South Tahoe High School students participate in the 2024 El Dorado Forestry Challenge

GRIZZLY FLATS, Calif. - Five students from South Tahoe High School (STHS) participated in the 2024 El Dorado Forestry Challenge this past fall, one group of a total of 139 high school students from 17 schools from Sacramento and the Sierra Nevada foothills. The event was October 23 to 26 at Leoni Meadows Camp near Grizzly Flats, Calif.

One of the highlights for the students this year was the opportunity to collect data at the American River Conservancy’s Wells Preserve near Somerset to assess its health and recommend actions to restore its ecological function to contribute to the health of the Cosumnes River watershed. During the Challenge, teams of students also completed a field test to assess their technical forestry knowledge and data-collecting skills.

“It is amazing to see students work so diligently and hard on a project throughout the event, and have such a fun time doing it!” said STHS teacher Richard Kinnett. Jesus Nunez, a senior at South Tahoe High School, summed it up, “It was an amazing experience! We really enjoyed practicing our forestry skills during the field testing.”

PHOTO: Front row, left to right: Tatum Warren, Lori Buchanan, Sayers Tanner, Jacob Soleta, Travis Banks, Richard Kinnett, Jesus Nunez-Hernandez