Titled “How to Get Trails Built in Three ‘Easy’ Steps”, the REI blog highlights the powerful partnership between the US Forest Service, Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association, and the Tahoe Fund.

Excerpt from the article:

“I think right now we’re in a special moment for trails in the Tahoe region,” says Amy Berry, CEO of the Tahoe Fund. If the Forest Service agrees on a project, and TAMBA says they’ll build it, the Tahoe Fund is usually on board to help fund it. “The level of trust is really high amongst everyone.”

Berry points to McNamara as one of the people responsible for creating that energy.

“Chris McNamara is a big reason why trails are exploding around this place,” she said. “He has this big vision.”

Thanks to this partnership and your tremendous support, we are helping get more trails built around Tahoe.

To read the article, click here.

The Take Care Tahoe Campaign uses humor to share stewardship messages

TAHOE CITY, Calif. (Jan. 10, 2020) – This month, a new digital billboard campaign has been unveiled on behalf of over 50 partners who have collaborated on the “Take Care Tahoe” effort to encourage more responsible behavior while in Tahoe. Designed with messages that use humor, the campaign was created to capture the attention of visitors when they are en route to Tahoe to encourage stewardship and responsible recreation during their stay. Thanks to financial support from the Tahoe Fund on behalf of the Take Care Tahoe partners, digital billboards carrying the Take Care™ messaging are visible on I-80 Eastbound in Colfax, California.

“With the ‘Take Care Tahoe’ digital billboard campaign, our goal is to educate visitors before they arrive about how they can take care of the environment when they’re here,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “This includes things like cleaning up after their dogs, not leaving broken sleds behind, eliminating the use of plastic straws, and blazing a trail of kindness on public trails throughout the region.”

The concept for the Take Care Tahoe campaign was developed by a collective group of organizations that love Lake Tahoe and want to see more people connect with the beautiful natural environment. Via the Take Care website, visitors and residents can find out more about Earth Day festivals, beach cleanups, nature walks and more. In an effort to encourage sustainability and responsible recreation, the campaign also includes ways people can help “Take Care” of Tahoe using humor to poke fun at the mistakes that are made. The campaign was developed by the creative team of Nate Laver and Meg and is directed by BRONTOSAURUS! Los Angeles.

With more than 100 destinations around the world grappling with negative impacts from tourism, according to a European Union report, Tahoe is not alone in asking visitors to be part of the solution to protect the environment. Lake Tahoe is one of the clearest large lakes in the world and the second deepest in the United States. “We’re hoping the millions of visitors to Tahoe will become part of the solution to protect this special place,” said Joanne Marchetta, Executive Director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.

The digital billboards will be active throughout the winter season, cycling through the campaign’s humorous but informative messages regularly.

Learn more about Take Care Tahoe online at takecaretahoe.org or via Instagram @takecaretahoe. To see all the environmental projects supported by the Tahoe Fund, visit tahoefund.org.

Local nonprofits, private sector and government agencies unite in effort to commission a local artist to create permanent art installation in the tunnel on the path

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. (Jan. 6, 2020) – Since its opening in June 2019, the new Tahoe East Shore Trail connecting Incline Village to Sand Harbor State Park has quickly become an attraction for both residents and visitors interested in exploring Tahoe’s famed East Shore on foot or by bicycle. To augment the natural beauty of the immediate surroundings and transform a utilitarian tunnel into an enjoyable, relevant art experience, the Tahoe Fund and Tahoe Public Art have joined together to commission a mural that will be unique to the space. An official call for artists has been issued, with the deadline for submissions requested by 6 p.m. PST on February 1, 2020. Raley’s is generously providing a $5,000 stipend to the winning artist.

