On a cold, blustery day last week, our 3rd, 5th and 7th graders trekked down to Incline Beach to celebrate Earth Day by learning about stream zones and fish habitats with IVGID and NDOW.

Travis Hawks and Sam Sedillo are fisheries biologists with the NV Division of Wildlife Nevada Tahoe Resource team. They have a fish trap installed in Third Creek under the bridge between Ski and Incline Beach, and they are monitoring and tagging fish who come up the creek to spawn. They showed students how to tag rainbow trout, explained why this research was important, and let students watch while they released a newly tagged trout back into Third Creek.

Joe Hill and Sarah Vidra with the IVGID Public Works Waste Not Conservation program talked to the students about the Lake Tahoe basin, the water cycle and the importance of keeping the whole watershed clean and healthy. LTS 7th graders presented their stream monitoring data and the agency presenters were impressed! Students asked lots of great questions and enjoyed the fresh air. Thank you to IVGID and NDOOW, as well as our incredible science teachers, for an incredible experience for our budding environmentalists!