LAKE TAHOE, Cal. – Earlier this fall, 280 local high school students were given a glimpse at how their environmental science classes can translate into real-world careers that protect, conserve, and restore outdoor spaces during Enviro Day at South Tahoe High School.
The students, ranging from freshmen to seniors, participated in a range of workshops hosted by eight local organizations working together under the banner of the South Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition, or STEEC. The day’s schedule included hands-on experiences in forestry, wildfire behavior, waste disposal and recycling, tree planting, wildlife sketching, and water quality analysis.
Each student had the chance to participate in at least two different stations, exposing them to different environmental topics related to Lake Tahoe.
“I love learning about the trees and protecting the Jefferey Pine from white pine blister rust,” said Tatum Warren, a junior.
For the educators who helped coordinate the event, the value of the day’s lessons was clear. By drawing a bright line between what is taught in the classroom and opportunities in the working world, students can find a new source of motivation.
“It is vital for our local students to understand how the science they are learning about helps them possibly get careers in their town and helps their own community,” noted Richard Kinnet, a teacher at South Tahoe High School.
In addition to Enviro Day this fall, STEEC partners hosted 500 seventh and eighth graders on an educational adventure aboard the M.S. Dixie paddleboat and brought the annual Wonders of Water Expanded Edition (WOWEE) program to K-5 students at local elementary schools.
Enviro Day was put on through a collaboration between South Tahoe Public Utility District, Tahoe Institute for Natural Science, Sugar Pine Foundation, South Tahoe Refuse, USDA Forest Service, South Lake Tahoe Fire Department, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and League to Save Lake Tahoe.
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Media Contact:
Chris Joseph
cjoseph@keeptahoeblue.org, 530.541.5388 ext.206
Since 2008, STEEC has conducted programs in outdoor settings, providing place-based and experiential learning to thousands of K-12 students each year, including underserved students who are not traditionally connected to the outdoors. Learn more about STEEC’s mission and work at steec.us.