“The Tahoe East Shore Trail has quickly become a popular way for pedestrians and cyclists to access Lake Tahoe and many of the public beaches between Incline Village and Sand Harbor,” said Julie Teel, member of the Tahoe Fund and Raley’s board of directors. “Raley’s is honored to support this new piece of public art in our community, as it will compliment Tahoe’s natural environment to contribute to the unique sense of place the trail offers to our community and visitors from all over the world.”

“We welcome the opportunity to incorporate a public art project along the Lake Tahoe East Shore Trail, within one of Nevada’s most stunning State Parks,” said Robert Mergell, administrator for Nevada State Parks. “This mural will be a way for the local community to contribute creatively to the iconic Lake Tahoe East Shore experience, and with a rich pool of talented local artists, the result will surely be a vibrant art installation that will inspire and connect with visitors for generations to come.”

Artists are encouraged to focus the theme of their submissions on community and the surrounding environment. A committee comprised of representatives from the Tahoe Fund, Tahoe Public Art, Nevada State Parks, Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) and Raley’s will manage the selection process and decide on an artist to complete the project by mid-February. NDOT and Nevada State Parks will have final approval of the selected artwork, with the installation likely to be completed in spring 2020.

Requirements of the project artist(s) include:

• Incorporation of art into an important trail infrastructure element, depicting of local life
• Involvement of local youth in the creation of the mural
• The ability to complete the art within a 2 to 3-day period during limited hours determined by the Tahoe Fund and Nevada State Parks (as portions of the path may need to be blocked off for completion)
• UV protective coating of the art (by the artist) to prolong the lifespan of the art
• Recommended maintenance plan for the art, including how often the UV-protectant coating needs to be reapplied, whether any other maintenance is required, and replacement timeline
• The honorarium will not exceed $5,000, including labor, transportation and material costs

Submissions should include a project description including a sketch of the proposed art and description of materials, artist(s) statement of interest, resume or short biography, up to five high resolution images of previous pieces, annotated list of previous projects and budget breakdown.

The Call for Artists request for proposal can be found online at https://www.tahoepublicart.com/opportunities.html. Artists with questions or interest in requesting the complete application requirements are encouraged to email Tahoe Public Art program administrator, Marina Lowe, at tahoepublicart@gmail.com.

Tahoe Fund Partners With Local Filmmaker to Release “Twain” Inspired Time-Lapse

Short film featuring narration of Mark Twain’s writings about Lake Tahoe highlights the region’s majesty

TAHOE CITY, Calif. (Jan. 1, 2020) – A new short, time-lapse film of Lake Tahoe, with a narrative inspired by the thoughts of American writer, satirist, publisher and lecturer Mark Twain, has been released by Reno-Tahoe local filmmaker Justin Majeczky in partnership with the nonprofit Tahoe Fund.

Created to showcase the awe-inspiring majesty of Lake Tahoe, once called the “fairest picture the whole world affords” by Twain, the film is also intended to generate awareness of the Tahoe Fund and the environmental projects it supports around the lake.

“Partnering with the Tahoe Fund on this project was a natural fit because of the fact that they’ve generated significant funding for and have led so many great environmental projects around the lake that perfectly align with what Mark Twain valued about Lake Tahoe,” said Justin Majeczky, filmmaker at Varient3 Productions. “I hope those who see ‘Twain’ will be introduced not only to the beauty of Lake Tahoe, but to the efforts of the Tahoe Fund so that more people are encouraged to become stewards of the environment and to care for Tahoe.”

“Justin is an incredibly talented local filmmaker who through his work, has helped raise awareness for Lake Tahoe,” said Amy Berry, CEO of the Tahoe Fund. “By partnering with him as presenting sponsor of ‘Twain,’ our hope is to make more people aware not only of Tahoe, but how they can give back and ensure this special place can be appreciated by generations to come — just as it was by Mark Twain over 150 years ago.”

Video content for “Twain” was captured over the course of five years from a variety of vantage points, and throughout all seasons by Majeczky and other talented local filmmakers. The 3.5-minute film can be viewed online at “Twain.”.