Six years ago I fell in love with these majestic trees. I delight in facilitating the spread of knowledge about the Sugar Pine Foundation's mission- a dedication to saving Lake Tahoe's sugar pines and other white pines by educating and involving Tahoe area students and community members of all ages in hands-on forest stewardship. Since 2008, they have planted over 95,000 trees with local volunteers!
Sugar pines are the world's largest species of pine and have the longest cones - but they are dying from white pine blister rust, a non-native, invasive fungus! Historically 25% of Lake Tahoe's forests, sugar pines now make up less than 5% of the forest composition. This amazing organization finds trees that are resistant to the fungus, then collects their cones and plants their progeny (which I did in 2012).
The audience was engaged and interested. Maria Mircheva, the Executive Director, presented the film The Seedling which was followed by thoughtful questions. It was a very cool evening spent with equally cool people.
He who plants a tree
Plants a hope.
-Lucy Larcom, Plant a Tree
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