Living in the Tahoe Basin, the wilderness begins in many of our backyards. While many people find comfort and ease being in a city surrounded by people, there are a few who find the natural mystery of the wild to feel like home.
In Tahoe, nature can be explored on a daily basis whether it’s an epic backcountry tour or a walk through the trees. For certain people, nature resonates deep in the soul intertwining beauty, history and knowledge.
One Tahoe local who has discovered her connection to the wilderness is Carolyn Highland. Highland is an author and 4th grade teacher at the outdoor school, Tahoe Expedition Academy in Truckee.
I was 23 when I started backcountry skiing. I’d been recreating in the mountains my entire life, resort skiing, backpacking, and climbing volcanoes in the Cascades. I’d taken a National Outdoor Leadership School mountaineering course, and I was writing for a ski magazine. And yet I felt completely lost about where to start. So I borrowed some gear and took an American Institute for Avalanche Research and Education (AIARE) Level 1 course, which at the time seemed like the only way to begin.
AIARE’s three-day recreational Level 1 comprises 24 hours of education, usually about eight hours of classroom learning followed by two eight-hour field days, and offers a crash course in snow safety, avalanche terrain, and companion rescue. It has long been the standard entry point for backcountry beginners.
If you have a furry friend that wears a flea collar, note that Bayer’s Seresto collar, “
one of the most popular flea and tick collars in the country, has been linked to hundreds of pet deaths, tens of thousands of injured animals and hundreds of harmed humans, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency documents show. Yet the EPA has done nothing to inform the public of the risks.” Read more here. Personal pet owner tip: Fleas really don’t like the smell of fresh rosemary. Make a strong tea from fresh sprigs, allow to cool, and rub generously into your furry friend’s coat. Reapply regularly.
Scholarship
Do you know a young adult interested in nature? Applications are now being accepted for adventure scholarships for Collier County high school Juniors, Seniors, and recent graduates between the ages of 16-21. The foundation will award select students up to $5,500 to go on a structured adventure through one of three programs: Outward Bound, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), or the Alaska Mountaineering School. Applications must be submitted by March 12, 2021. www.genedoyle.org/applications.
Want to influence your local environment? There’s probably a public meeting for that.
Charlotte County has several committee vacancies to fill and many have something to do with the environment. Learn more at
Green River Morning, by Maureen Egan. (Photo courtesy Maureen Egan)
Cosmic Heart, by Maureen Egan. (Photo courtesy Maureen Egan)
Messenger, by Maureen Egan. (Photo courtesy Maureen Egan)
Traveler, There Is No Road, by Maureen Egan. (Photo courtesy Maureen Egan)
During the month of March, the Camden Public Library will host Midcoast artist and author Maureen Egan for a virtual art show entitled By the Waters of the Winds.
The paintings in the show were inspired by two challenging and resplendent hikes with her husband in the Wind River Range of Wyoming. The online art exhibit will be accompanied by a Zoom program on Thursday, March 11, at 6 p.m., featuring the screening of a film by Egan and her husband, Tim Seymour, which documents the eight-day hiking adventure in 2019.