The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency announced the winners of the Lake Spirit Awards honoring “real people making real progress protecting Lake Tahoe” at their second annual Community Appreciation Day event held on Sept. 27 at TRPA’s office.
Four winners (two from the North Shore and two from the South) were honored for going above and beyond the call of duty to protect the beauty and clarity of Lake Tahoe and the Basin environment. “They represent the many unsung heroes tirelessly working to protect this special place,” said TRPA Executive Director Joanne Marchetta.
This year there were two categories of winners: one for exemplary citizen and one for agency representative/environmental scientist.
Jacquie Chandler was the Lake Spirit Award winner in the citizen category from the North Shore. She was nominated for her tireless work as the volunteer executive director of Sustainable Tahoe, and the Tahoe Expo, a geo-tourism event designed to link “prosperity with lake clarity.” Her work began with the development of National Geographic’s geo-tourism model here at Lake Tahoe which is now promoted by the Sierra Business Council in their Sierra-wide campaign. The geo-tourism model links economic development of “adventure tourism services” to ecosystem valuation, with an overall goal of inspiring participants to embrace sustainability practices and stewardship roles in their everyday lives.
Heather Segale was the Lake Spirit Award winner in the agency representative/ environmental scientist category from the North Shore. She is the education and outreach director for the University of California, Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center, and is described as one of the most dedicated science educators in the Tahoe Basin. Heather exemplifies commitment and service and has made the science of Lake Tahoe interesting, important, understandable and fun for students of all ages. Her programs allow students from schools around the region and two states to learn about the magic of Lake Tahoe and the natural world through hands-on activities. She has introduced thousands of people from around the country and the globe to the wonders of Lake Tahoe and opened the world of science to hundreds of students, many of whom had never before explored nature with a scientific eye.
More information on the event may be found at the TRPA website. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency cooperatively leads the effort to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region now and in the future. For additional information, call Kristi Boosman at 775-589-5230 or send an email to [email protected].
