Lake Tahoe Ambassador Program
Get to Know NTCA
Our Mission
To promote and manage visitation and collaborate to achieve economic health, community vitality, and environmental stewardship to benefit our residents, businesses, and visitors.
Our Pillars
Economic Health
We collaborate with local businesses and community stakeholders to positively impact the economic health of the region, focusing our efforts on fostering a continually thriving community.
Community Vitality
We center our efforts around the community and the preservation and enhancement of its culture. Being true to our home and its residents is paramount.
Environmental Stewardship
We provide resources and tools to educate stakeholders on sustainable efforts and help people collaborate to preserve our region for generations to come.
Ambassador Information
Locations and Times
TAHOE CITY
- Commons Beach Movies – Wednesdays, 7-9 PM
- You’ll talk to movie-goers about throwing away their trash and picking up after their dogs, as well as how to take TART to the movies rather than driving.
- Commons Beach Farmer’s Market – Thursdays, 7:30 AM – 1:30 PM
- Talking points will include a thank you for shopping local, using a reusable water bottle and reusable tote, and awareness of which items can be recycled, composted and disposed of as waste–along with a reminder to refrain from littering (even compostable litter!).
- Tahoe City Boat Ramp
- You’ll talk about making sure ALL watercraft (including inflatable paddleboards) are clean, drained and dry BEFORE use and making sure nothing gets disposed of in the lake.
- 64 Acres/Transportation Center Parking Lot
- Talking points include thank you for taking our regional transit or biking, avoid single-use plastic, stay aware of what items can be recycled, composted or disposed of as waste. Keep litter out of the river!
- Commons Beach Concerts – Sundays, 4-7 PM
- You’ll talk about staying aware of what items can be recycled, composted or disposed of as waste, bringing a reusable water bottle and tote, not feeding the animals, picking up your dog mess, and taking the opportunity to bike or carpool to future concerts.
- On-site contact: find Dave or Dale under a pop-up tent in front of the jail
- Skylandia Beach Public Park & Pier
- You’ll talk about making sure ALL watercraft (including inflatable paddleboards) are clean, drained and dry before use and making sure nothing gets disposed of in the lake.
KINGS BEACH/TAHOE VISTA
- Kings Beach Concerts – Fridays, 5-8 PM
- You’ll talk about staying aware of what items can be recycled, composted or disposed of as waste, bringing a reusable water bottle and tote, not feeding the animals, picking up your dog mess, and taking the opportunity to bike or carpool to future concerts.
- Moon Dunes Beach
- You’ll talk about making sure ALL watercraft (including inflatable paddleboards) are clean, drained and dry before use and making sure all garbage goes out to a trash can, regardless if they are convenient or not.
Questions? Call Kym Fabel: 530-448-3669
Talking Points
BECOME A STEWARD OF LAKE TAHOE AND STAY EDUCATED
- As you adventure throughout the region, pay close attention to signage, and observe all trail advisories. They’re in place to keep you and your North Lake Tahoe neighbors (including people, plants, and animals) safe—and failure to observe them can endanger others, including our emergency responders.
CUT EMISSIONS BY CHOOSING ALTERNATIVE TRANSPORTATION
- Take advantage of our public transportation system, which includes (free) buses, trams, trolleys and shuttles. Public transit is a great option for limiting your carbon footprint, as you’ll be subtracting the emissions from your individual vehicle from the equation while still getting exactly where you need to go. Did we mention that many of our buses run on electricity?
- Rent a bike to traverse North Lake Tahoe’s varied and beautiful landscape—no emissions necessary. Bike lanes and trails throughout the region make hitting the road on two wheels a safe yet exhilarating proposition that’s good for your body and the environment.
SHOP LOCAL
- Take home some fresh California produce from special places like the Tahoe City Farmer’s Market or do your shopping throughout our lakeside communities.
- Support North Lake Tahoe businesses ahead of your visit—or a loved one’s—by taking advantage of North Lake Tahoe’s gift card program, which allows you to pay for lodging, dining, materials and other adventures ahead of time online! These purchases help to keep businesses afloat year-round.
RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENT
- Take a page out of the Take Care Tahoe playbook. Our partners at this local nonprofit have put together a great, easy-to-use guide on actions you can take each time you visit Tahoe to minimize your ecological footprint.
- Get up to speed on your boat and watercraft inspections. North Lake Tahoe’s waters are a pristine ecosystem that should not be disturbed by species that don’t belong. Local authorities work to protect our waters from aquatic invaders primarily through the institution of Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) inspections, and you can help by complying with best practices.
SKIP SINGLE-USE PRODUCTS AND THINK GREEN
- Single use-plastics (like disposable water bottles) shouldn’t make their way out of your hands and into our roads, forests and waterways. If you use them, we ask that you carefully dispose of them or recycle them in one of the many public recycling bins throughout the region. Here are some green tips to keep in mind as you explore our region.
- Choose multi-use products when you visit our community, like refillable water bottles which you can load up at the many Tahoe Tap refill stations throughout the community.
- Bring a reusable tote for storing your goods to minimize waste. If you don’t already own one, you can buy one at the North Lake Tahoe Visitor Center or Incline Village Visitor Center. This will make it easy to decline paper or plastic bags as you shop.
- Stay aware of what items can be recycled, composted or disposed as waste—and refrain from littering. Guides like this one from Keep Truckee Green can help you determine what’s recyclable and what’s not.
- Avoid microplastics. You might not know, but some of the products you bring with you to North Lake Tahoe might contain small plastic that has a big, negative impact on our aquatic wildlife. With your help, we can keep the permanent problem of everlasting plastic out of our water systems. Take Care Tahoe breaks down the science here.
- Keep in mind, everything you dispose of may end up in the lake. As alluded to above, it’s a good idea to be mindful of the products you’re consuming—and to choose eco-friendly alternatives that have a lower impact on the environment.
KEEP WILDLIFE WILD
- Refrain from feeding the animals, touching them or otherwise disrupting their natural lives. Doing so can have problematic consequences for the community—and sharing your lunch with them can teach them that they’re free to take whatever “human food” they want. There’s a reason why “don’t feed the bears” is a ubiquitous phrase.
- Be “bear aware.” After all, there’s a good chance you might run into one while you’re in the region. Visit the Tahoe Bear League website to learn more about these awesome creatures, and what you can do to keep them—and yourself—safe while you visit.
- Get in the know about bear safety procedures. Properly dispose of your food waste in bear-proof receptacles, store your uneaten food in bear boxes, and remove all trash from your vehicle to prevent break-ins or other run-ins with our wild, forest-roaming friends.
BE FIRE SAFE
- Be in the know about wood, charcoal and other fire safety. Did you know that most wildfires in North Lake Tahoe and throughout California are started by accident? Improper grilling, stray cigarette butts, and all sorts of other forms of human activity can have a devastating impact on the environment. For that reason, it’s important for you to observe outdoor burning protocol.
- Keep up-to-date on Red Flag Warnings. While every fire season warrants caution, some days are more imminently dangerous than others. Red Flag Warning Systems help us to recognize these conditions. It’s a good idea to keep your eyes peeled for warning such as these, and to consider extra caution and care during periods of high fire likelihood.
- Wildfires can break out quickly and they’re a little unpredictable. For that reason, it’s important to be ready for a wildfire evacuation at any time. There’s a lot of things to take into consideration when protecting your health and safety in a wildfire emergency. To arm yourself with knowledge, we encourage you to read our guide on wildfire safety.
Report Observations
Leverage these surveys to report observations at your location.
Instructions:
- Visit the CST home page at citizensciencetahoe.org and click on each survey as needed