As we are all watching the Caldor Fire situation, many people are asking how they can help. Although firefighters and first responders greatly appreciate the generosity and kindness of donations, firefighting agencies are fully supplied with everything they need. Donations from the public are logistically complicated to accept and firefighting agencies do not have the capacity to do so. 

If you would like to offer assistance to those affected by the Caldor Fire, donations are best directed towards evacuees. Here are funds that are helping victims of the Caldor Fire: 

El Dorado Community Foundation – The El Dorado County Community Foundation set up a Caldor Fire Fund. All donations go to families and individuals impacted by the fire. You can donate here. 

The American Red Cross – The American Red Cross is staffing evacuation centers and providing support for evacuees of the Caldor Fire. You can donate here. 

Placer Food Bank – The Placer Food Bank is on the front lines of emergency food response/distribution to those impacted by the River and Caldor Fires. You can donate here. 

Food Bank of Northern Nevada – The Food Bank of Northern Nevada is offering food assistance for Caldor Fire evacuees. You can donate here.

Monitor Incident Information – Stay up to date on the current acreage, containment statistics, evacuation information, and more by visiting the incident link tree. For the latest Caldor Incident information, attend a live CAL FIRE AEU community meeting daily at 5PM at www.facebook.com/CALFIREAEU.

Visit TahoeLivingWithFire.com and follow @tahoelwf on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for more wildfire preparedness and prevention information.

TAHOE CITY, Calif. (Aug 24, 2021) – Thanks to a $10,000 match by an anonymous donor in addition to other contributions, the Tahoe Fund has exceeded its $25,000 fundraising goal to support Camp Wamp field trips. The funds will cover the costs to transport campers and their camp counselors from Camp Wamp, a sleepaway camp for children with disabilities, to the Tahoe East Shore Trail and Sand Harbor State Park in 2022. 

“We are so grateful to those who contributed to this effort and recognize the life-changing value that programs like Camp Wamp can provide to kids with physical disabilities,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “With this program, the kids will now be able to experience the magic of the east shore of Lake Tahoe.”

Camp Wamp founder Stephen Wampler, whose ascent of El Capitan continues to inspire people around the world, had his own life changed by a camp experience. He wants to ensure that others with physical disabilities have the same opportunity. Kids at Camp Wamp experience the joys and camaraderie of camp life and push each one to discover how capable they really are. Steve’s story is all about “what you CAN do!”

Camp Wamp offers six one-week sessions every summer in July and August for kids ages 10 to 18 with physical disabilities. Since 2002, the camp has hosted over 1,250 kids, and is focused on teaching campers about self-reliance and their own ambition. They sleep outdoors on the 129-acre property on cots under the stars, they hike, fish on 9-acre Deer Lake, climb a rock wall, participate in arts, crafts, and have competitions.

“On behalf of our entire Camp Wamp team, we are so appreciative of the support for our program,” said Stephen Wampler, Camp Wamp founder. “The opportunity the Tahoe Fund is helping us create on the Tahoe East Shore Trail and at Sand Harbor for the kids who come to camp is something they will never forget.”

Tahoe Fund Makes First Tahoe Trails Endowment Grant for Regional Trail Work

The Tahoe Fund awarded the first grant from the new Tahoe Trails Endowment to support a four person trail crew from the Tahoe Area Mountain Bike Association (TAMBA) this fall. The $11,700 grant will fund the efforts of the crew for three to four weeks, including transportation, tools, and personal protective equipment. Established as a way to address the long-term needs of Tahoe’s growing trail network, the Tahoe Fund hopes to grow the Tahoe Trails Endowment to $3 million to fund annual trail maintenance throughout the region.

“With higher trail usage now than ever before, it is critical to have a long-term plan in place to care for Tahoe’s trail network,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “Although there’s still a way to go before we reach the fundraising goal for the endowment, we’re excited to offer the first grant to start putting this plan into action.”

This fall, TAMBA’s official trail crew will leverage the grant money to work on existing trails throughout the Tahoe Basin, addressing maintenance needs as they arise. Their focus will be on erosion control, fixing storm drainage, clearing brush and trees, and improving signage.

“This funding is critical to providing our crew the flexibility to address unforeseen maintenance issues as they arise during the field season, as much of the existing funding for this crew for this year was already earmarked for specific projects,” said Patrick Parsel, TAMBA trails director. “One of our goals will be to prep trails for the winter months.”

