Guests boarding the TERC research vessel

UC Davis Summer Session in Tahoe

The inaugural UC Davis Summer Session in Tahoe is scheduled for June 5, June 12, and June 14, 2023 with an additional docent-specific session on June 16, 2023. This summer session is designed to provide everyone with an opportunity to become a Tahoe expert and learn about all the latest research from the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center. This 3-day summer session includes engaging discussions with local experts regarding the cultural and environmental history of Lake Tahoe, the geology at Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevadas, and the history and latest research happening at Lake Tahoe. Our goal for the session is provide comprehensive environmental education for anyone wanting to learn more. This session additionally serves as a feeder opportunity for our volunteer docent program. The additional docent-specific session will emphasize leadership skills that act as a refresher for current docents and provides new docents with all the instruction they will need to help the public explore our science education centers. 

This summer session is $250 for all participants seeking to become a Tahoe Expert. If you are planning to volunteer as a TERC docent, the entire charge will be refunded upon completion of 30 volunteer hours.

For more information about the summer session, please contact Education and Outreach Manager Alison Toy (antoy@ucdavis.edu).

Register here

  • 2023 Summer Session at Tahoe Flyer 
  • 2023 Summer Session at Tahoe Draft Agenda
    • Session 1 (June 5, 2023): Welcome and Introductions, Lake Tahoe 101, and Current Research of Lake Tahoe
    • Session 2 (June 12, 2023): Geology of Lake Tahoe, Tahoe Forests, Tahoe Science Center tour, and Forest ecology hike
    • Session 3 (June 14, 2023): Research Vessel excursions
    • Session 4 (June 16, 2023) optional: Docent program overview, Tahoe Science Center exhibits overview, Tahoe Science Center meta tour, and docent social hour

Docent Program

Do you love Lake Tahoe? Join a group of individuals who are helping to provide the best in science education and foster stewardship throughout the Tahoe Basin. The UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center coordinates a volunteer docent program to connect the talents of community volunteers to the needs and interests of visitors and students.
           
After completing your docent training program, you will be able to select subject areas and responsibilities. The range of activities available to docents is varied. Examples of opportunities include:

  • Assist visitors with hands-on science activities
  • Be available to explain the science center exhibits to visitors
  • Provide tours of the Tahoe Science Center, Incline Village
  • Provide tours of the Eriksson Education Center, Tahoe City
  • Provide green building tours of the Tahoe Center for Environmental Sciences, Incline Village
  • Assist in outreach programs for schools and community events
  • Work in the Docent Office i.e. filing, typing, mailings, phone and e-mail correspondence

We currently attract thousands of visitors, locals, and tourists to the UC Davis Tahoe Science Center every year. Our volunteer docents help visitors have an entertaining, educational experience through which they will learn about Lake Tahoe and the environmental problems affecting it. Our program offers docents unlimited opportunities for enrichment, public outreach, and personal satisfaction.

For more information about our TERC Docent program visit: https://tahoe.ucdavis.edu/docents