In the News

Fifth-graders Learn About the Environment While Snowshoeing at 9,000 Feet
date posted: December 5 2005

Lake Tahoe Report #105
Feb 22, 2005
By John Cobourn and Heather Segale

Fifth-graders from schools in the region have been treated to a new version of the well-established “Winter Trek” environmental education program of the USDA Forest Service. This year, teachers are bringing their classes to South Lake Tahoe for a ride up Heavenly’s gondola to try snowshoeing, and learn about the unique ecology of the basin.

After arrival at Heavenly Village, the students board the gondola and ride to the midstation. They get off there for a brief lesson and a spectacular view of the entire Lake Tahoe Basin from the Observation Deck. From this point, the students observe various natural features, such as the geology of the basin and how it formed. With water being so vital to this environment, the students also learn about the three forms of water: liquid, solid (snow) and gas (water vapor).

The class then takes the gondola up to the top station, where they walk a short distance away from the ski run and put on snowshoes. The Forest Service ranger supplies old-fashioned “bear paw” wooden snowshoes, which are rounded on both the front and the back. After a bit of instruction, they head off as a group into the woods to explore the habitat at an elevation of 9,000 feet for about 45 minutes.

The students see wildlife tracks and learn about the animals that make them. The rangers point out the characteristics of the tracks from various animals – squirrels, coyotes, snowshoe hares, and even American martens and gray fox. They learn about the ways that some animals hibernate during winter, how some migrate, and how others adapt to the conditions in other ways.

Students are taught about the importance of the Sierra snowpack to the ecology and economy of the states of Nevada and California. They also learn about public land and private land. Heavenly Ski Area is located mostly on USDA Forest Service land in the Tahoe Basin.

After returning the snowshoes, the students ride back down on the gondola. An adult rides with each group of students and points out the changes in tree species at different elevations. Students also get a good view of the damage from the Gondola wildfire, and get a chance to discuss the role of fire in the ecosystem. Finally, they learn why Lake Tahoe has such a beautiful blue color.

The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit of the USDA Forest Service has formed valuable partnerships in order to make this educational program possible. The agency arranged with the City of South Lake Tahoe to use the Transit Center adjacent to Heavenly Village for school busses to drop off and pick up the classes. The Forest Service also collaborates with Heavenly Ski Area, which provides the classes with free admission to the gondola and use of the educational sites.

Such outdoor adventures allow students to learn about the place they call home. The Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition and the Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships applaud this excellent place-based educational experience. These organizations are currently working to provide teachers with more alternatives for teaching their students to appreciate a sense of place as part of their education.

Watch for the “Lake Tahoe Report” in the Tahoe Daily Tribune each Wednesday, and tune in to KOLO-TV News Channel 8 Tuesdays at 5 p.m. to learn more. Next week learn about this year’s Contractors BMP Workshop, to be held in Incline Village on June 1. “The Lake Tahoe Report” is a collaborative effort of the Lake Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center and the California State Water Resource Control Board. For more information, contact Heather Segale, UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, (530) 583-3279, or logon to www.lteec.org.