SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation is hosting a free community event at South Lake Brewing Company as part of its annual Whitebark Pine Science and Management conference on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. 

The Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation aims to continue efforts in the restoration and conservation of Whitebark Pines, a keystone species that has recently been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. 

This free community event is part of an annual Whitebark Pine Science and Management conference. According to the foundation, this is the first time the conference has been hosted in the Sierra Nevada and California and is scheduled from September 22 through September 24. 

The event will offer a variety of beer and snacks available for purchase at South Lake Brewing Co., along with outreach tables and booths from local conservation organizations including The Sugar Pine Foundation, Ancient Forest Society, Pride of the Mountains Tahoe and Sierra Valley Chapter, Adventure Scientists, and the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.

Author and Ecologist Michael Kauffmann will be participating in a public talk called “Across Mountains and Time: Exploring the five-needle pines of the American West”, a presentation which introduces the western species through photographs, natural history, and distribution patterns, examining their ecological roles and the threats they face. 

If you’re interested in learning more about high-elevation forests and threatened species like the Whitebark Pine, head to South Lake Brewing Co. on September 22 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Visit whitebarkfound.org to learn more about the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation.

South Lake Brewing Co. is located at 1920 Lake Tahoe Blvd in South Lake Tahoe, Calif.