I couldn’t have planned it if I tried, but the story of nature’s beauty and fury is what enfolds in this edition of Tahoe Weekly. Tim Hauserman and I had been planning to do a story on the work of Tahoe Institute for Natural Science, or TINS, for some time (since last December actually), but as I finalized the editorial budget for this edition the Caldor Fire was advancing across parts of the southern end of the Tahoe Basin and threatening Heavenly Ski Resort.
Art Director Alyssa Ganong and I were discussing possible covers for this edition to highlight our natural world and wildlife that would epitomize the work being done by TINS and the critical need to protect nature as the fires continued to rage. That’s when photographer Sterling Frese emailed us the image that ended up on the cover for this edition. The image is beautiful, but it also serves as a warning as the lone deer enjoys a dip in the waters of Lake Tahoe in Tahoe City surrounded by choking smoke and the impending danger of wildfires. This image reflects what we are all experiencing today in the West.
Wildfire info & resources
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Click on Wildfire Safety under the Get Outside menu
Protecting nature and the natural world, as Tim writes about in his story on TINS “Stewards of Tahoe’s natural world,” is at the heart of what the nonprofit does through its outreach, guided nature hikes, kids’ camps, talks and as serving as experts on local flora and fauna. I, too, have reached out to Will Richardson several times through the years to help us identify a plant or animal or to verify the proper name of a bird.
As for the fury, it’s upended a large portion of our Tahoe community as tens of thousands of locals remain evacuated from the South Shore and the Kirkwood area. Businesses have shuttered throughout the North Shore and Truckee, as well, impacted by wildfire danger, choking smoke and staff evacuated to other areas.
In response, I beefed up our Preparing for Wildfire coverage in this edition to now include a Family Communication Plan that FEMA recommends everyone keep in paper format in a Go Bag and posted at home along with an Evacuation Sign on our back cover that you can tear out and use in case of an emergency to alert your neighbors and rescue personnel of your status.
You’ll also find information on creating a 2-week Disaster Survival Kit and First Aid kit, how to help fire victims, signing up for Emergency Alerts and where to find Emergency Preparedness Guides and Evacuation Routes.
Thank you to Truckee Fire Protection District, Truckee Tahoe Airport, North Lake Tahoe Resort Association, Tahoe City Downtown Association, Tahoe City Public Utility District and Tahoe Donner for sponsoring our series.
Natural history center
In our feature on TINS, Richardson talks of his goal to create a natural history-oriented visitor center, and I concur that we desperately need one that covers not only our flora and fauna, but also our relationship with nature and our responsibility to be stewards of it. That should include responsible forest management, protecting the clarity of Lake Tahoe, preserving our air quality and reducing our impacts on wildlife and waterways.
A center like this could educate our youth, inform our visitors and help preserve our beloved community so that future generations would never have to experience something like this. Our visitor authorities, localities and nonprofits should work together to help this vision become a reality.
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