Empowering Students to Foster Resilient Communities and Healthier Forests Through Action

Wildfires are a growing threat in the Tahoe Basin. Last year alone, Truckee experienced three wildfires within a 20-mile radius in just one month. With climate change driving hotter, drier conditions, proactive wildfire preparedness and forest health education are more critical than ever.

Building on the success of the FOREST⇌FIRE Exhibit, for which SWEP led the educational programming, Fostering Forests programming empowers K-12 students to take meaningful action. Through classroom lessons and hands-on service-learning projects, students learn about forest management and related careers, restore habitats by planting native tree saplings, and create defensible space to protect homes and schools.

By the Numbers: 2024/25 School Year

• 506 students served across elementary, middle, and high school.

• Defensible Space Stewardship Days: 157 students cleared flammable debris from homes and school grounds.

• Forest Health Field Days: 271 students participated in re-vegetation, forest monitoring, and fire ecology education.

• 184 cubic yards of flammable material cleared from local schools and homes to support wildfire resilience.

• Tahoe Basin Watershed Education Summit: 78 high school students collected real-world environmental data.

• Career Pathway Exposure: Students worked with firefighters, foresters, scienctists, and conservation professionals, exploring vocational and environmental careers.

Collaborating Partners

Our collaborating partners include the Truckee Fire Protection District, Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD), Truckee River Watershed Council (TRWC), Sugar Pine Foundation, Truckee Donner Land Trust, and several other dedicated organizations working together to promote forest health and community resilience.

Funding Partners

We are grateful for the support of Tahoe Truckee Community Foundation (TTCF) Forest Futures Fund, Tahoe Mountain Resorts Foundation (TMRF), Tahoe Truckee Excellence in Education Foundation (EEF), and the Martis Fund—a collaborative project of Martis Camp landowners, DMB/Highlands Group (developers of Martis Camp), Mountain Area Preservation Foundation (MAP), and Sierra Watch.

Why It Matters

Students don’t just learn—they act. By applying what they learn in the classroom and field, students make homes and schools safer, influence their families, and build confidence and hope for the future. Outdoor learning also promotes mental wellness, problem-solving skills, and environmental stewardship.

Looking Ahead

This fall, Fostering Forests programming expanded to lakeside schools, providing more students with hands-on learning and career pathway exposure. With every lesson and every service learning project, students grow as stewards of our forests and champions for more resilient and fire-wise communities.

Action Fosters Hope — together, we’re building a stronger future for our forests and our youth.

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