SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – This month, 120 eighth graders from Lake Tahoe Unified School District (LTUSD) left their desks for the twelfth annual Heavenly Mountain Resort Snowshoe Field Trip, hosted by the South Tahoe Environmental Education Coalition (STEEC).

Over the course of two days, 8th grade students rode the Heavenly tram to participate in interactive environmental education and explore the exciting careers of mountain operations, mechanics, and safety, in addition to meeting avalanche rescue dogs. 

“The annual field trip provides an invaluable opportunity for students to step out of the classroom and engage in hands-on learning,” LTUSD eighth-grade science teacher Sabrina Zalles said. “This experiential approach not only reinforces our science curriculum but also fosters a sense of stewardship for Lake Tahoe.” 

The curriculum included four lessons from STEEC partners, including Keep Tahoe Blue, Sugar Pine Foundation, Sierra Avalanche Center, and Heavenly Ski Patrol.

Students explored how the Lake Tahoe Basin watershed is interconnected while overlooking the lake, then reinforced those lessons through a snowshoe relay that demonstrated the erosion cycle and the link between human impacts and water quality. In the forest, they identified tree species and measured tree height and width like forestry technicians. Snow science and safety were also a focus as they examined layers of the snowpack from a hand-dug pit and learned the basics of avalanche safety and rescue.

One eighth-grade student remarked, “I have never seen Lake Tahoe from a mountain top.”

This field trip is made possible by a grant from Vail Report’s EpicPromise program. For more information or to support STEEC programs, visit www.steec.us.