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. 

New multi-use trail provides access to Fallen Leaf Lake and Desolation Wilderness for non-motorized users

Tahoe’s newest trail, sure to become one of the region’s most iconic, is now open thanks to nearly 4,000 volunteer trail building hours and generous contributions from Tahoe Fund donors including the Mathman family and a triple match from Vail Resorts’ EpicPromise guest donation program at Northstar, Heavenly and Kirkwood. The new 2.1-mile multi-use Lily Lake Trail has been completed by the US Forest Service (USFS) and the Tahoe Area Mountain Biking Association (TAMBA) and offers new access to Fallen Leaf Lake and Desolation Wilderness for non-motorized users including hikers and experienced  mountain bikers. The trail partners gathered for an official opening on June 30th. 

“The opening of the Lily Lake Trail has been a long time coming, and we are so grateful to all of our partners — including the Tahoe Fund, USFS and TRPA staff — as well as the crew leaders and volunteers who helped make it happen. It truly wouldn’t have been possible otherwise,” said Patrick Parsel, TAMBA Trails Director. “As we work toward our goal of building trail connections around the lake, the partnerships involved in this project demonstrate what can be accomplished when we work together.”

Designed to connect to the newly built trail system on Angora Ridge, the Lily Lake Trail offers stunning, unmatched views of Desolation Wilderness, Fallen Leaf Lake and Lake Tahoe. The trail was created to reduce traffic on narrow roads and offer new access to hikers and mountain bikers who want a car-free way to enjoy Fallen Leaf Lake, Glen Alpine Springs and Desolation Wilderness. The Lily Lake trail has an elevation change of 800 feet and features mosaic-like rock work, including aspects unique to the Tahoe trail repertoire — slickrock, boulder traverses, and an expansive view of Fallen Leaf Lake on the edge of a 75-foot cliff.

Construction started in 2018, however due to the challenges of building through dense vegetation and unforgiving talus, professional engineering and building crews were required to complete the work. The USFS cut the top quarter mile of trail through a scree field, and TAMBA crews and volunteers, led by crew leader Scott Brown, were responsible for the intricate, technical rock work that was required. Crews removed approximately nine tons of rock from the trail, and moved roughly three tons of rock to make tread. The trail features some of the only slick rock riding in Tahoe to create a technical, physical ride with some of the best views around the lake.

“On behalf of the Tahoe Fund, we are thrilled to have been part of this project by bringing together partners who bridged the $75,000 funding gap required to build this gorgeous trail,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “The Lily Lake Trail is part of the larger vision the USFS and TAMBA have long held to create non-motorized regional connectivity, and it’s exciting that it’s now open for people to enjoy.”

“At Vail Resorts, we’re proud to partner with organizations like Tahoe Fund through the Vail Resorts EpicPromise community investment program,” said Deirdra Walsh, vice president and general manager of Northstar California Resort. “Their focus on sustainable recreation allows the region’s unparalleled trail systems to expand, and we can enjoy new adventures on the Lily Lake Trail for the days to come.”

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.