LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – As the school year came to a close, South Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition (STEEC) welcomed over 750 kindergarten through third-grade students from Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) to Sugar Pine Point State Park.
Kindergarten through second-grade classes learned from environmental educators around the Tahoe Basin, and third-grade classes experienced a tour of the historic Pine Lodge.
Environmental educators connected students with topics in wildlife, trees, water systems, local history, and stewardship, while building upon the students’ knowledge from the school year.
During a lesson with Tahoe Regional Planning Agency’s Mckenzie Koch, first graders learned about the life cycles of native and invasive aquatic species in Lake Tahoe.
Koch said, “The goal of the lesson is for students to understand how aquatic invasive species can be hard to identify and catch.” Although the threat of aquatic invasive species continues to grow, Koch expressed, “It was really inspiring to see that kids were coming up with solutions to this issue on their own, just from learning about species they love in the Lake right now”.
At the same time, California State Parks and Sierra State Parks Foundation staff members led third-grade students through tours of the Pine Lodge. After spending the school year learning about local Tahoe history, students took a closer look at a historic era with docent Lindsay Harbison. Harbison shared her passion for guiding tours, “I love sharing the history of Pine Lodge to our visitors of all ages”.
Third-grade students also hiked through the nature preserve with California State Parks’ educator, Katie Sullivan. “It’s a joy to share my passion for the outdoors with students and visitors and see their enthusiasm and care for our natural world,” said Sullivan.
STEEC was thrilled to welcome LTUSD students on their adventurous field trip to the West Shore and further connect them with the beautiful place they call home. STEEC is a collaborative network of more than 20 local agencies and organizations. The organization has conducted environmental education programs with South Tahoe students since 2008.