Tahoe Talks March Brow Bag Lunch: How to facilitate change with volunteering

Jesse Patterson of the League to Save Lake Tahoe will be the guest speaker during March Tahoe Talks. He will speak on "Volunteer Monitoring: How to Facilitate Change through Observation."

Learn how volunteer monitoring programs are integral to protecting Lake Tahoe and influencing policy and public opinion, and how you can get involved or start your own effort. The presentation will highlight successes and lessons learned from "Pipe Keepers," a program that engages citizens to monitor stormwater runoff dumping out of pipes directly into Lake Tahoe and "Eyes on the Lake" where citizens monitor the Lake for aquatic invasive species and report their findings. The presentation will also highlight ways that these programs can serve as a model for other citizen monitoring efforts.

The presentation will be in the Aspen Room of Lake Tahoe Community College on Wednesday, March 18 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Patterson in the League's Deputy Director. He joined the League in November, 2012 after working as the Environmental Management Specialist for the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians, a federally recognized Indian Tribe. Jesse was responsible for directing their Natural Resource, Alternative Fuels, Solid Waste and Education/Outreach Programs for over four years. Jesse received his Master of Environmental Science and Management from the Donald Bren School at UCSB in 2008 and his Bachelor of Science in Aquatic Biology from UCSB in 2002. The common link for all of his work has been the application of science in policy, decision making, and community-wide change for betterment of the environment and its human counterpart. The outdoors are his playground, particularly lower-impact activities such as surfing, SCUBA diving, hiking, mountain biking and skiing. Tahoe has been a life-long destination of Jesse's for summer backpacking trips in Desolation Wilderness to skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. Jesse directs the Pipe Keepers program and created and implemented the Eyes on the Lake program from its inception. In a previous profession he helped to develop volunteer monitoring protocols for Reef Check California.

Tahoe Talks are monthly discussions on ways to make our communities safer, healthier, and greener. Enjoy snacks provided or bring a bag lunch.