan for the future.

The forum speakers bring expertise, but the community brings lived experience, and the combination is powerful. When residents show up, ask questions and share perspectives, the conversation becomes richer and more grounded in reality.

Perhaps most importantly, the Badger forum models the kind of civic culture many people say they want but rarely see: one where disagreement is not a threat, where facts matter, and where listening is valued as much as speaking.

It is easy to lament the polarization that dominates so much of public life. It is harder – but far more meaningful – to participate in spaces that actively counter it. Attending the forum is a small act, but it is also a statement: that we believe in community, that we believe in dialogue, and that we believe solutions emerge when people come together in good faith.

The Tri‑Cities is growing, changing and facing new challenges as well as new opportunities. Meeting those challenges requires more than headlines and social media posts. It requires informed residents who are willing to engage with complexity rather than retreat from it. Badger forums offer exactly that opportunity.

Badger Club members work with a program committee to develop forums about topics they feel are important and want to share with the community. Multiple forums are being developed on a continual basis, requiring identification of important topics, finding and scheduling qualified speakers, identifying available venues for hybrid meetings, and getting information to the community.

Forums currently in planning include: Causes, prevention and treatment of addiction; What’s happening with Laliik (Rattlesnake Mountain) access; And why are some of the poorest states planning to offer free college?

This is an invitation to explore Badger forums. Come with your questions, your concerns, your curiosity and your willingness to listen. Come because the issues matter. Come because your voice matters. And come because communities thrive when people show up – not just at the ballot box or in moments of crisis, but in the everyday work of understanding one another.

The forums are one of the few places where the work of community connection around important issues happens consistently and constructively. The vitality of the Badger Club is built on an active membership that enables keeping forums free and does the hard work of creating engaging forums and, of equal importance, community members participating, either by filling the rooms or online participation in forums.

To see videos of previous Badger forums, information about coming forums and club membership, go to: columbiabasinbadgers.com.

For more information, email [email protected].

Don Baer is president of the Badger Club, an emeritus Laboratory Fellow from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and a volunteer meadow rover at Mount Rainier National Park.