Lake Tahoe Earth Week – Wildlife Wednesday

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – As part of Lake Tahoe Earth Week, we welcome Wildlife Wednesday! Spring is in the air, snow is melting, vegetation and flowers are starting to emerge, animals are active, and many migrants are returning to Lake Tahoe after their winter away. What better way to celebrate Lake Tahoe than by appreciating Mother Nature this Earth Week? Here are a few ways to show your love:

Go Birdwatching – Go outside and take a minute to listen to your surroundings. What do you hear? Can you hear the Mountain Chickadee singing cheese-bur-ger? Or a Steller's Jay squawking near your backyard? If this is something you’re enjoying, go further and join the Tahoe Big Year! Brought to you by the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science, the Tahoe Big Year (TBY) celebrates the hundreds of bird species that make the Tahoe region their home all year round, or while passing through to other destinations. The TBY is an opportunity for the entire community to learn about and experience the Tahoe region's diverse bird community and rich birding opportunities. Learn more today by visiting www.tahoebigyear.org.

Turn off the Lights – Join the dark sky movement by turning off your lights every night this week. Did you know many songbirds migrate at night using the stars to navigate? Nocturnal animals are adapted to hunt during the night and the widespread use of light at night can disrupt their natural behavior, causing negative impacts on their survival and health. By turning off lights at night, you can help protect our migrating birds and nocturnal wildlife, all while saving energy!

Keep Wildlife Wild– Do your part to protect our native animals by securing trash with bear-proof bins. Bears are awake and actively looking for food. Do your part by responsibly throwing away your trash to keep wildlife wild!

Start a Nature Journal – A nature journal is a wonderful tool for recording, reflecting on, and exploring the natural world around us. You can begin by immersing yourself in nature and recording what you hear, sketching what you see, reflecting on your experiences, or identifying flora and fauna. Nature journaling is fun for all ages, and you can do it alone or with others!

End your Tahoe Earth Week fun by joining us at our Earth Day Festival on Saturday, April 27 from 10am-3pm at Lake Tahoe Community College. Learn more at southtahoeearthday.org

Thank you to the South Tahoe Earth Day Festival Sponsors: Lake Tahoe Community College South Tahoe Public Utility District, South Tahoe Refuse, Pay It Forward Project, Edgewood Companies, Heavenly Mountain Resort, Tahoe Water Suppliers Association, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and Liberty Utilities.

The Tahoe Earth Day Foundation, a non-profit organization, formed to educate the general public regarding the Lake Tahoe and Truckee region’s unique beauty and how to preserve and protect it. The means of providing such education include, but are not limited to, regional Earth Day festivals that include environmental and educational booths with focus areas on watershed health, forest health, water conservation, pollution prevention, alternative energy and waste management.