Tahoe Institute for Natural Science

The Tahoe Institute for Natural Science (TINS) advances our knowledge of, and connects people to, the natural resources of the Tahoe region, ultimately promoting active and informed stewardship of those resources. We have a goal of bringing a world class nature center and environmental education facility to the Tahoe region.

Through applied field research, TINS works collaboratively to help public and private land managers answer the questions that inform management decisions. Research efforts have primarily related to wildlife, and we have worked on a variety of projects to help land managers best care for our resources from a wildlife perspective and in an adaptive framework. Such projects have included wildlife responses to fuels thinning, conifer thinning in aspens stands, dog closures at recreational beaches, and riparian restoration. We are currently working with a large, multi-agency effort to understand the threat of invasive White Satin Moths (Leucoma salicis) to Tahoe's aspen ecosystems.

Our education programs fulfill many needs faced by educators, parents, and a community investing in its future: providing curricula, educational material, and instruction that conforms to California and Nevada education standards, awakening students' curiosity of the natural world and inviting them to become engaged in their immediate natural surroundings, and promoting responsible environmental citizenship by helping students develop the tools they will need to make informed decisions relevant to the Tahoe region's resource issues. We had over 8200 individual student contacts in 2018!

Through outreach and citizen science, we engage the public directly and bring this education to the rest of the community. TINS engages children and adults alike outside the classroom, and allowing for the public access to a deeper natural history experience and a greater comprehension of the region's natural resources and how they can help steward these resources.