While the endowment is being built, the Tahoe Fund is also working with trail partners including the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, TAMBA, US Forest Service and Nevada State Parks to develop a Regional Trails Plan that will establish a long-term priority ranking for trail work.

The endowment was launched with a generous $100,000 donation from Chris and Viktoria McNamara. Learn more and contribute to the Tahoe Trails Endowment here.

New facility made possible by Tahoe Fund donors offers public access to select Tahoe area rehabilitated wildlife for the first time

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (July 16, 2021) – Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) celebrated the opening of their Outdoor Learning Center today, the first public component of their new $6 million campus. Thanks to a $30,000 contribution from Tahoe Fund donors including the Mathman Family and a $15,000 match from Tahoe Blue Vodka, the public will now have the opportunity to see and learn about some of the animals in LTWC’s care. A porcupine, an eagle, Kestrels and owls are a few of the animals the center will use for educational purposes. 

“Thanks to this support from the Tahoe Fund, we now have an outdoor amphitheater that allows us to share some of what we do with the public,” said Bruce Richards, LTWC capital projects director. “The Outdoor Learning Center provides a new opportunity to educate visitors about our efforts and how they can help.” 

“People are more inclined to protect what they understand, so we are happy that visitors will have the unique opportunity to learn about and connect with local wildlife,” said Cory Ritchie, Tahoe Fund vice chair. “The work the team at LTWC does to rescue, rehabilitate and release animals back into the wild is well aligned with the Tahoe Fund’s mission.”

Since 1978, Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care (LTWC) has rescued, rehabilitated and released over 17,000 orphaned and injured wild birds and animals back into the wild. After outgrowing their original property in the founder’s backyard, through donations and fundraising efforts LTWC purchased its current 27-acre property in South Lake Tahoe in 2015. Seven buildings have been built since, quadrupling the space to care for wild animals.

“Since day one, Tahoe Blue Vodka has committed to giving back to local organizations that are making a difference for Lake Tahoe,” said Matt Levitt, Tahoe Blue Vodka founder and CEO. “Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care has been such a tremendous asset to injured Tahoe wildlife that setting up a matching donation to help create the Outdoor Learning Center just made sense. We’re so excited to see the facility come to fruition and know it will be a great resource in the effort to help educate visitors and residents about the important work LTWC does.”

LTWC will offer seasonal “Wildlife Wednesdays,” educational talks at the Outdoor Learning Center beginning July 21. The free, hour-long presentations will be offered through September by advance reservation only and will feature a rotating schedule of topics and expert presentations. All will include information about what to do if you encounter a bear, and what to do if you come across an orphaned or injured wild animal. Space at each event will be limited and schedules and sign-ups will be available on the LTWC website. 

Programs designed to create new opportunities to educate visitors, encourage environmental stewardship and promote responsible recreation

TAHOE CITY, Calif. (June 29, 2021) – Last summer, the Lake Tahoe Basin, Truckee and surrounding mountain communities saw a dramatic increase in visitation as travelers sought out the great outdoors. While the mountains provided a much needed respite, it quickly became evident that many visitors weren’t familiar with Leave No Trace practices. Trash piled up outside of proper receptacles or was left behind altogether. Trails were heavily impacted, trail etiquette ignored, and wildlife disregarded. This summer, six organizations are launching ambassador programs in locations around the Lake Tahoe Region to directly address and reduce tourism-related environmental impacts the region regularly experiences. 

Every weekend throughout the summer, up to 50 ambassadors will be positioned at popular recreation sites to provide information to Tahoe-Truckee area visitors about the importance of proper trash disposal, trail and wildlife etiquette, wildfire safety and other Leave No Trace principles. While each of the programs are independently managed, ambassadors from each program will wear the same Take Care Tahoe branded uniform to demonstrate a united, consistent approach to the education effort.

“We’re excited to launch such a robust collection of ambassador programs during this inaugural summer season pilot,” said Crew Stover, program and outreach coordinator at the Tahoe Fund, a Take Care Tahoe partner. “The intention with this effort is to help educate visitors, particularly those who may be new to recreating in the outdoors. The Tahoe Fund is proud to have played an important funding role in getting this new initiative launched with our partners.”

