animals

Lucas McNamara, 7, was hiking around Griff Creek near Kings Beach Fire Station last week with his family when he saw a black, spiny fish, about 1-foot-long, lying dead in the creek. He ran up the creek bed, yelling, “Dad, you need to look at the big crazy fish!”

Lucas’ parents, Steve and Jen McNamara, decided to make this a teachable moment for their son, who already shows active interest in science and the environment.

“I told Lucas that this fish is not normal for Lake Tahoe and may be harmful to the other fish and animals in the lake,” Steve said.

The South Lake Tahoe branch of the El Dorado County Library has a full schedule of kid's entertainment for the summer.

Entertainers, for children of all ages – Fridays at 2:00 pm

June 20th MAD SCIENCE: WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT H2O?
Children will make a splash as they dive in and learn about the amazing elements of the water cycle.

June 27th PUPPET ART THEATER: THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF!

June 04-08 Bret Ernst / Gilbert Lawand @ Improv @ Harvey's
June 05-07 Dyer Maker @ Cabo Wabo
June 05 Kelly Anne Miller @ Cottonwood Bar and Grill
The Steve Labella group @ Moody's Bistro
Stan Charles / Ryan Davis (Scarecrow Project) @ The Passtime Club
June 06 Merry Gold / Connor Party @ Heavenly Village
The Prophets of Addiction, Judas Thieves @ Whisky Dick's
The Deckheads @ Bar of America
Bonfire: a tribute to AC/DC / Coop da Loop, Zach Rawlinson @ Crystal Bay Club
June 07-08 Valhalla Renaissance Faire
June 07 Neil Sedaka @ Harrah's

This spring, local REALTOR® Gregory Cremeans has been actively raising funds for the Reno/Sparks Relay for Life and the Tahoe Pride Equality Scholarship program, which he founded.

In the past month, Gregory hosted a scholarship fundraiser and client appreciation party at TOAST, a locally owned restaurant in Zephyr Cove, NV. This event raised over $700 benefiting Lake Tahoe Community College students.

Organizers are expecting a large turnout at Saturday's anti-puppy mill demonstration in Reno at the corner of Neil Rd and S. Virginia Street from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

"The event is being called to show the Reno and Sparks City Councils and the Washoe County Commission that citizens mean business when it comes to a ban on the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in retail stores in Reno, Sparks and Incline Village," stated Billy Howard, Founding Organizer for the popular initiative Puppy Mill Free Reno/Sparks/Washoe.

Blue Go buses in South Lake Tahoe will soon be adorned with artwork created by students from Irene Kaelin's 5th grade class at Tahoe Valley Elementary. The Tahoe Transportation District is donating the art space on buses to raise awareness against animal cruelty ad the importance of Spay-Neuter and Vaccinations for your pets.

"Art for Animals" plans on helping spread the message of the Lake Tahoe Humane Society.

Sheriff John D’Agostini is pleased to announce that the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office has been awarded a two year $250,000.00 Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program Grant. The award from the US Department of Justice will be used to assist the Sheriff’s “Crisis Intervention Team” (CIT).

My daughter and I had been planning our annual Apple Hill trek for several days when I decided to change it up a bit. Since my free time is so rare I figured why not include a visit to our favorite little town Sutter Creek? And then, since we're doing that, might as well throw in a drive down beautiful Highway 4! Since the portion of the road we'll be covering is closed after the first big snow we had to do it! The day was plotted on a map in my head with some verification on google maps. The map said our little trip was going to take 5 hours and 10 minutes and cover 225 miles.

From September 5 – 15th the Ruffwear pack will be on the road visiting fans and retailers in California and Nevada as well as stopping at the Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon in Del Mar Beach to benefit the Helen Woodward Animal Center.

If you see the Ruffwear van, swing by and say hi or better yet, snap a shot of you or your dog photo bombing the van, share and tag #DogGoneRoadTrip on Instagram and we’ll reward our favorites with some nice schwag.

LOCAL RETAILER EVENTS

This Sunday, August 4, is the Annual Open House at Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This is the one opportunity of the year that the public is allowed to pass beyond our fenced area and see the cages and animals which are in rehabilitation.

