Lake Tahoe Community College (LTCC) is revitalizing its Demonstration Garden, a campus space dedicated to education, conservation, and native plant landscaping. Recent winter storms left downed trees and debris that need to be cleared to restore the garden to a safe and usable state.
LTCC has secured a wood chipper from the U.S. Forest Service and is seeking community support. Volunteers are needed to help move materials and prep for chipping.
This is not a League-led event, but we’re helping spread the word to connect willing hands with a partner in need. If you enjoy outdoor work and don’t mind lifting, this is a great opportunity to support a local institution doing the right thing for Tahoe’s landscape.
Why Is This Work Important at LTCC?
Many of Lake Tahoe’s meadow ecosystems are prematurely drying out in the summer months. This could be a result of warmer climates, but it is most likely due to altered hydrology and degradation caused by past human activities. A dry meadow can allow trees to grow in environments that are supposed to be wet. The growth of more trees contributes to the drawdown of the water table, which perpetuates a drier meadow, which encourages the growth of more trees. Trees outcompete meadow species for resources like sunlight, water, and nutrients, and they eventually contribute to the overall loss of meadow biodiversity. Unless we take corrective action to regain some of that lost habitat, the college meadow will be converted to a monocrop of lodgepole pine.
The college is collaborating with the Washoe Tribe to integrate traditional ecological knowledge and modern forest management practices in restoring lost biodiversity in the college meadow adjacent to Trout Creek. But you can help too!
Details:
- Date: Friday, June 20
- Time: 8:30 am to 12:30 pm
- Location: LTCC Demonstration Garden, One College Drive, South Lake Tahoe
- Hosted by: Lake Tahoe Community College
Register to Volunteer – The form will prompt you to complete the LTCC-specific waiver.
What to Bring:
- Long sleeve shirt
- Long pants
- Water bottle
- Closed toed shoes
- Gloves
- Sunglasses
- Ear protection
LTCC will provide:
- Ear plugs
- Work gloves
- Pizza lunch
- Free firewood rounds
Questions?
Contact Julie at Keep Tahoe Blue and we’ll connect you with the LTCC team.