The six ambassador programs include:

Taskforce Trailhead Program

As the number of hikers, bikers and equestrians on the Tahoe Rim Trail continues to grow, trampled vegetation, trash, fires, and negative wildlife encounters have unfortunately also increased. These impacts illustrate the need to educate trail users about basic trail ethics and Leave No Trace principles to ensure a fun and sustainable trail experience for the nearly 500,000 annual Tahoe Rim Trail users. With support from the Tahoe Fund, the Tahoe Rim Trail Association has launched the Taskforce Trailhead Program to help reach trail users and share essential outdoor ethics. Volunteers interested in sharing their passion for trails are needed and can learn more about how to get involved at https://tahoerimtrail.org/volunteer/taskforcetrailhead/.

South Lake Tahoe Student Ambassador Program

Aimed at addressing increasing tourism impacts, the Sierra Nevada Alliance will employ and coordinate 13 students to interact with the public at busy locations in the Tahoe Basin. Their role will be to promote environmental stewardship with the goal of changing behaviors. The program was designed to provide work experience for high school and community college students pursuing careers in the natural resources, hospitality and tourism industries, and is funded by the Sierra Nevada Alliance (SNA), City of South Lake Tahoe,  Lake Tahoe Unified School District, Lake Tahoe Community College, Tahoe Fund, Tahoe Women’s Fund, El Dorado Community Foundation, and Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority.  In addition, SNA will employ an additional Climate Action Corps Fellow as ambassadors to help build capacity and coordinate regionally with partnership with the Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Town of Truckee, and Trout Unlimited.

Tahoe Bike Safety Ambassadors 

Spearheaded by the Lake Tahoe Bicycle Coalition, ambassadors will engage directly with cyclists at high-use bike trail locations each Saturday in June, Tahoe Bike Challenge month. Ambassadors will share information with passing cyclists and pedestrians about route finding using the Tahoe Bike Map (map.tahoebike.org), biking etiquette, safety, and the environmental benefits of bicycling. A bike stand, tools, and an air pump for minor repairs will also be available for riders. Bike Safety Days are designed to help visitors navigate the often confusing network of bike trails and routes so that they can get to their destination safely and without driving. 

Keep Truckee Green Ambassador Program

This summer, the Town of Truckee’s sustainability program, Keep Truckee Green, will hire two ambassadors to inspire and educate recreationalists to take care of the region’s natural resources and recreate responsibly. The ambassadors will be roving around hotspot areas including Donner Lake, Downtown Truckee and the Legacy Trail to have meaningful conversations with residents and visitors about initiatives like the “Grab a Bag” litter pick-up program, reusable to-go boxes, and the importance of doggy bag disposal.

Sustainable Truckee – Trail Host Ambassador Program

Truckee Trail Host Ambassadors, funded by Visit Truckee-Tahoe and managed by the Truckee Trails Foundation, are both stationed and roving at popular Truckee, California trailheads to educate and inform trail users about responsible recreation while keeping an eagle eye out for illegal campfires. Objectives of the ambassadors are to mitigate wildfire danger, trash, and cultivate a friendly, positive outdoor experience. Truckee’s Host program is also supported by 18 trailhead A-Frame signs stating “NO FIRES” with a QR code to the “Truckee Travel Alert” daily webpage hosted on VisitTruckeeTahoe.com/travelalert.

North Lake Tahoe Resort Association Program 

The North Lake Tahoe Resort Association (NLTRA) will co-host a volunteer from the Americorps California Climate Action summer fellowship to help mobilize and recruit volunteers for region-wide cleanup days and educate visitors about the importance of safe, responsible travel. The ambassador will visit a number of high-traffic areas across North Lake Tahoe and share tips with visitors that include crisis response, wildlife awareness, trash mitigation (including promotion of the Clean Tahoe Litter Hotline), fire safety, and tenets of the Traveler Responsibility Pledge.

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In addition to the new ambassador program, a coalition of agencies, non-profits, and visitors authorities  co-led by the USDA Forest Service and Tahoe Regional Planning Agency are coordinating regionally to better manage recreation and tourism impacts. The non-profit Clean Tahoe Program has expanded operations for more trash pickups, on-demand microtransit services are being piloted across North Lake Tahoe, law enforcement agencies are ramping up parking enforcement where possible, additional parking capacity has been added at Emerald Bay, and stewardship messages like Take Care Tahoe are being shared and amplified by multiple agencies and visitors authorities.