Rat poison used on illegal marijuana grows is killing fishers in the southern Sierra Nevada, according to a recent study conducted by a team of scientists from the University of California, Davis, the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research Station, UC Berkeley, and the Integral Ecology Research Center in Humboldt County, Calif.

A Lake Tahoe wildlife center is having one of its busiest years ever. Animals in need have been arriving nearly non-stop for weeks.
The people who run the center are doing their best to keep up — they've got some great success stories — but the center needs a new home.
At Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care, run by Cheryl and Tom Millham, a sick bobcat recently arrived, and there's a great horned owl recovering from a broken wing. The owl had surgery and now the challenge is to keep him calm and discourage him from flapping his wing while it mends.

Well-intentioned children and aquarium hobbyists seeking to “free” their pet fish down a toilet bowl or into a local waterway may inadvertently be contributing to the threat of invasive species downstream, according to a new report from the University of California, Davis.

Tuesday, Dec. 18 will be an opportunity for all to have a nice, healthy dinner and support both Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care and Tahoe Youth and Family Services.
Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care will be at Freshies, 3330 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, 5 to 9 p.m. for a photograph showing of some of the birds and animals we've cared for recently and will answer any questions.

The leading alternatives for the US 50/South Shore Community Revitalization Project (Loop Road) as determined by attendees of two previous public workshops as well as next steps will be presented by the Tahoe Transportation District, www.TahoeTransportation.org, at an open house, Thursday, December 13, 4-6 p.m., at Harveys Lake Tahoe, Emerald Bay B Room.

The Tahoe Transportation District will host its second public workshop to discuss the US 50, Lake Tahoe South Shore Community Revitalization project, Wednesday, November 7, at Embassy Suites from 1-3 p.m.

The Lake Tahoe workshop will provide background on the project, outline goals and solicit input from individuals throughout the community. The open house format allows for members of the community to participant in the workshop anytime between workshop hours.

Rubber barriers bound for the lakebed of Lake Tahoe’s Emerald Bay are being assembled at the University of California, Davis, as part of the biggest Asian clam control project in the lake’s history.

The invasive clams threaten the lake's health and famed clarity.

UC Davis scientists, staff and students are unfolding the long, black mats and enhancing them with rebar, brass grommets and valves that will hold the barriers in place underwater and enable scientific analysis of the project.

Boaters heading to Lake Tahoe in the next six weeks may experience a short delay when entering Emerald Bay due to an Asian clam control project that will be taking place there.
The Asian clam control project is being implemented by a team of partners from the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program, with plans to treat an area of up to 5 acres at the mouth of Emerald Bay. Treatment will be accomplished by covering the infested lake bottom with thin rubber barriers, augmented with organic material, that reduce the available oxygen and smother the clams. It will be the largest project of its type in the history of Lake Tahoe.

A team of partners from the Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program is scheduled to begin implementation of the largest Asian clam control project in the history of Lake Tahoe on October 15, with plans to treat an area of up to 5 acres at the mouth of Emerald Bay.

As ‘some’ of you may be aware, Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care now has a total of FIVE (5) bobcats in house. We have had a total of six this year, which is the most we have EVER had, but the one we got in about a month ago, was just with us for about 3 days, after being hit by a car in the Woodfords, Calif., area. We got ‘her’ back so she could - hopefully – take care of her babies.

Celebrate the annual fall migration of the Kokanee salmon of Lake Tahoe at the Taylor Creek Visitor Center. The Visitor Center is located three miles north of South Lake Tahoe on Highway 89. Join the fun and participate in this free family event which has become one of the most fascinating educational and wildlife viewing events in Northern California.
The festival encourages participation by children and their parents in a wide variety of educational and entertaining activities including:

The names of the four people killed in a fiery crash Tuesday on Highway 50 near Dayton in Lyon County may be released on Wednesday, according to the Nevada Highway Patrol. The accident happened shortly before 9:00 a.m. east of Dayton and involved two pickups and a one-ton truck each towing a trailer with two transporting cattle. The four who died and the three injured are all believed to be from Northern Nevada.
Here is a news release by the Nevada Highway Patrol:

Warm weather and cool fishing is expected this week along the many lakes, rivers and streams in Nevada, Northern California and the Sierra. Here is this week's fishing report for the week of July 25. As always, pack plenty of sunscreen, abide all regulations and have your fishing license with you.