Kenny Broad doesn’t shy away from tough physical conditions or tough issues. Through a unique combination of underwater cave exploration, photography and environmental anthropology, he tackles challenging expeditions to unexplored caves and probes controversial problems ranging from climate change to inequity in natural resource management, focusing on the potential use and misuse of scientific information.

Broad is the April 10 guest speaker at the Squaw Valley Institute. The lecture begins at 7pm.

In 2011, Broad was named National Geographic’s Explorer of the Year for his extraordinary achievements in documenting the Blue Holes of the Bahamas. His presentation is designed to be fun and fascinating, leading people to the unimagined world underwater.

For tickets and more information, go online.

The Squaw Valley Institute on March 23 at 5pm hosts Jeremy Bloom, three-time world champion, two-time Olympian and 11-time World Cup gold medalist in freestyle moguls skiing, and NFL player.

Bloom is also the founder of the Wish of a Lifetime Charity, which grants lifelong wishes to 80, 90, and 100-plus-year-old people.

In April 2010, Bloom co-founded the Internet company Integrate.com, and he has just been recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the 30 under 30 list in Technology. He is 29.

For more information and tickets, go online.

Conrad Anker and his wife and author Jenni Lowe Anker’s lives have been intertwined in a story of tragedy and triumph, of family and adventure. Conrad is best known as an American rock climber, mountaineer, and author famous for his challenging ascents in the high Himalaya and Antarctica. His resume of alpinism is augmented by conservation and humanitarian activism.

He is a member of The North Face climbing team and, in 1999, he was a key member of the search team which located the remains of legendary British climber George Mallory on Mount Everest.

Jenni Lowe Anker is the author of “Forget Me Not”, a memoir in which Tom Brokaw described as “a beautifully written story of great love, great daring, great loss, and great recovery. Most of all, it is a story of great courage.”

They will be speaking Feb. 4 at 7pm as part of the Squaw Valley Institute speakers series.

For tickets and more information, go online.

Tahoe City Golf Course’s future is the subject of a noon Feb. 7 meeting at Tahoe City Public Utility District’s board room (221 Fairway Drive, Tahoe City).

The district is still finalizing the $5 million agreement to buy the property from the Bechdolt family.

Still to be decided is if the property would remain a golf course.

For information, call (530) 583.3796, ext. 21.

Northstar will host the Tough Mudder event series Sept. 22-23 at the Truckee resort.

Tough Mudder events are 10- to 12-mile obstacle courses designed by British Special Forces to test all around strength, stamina, mental grit, and camaraderie. With the most innovative courses, half a million participants, and more than $2.5 million raised for the Wounded Warrior Project, Tough Mudder is the premier adventure challenge series in the world.

Registration is open.

For more information about the Tough Mudder event at Northstar or to register, go online.

Businesses in South Lake Tahoe and El Dorado County are invited to a forum to learn about what low-cost, no-cost services and loans are available.

The Feb. 29 3:30-5:30pm forum is being put on by the Lake Tahoe South Shore Chamber of Commerce and Lake Tahoe Community College.

The meeting is at Lake Tahoe Community College’s board room in South Lake Tahoe.

To reserve a seat or for more information, call (775) 588.1728, ext. 303 or email emily@tahoechamber.org.

There will be a rail jam Feb. 3 at the Hot Gossip parking lot (3447 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe).

Registration is from 4-5pm, practice 5-6pm and competition from 6-8pm. Registration fee is $25.

All competitors must wear helmets and be members of the USASA. Memberships available on site.

The 7th annual Wild & Scenic Film Festival returns to MontBleu in Stateline on March 9 at 7pm.

With a growing public awareness for the environment, the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival producers say the aim is to increase awareness through inspiring and educational films, which hopefully will motivate people to go out and make a difference in their community and around the world.

Hosted by the Sierra Nevada Alliance, Patagonia, and the South Lake Tahoe Earth Day Committee, the Wild & Scenic Environmental Film Festival combines award winning environmental and adventure films with the energy of local activism.

For tickets, call (530) 542.4546, ext. 305.

The Kings Beach Snowfest Parade is March 10 from 11:30am-12:30pm.

The North Tahoe Business Association hosts this annual fun-filled event featuring entertaining entries from many local community and nonprofit organizations.

After the parade there are Snowfest activities and events.

For more information, call (530) 546.9000.

Volatile oil prices. Looming climate change. Worldwide economic and political unrest. Worsening traffic congestion. Crisis in transportation financing.

All of that will be discussed Feb. 23 at the Two Billion Cars: Driving Toward Sustainability lecture.

The 6pm event is at the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, 291 Country Club Drive, Incline Village.

Facing the consequences brought about by uncontrolled growth and neglected carbon awareness, America’s ongoing love affair with the car will continue to cause widespread environmental impacts and global conflicts over oil supply, according to the college. These challenges and their solutions are the ongoing focus of research by the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis. For over two decades, understanding the challenges and solutions have been the nexus of institute’s work.

Dan Sperling and Tom Turrentine will present their insight of current strategies and research, and promulgate their views of the rapidly evolving transportation and energy solutions of the future. The duo will unveil how new technologies will allow consumers to access a suite of transportation and energy applications, ranging from dynamic real-time ride sharing applications, to programs that help consumers conserve energy in their cars and homes. As tomorrow’s advanced transportation technologies rapidly unfolds, will Lake Tahoe’s environmentally sensitive communities be ready to drive to a sustainable future?

A No-host bar begins at 5:30pm. A $10 donation is suggested.

For additional information, call (775) 881.7566 or email tercinfo@ucdavis.edu.