This year, the class has come up with some very interesting topics. The class participants now need your input to further their Action Plans. Below are overviews and links to the surveys. Please take all that interest you.

Good Neighbor Policy Survey

This is a project about our regional Good Neighbor Policies.  Our purpose for this survey is to introduce the policies to all homeowners, residents and visitors in the region and solicit feedback to what defines a good neighbor and how the policies could potentially be improved.  The policies are listed below:

The Garbage Game

Instead of punishing people for littering, how about rewarding clean-up efforts on the Truckee River? We all know the trash is an eyesore on our shores and trails. The Garbage Game will encourage residents and visitors to "brag" about their litter collecting skills while rafting, hiking, and biking during the summer months on the Truckee River and associated trails. Participants can snap a photo of their litter loot with their phone, add our Garbage Game hashtag, and post to social media each week of the summer season.

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River and trail users will be encouraged to take home their own trash, as well as any trash found along the way. By using the game hashtag and location in a social media posting, participants will be entered in weekly and monthly drawings for prizes. The season may wrap up with a final garbage grabbin' party!

Tahoe Traditional Ecological Knowledge

We acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory and homeland of the Washeshu Itdeh - “the people from here”. We recognize that the land continues to hold sacred ground for the Wašiw people and value their deep connection with the land of the Great Tahoe Basin and the California Sierra Nevada Mountains. We thank the Wašiw Tribe for their generosity and respect their legacy and knowledge of this land as the first people of this land. 

*washoetribe.us/washoe-history

The Tahoe region is a historically sacred and fragile place and we’re working to protect and improve this cherished region for future generations by helping to facilitate the Washoe Tribe’s stewardship of the land and establish a stronger connection between our community and the land. As part of the North Lake Tahoe-Truckee Leadership Program 2022, our team is drafting a project that would help integrate traditional ecological knowledge into land management practices in the Tahoe-Truckee region. The hope is that, starting in spring 2023, in partnership with key stakeholders including members of the Washoe Tribe, there will be a seasonal workshop, educating on such practices.

This workshop would provide educational experiences for community stakeholders on ways to enrich our ecosystems, address climate change and reduce wildfire risk. Proceeds from this workshop would go directly to supporting the Washoe Tribe. We are seeking input on this topic from community members with interest in the field as well as organizations and professionals in land management. 

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Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) encompasses the world view of a people, which includes ecology, spirituality, human and animal relationships, and more. It is the on-going accumulation of knowledge, practice and belief about relationships between living beings in a specific ecosystem that is acquired by indigenous people over hundreds or thousands of years through direct contact with the environment, handed down through generations, and used for life-sustaining ways. 

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The Truckee Gear Library
Participation in outdoor recreation holds tremendous value for health, wellness, and a feeling of connectedness to nature and the greater Tahoe community. Despite our unparalleled proximity to the outdoors in the Tahoe region, many local residents lack the resources and appropriate equipment to access that space. With the Truckee Gear Library, we aim to increase equity and promote inclusion in outdoor access by removing this barrier to participation.

The Truckee Gear Library is a gear lending library that will be available for individuals, families, and organizations to borrow outdoor gear for low or no cost. This action plan serves the Tahoe-Truckee Community by offering an affordable outdoor gear option to make participation in outdoor activities less expensive, easier and more accessible for all people.

Truckee Dark Sky Program

We are losing the night sky. The Milky Way is no longer visible to one third of humanity and to 80 percent of Americans. Though this may sound inconsequential, stargazing is not all that stands to be lost. Excessive lighting and loss of dark skies threaten wildlife, contribute to climate change, and diminish human art, culture, and quality of life. Truckee has the opportunity to preserve and protect our naturally dark skies and bring together the community to appreciate this scarce resource.

 
The Truckee Dark Sky Program creates year-round, social and educational opportunities for visitors and residents to observe and appreciate the night sky.  It raises awareness of and generates advocacy against light pollution threats to human health, environment, climate, and culture.