Established in 1990, the Tahoe-Baikal Institute (TBI) strives to protect mountain lake watersheds, including, and especially, two of the world's premiere freshwater ecosystems, Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada and Russia's Lake Baikal (the world's largest freshwater lake). TBI immerses passionate people in an inspiring, place-based watershed curriculum to promote international understanding and global cooperation in meeting environmental challenges. Ultimately, TBI alumni strengthen the diverse coalitions of leaders, resource professionals, stewards-and cultures-building a future where sustainable communities thrive in concert with their environment.