November 8: Geothermal Energy: The Untapped Renewable Energy Source

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/244427267066900

With the COP26 (The United Nations Climate Summit) only a week behind us, the majority of us think of solar or wind energy when it comes to sustainable and renewable energy sources. One source of rarely mentioned, underutilized renewable energy lies to the east of Truckee, CA in the Great Basin region of the western USA, geothermal energy. Please join Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, on Monday, November 8th to hear Dr. Bridget Ayling speak on unlocking the geothermal energy potential of the Great Basin region. 

Dr. Ayling will review current uses of geothermal energy and share research on 3 critical questions that could help to untap this powerful renewable resource. 

1. Where do these resources exist and why? 

2. How do fluids circulate in geothermal systems?

3. How can we improve our chances of discovering viable geothermal systems for power generation and direct use?

Dr. Ayling is an Associate Professor at the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology and the College of Science at the University of Nevada, Reno, and is the director of UNR’s Great Basin Center for Geothermal Energy. She is responsible for developing research and education programs in the field of geothermal energy, overseeing research to understand the complexities of fluid flow in the upper crust and the implications of this for geothermal resource exploration and development. Prior to joining UNR in 2016, Dr. Ayling was at Geoscience Australia and the Energy and Geoscience Institute at the University of Utah. Dr. Ayling currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International Geothermal Association and on the Earth Resources standing committee for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering. and Medicine. She is also a proud advocate and member of Women in Geothermal (WING), a global organization that exists to support the professional development and empowerment of women in the geothermal sector. Dr. Ayling holds a B.S. with Honors in Geology and Physical Geography from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. She received her Ph.D. in Paleoclimate and Environmental Geochemistry from the Australian National University in 2006.

Please join us on Monday, November 8th at 5:00 PM online at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM. The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM, or log onto YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain. 

The audience will be able to submit questions online during the presentation.

A suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event.  Please donate at www.Tahoesiliconmountain.com

June 14: Truckee Sanitation District the Past Present and Future

Event RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1279001069146794 

Do you ever wonder what lies underneath the town of Truckee other than rock and the occasional opium cellar? According to the Truckee Sanitary District (TSD) there are over 300 miles of sewer pipes and 44 lift stations that protect the public health and environment of our mountain community. Join Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals on Monday, June 14th to hear a presentation on “The Truckee Underground” presented by … 

• General Manager-Chief Engineer of the Truckee Sanitary District, Blake R. Tresan

• Field Worker, Kellen Babb

• Board Clerk, Diane Piccioli

• Administrative Specialist, Vanessa Vindel

Disease ran rampant at the end of the 19th century in Truckee due to poor sanitation. Now thanks to the efforts of TSD, Truckee has a modern waste collection system that helps to preserve the public health and environment. The TSD team will present on the history, current operations, and future challenges associated with this essential local utility provider.

Tresan has been with TSD since 2002 and holds a Master’s Degree in Civil and Environmental

Engineering from UC Davis. Babb has worked for TSD for 13 years and holds state certifications in wastewater collection systems maintenance. Piccioli and Vindel have worked for TSD for 3 and 5 years, respectively.

Please join us on Monday, June 14, at 5:00 PM online at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM. The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM, or log onto YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain. 

The audience will be able to submit questions during the presentation.

A Suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event. Please donate at www.Tahoesiliconmountain.com

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

March 8: Trail Tech: The Yin and The Yang of e-Bikes

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/218191146451367

You are out mountain biking or hiking on a local trail and suddenly a mountain bike zooms past. You think, Wow! That person is an awesome biker. Only later you discover that they were riding an e-bike and you can’t figure out whether to join them or ban them. E-bikes are here to stay and have made the outdoors accessible to many bikers, those who might otherwise not ride or enjoy the trails. E-biking is a controversial subject. In many cases the discussion boils down to should they be banned on the trail or accepted. Join Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, on Monday, March 8th, to hear a panel discuss the technology, benefits, and some of the controversy surrounding mountain e-bikes. Aaron McCready, Tina Butler, and Andrew Buckley will be joining us as panelists. 

Aaron McCready lives in Truckee and manages Shokunin Product Design, a firm that consults on product design for bike and outdoor gear. He designs e-bikes for the company Specialized, and loves riding all types of bikes.

Tina Butler is a lifelong Californian and the Marketing Manager, Gazelle North America. She received her MBA from the Presidio School of Management and spent the majority of her post-grad career largely in e-commerce marketplaces before diving headfirst into the bike industry in 2019. COVID-19 and getting hit by a truck ended Tina's beach volleyball obsession, which was, for better or for worse, replaced by a biking obsession. Currently a mom to four bikes, Tina enjoys riding the roads and trails all over Santa Cruz County, and Placer County in the summertime.

Andrew Buckley has worked in the resort recreation business for the past 35 years and has been instrumental in finding solutions to many growth, operational and leadership issues. Andy has joined Select Contracts from Northstar, California where he was the Sr. Director-Skier Services. Andy spearheaded Northstar’s Bike Park growth strategy by building the terrain/events/teaching strategy tied to a detailed business plan that included the development of a dedicated summer park team applying disciplined use of capital. He believes that Resorts and communities may capitalize on the awe of the mountain experience by offering an exceptional array of four season recreation offerings, which allow true utility of the built and natural asset infrastructure. In his spare time you can find him pedaling a bike on classic Sierra Nevada single-track or sliding skis over the same terrain in winter time.

The panelists will discuss the technology of e-bikes and the yin and the yang e-bikes, some of the reasons for the popularity, as well as some of the negatives associated with mountain e-bikes and the challenges that both sides are facing. The panelists will be local, industry-experts on the topic of mountain biking and are knowledgeable on the impact that e-bikes are having on the industry.  

Please join us on Monday, March 8, at 5:00 PM online at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM. The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM or log onto YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain. 

The audience will be able to submit questions during the presentation.

A suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event.  Please donate at www.Tahoesiliconmountain.com

February 8th: Survival Tactics for Chickadees in the Tahoe Basin

The Tahoe Basin is known for its many different animal species that live in the area. One of the more popular species in the region is the chickadee, with many locals and tourists making the trek to Chickadee Ridge during summer and winter to feed the birds. Aside from the free handouts the birds on chickadee Ridge receive, how do the chickadees survive year-round in the Tahoe Basin? Join Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, on Monday, February 8th, to hear Ben Sonnenberg speak on the Natural Selection and Spatial Cognition in Wild Food-catching mountain chickadees.

Sonnenberg will enlighten the audience on how the chickadees survive the cold snowy winters by storing and retrieving food. The Pravosudov Lab at the University of Nevada, Reno has been working on untangling the secrets behind how mountain chickadees are able to recover their hidden food stores and whether or not these memory abilities are under natural selection. 

Sonnenberg is a fourth year PhD student at the University of Nevada, Reno where he conducts research in the avian cognitive ecology lab focusing on mountain chickadees. His projects include monitoring the spatial learning and memory abilities as well as the reproductive investments of the long-term study population. Ben is a Montana native from Bozeman, Montana and received a Degree in Biology from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. He has worked around the country, including Washington, Nevada, Alaska, and Connecticut conducting avian related research and public outreach.

Please join us on Monday, February 8th, at 5:00 PM online at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM.  The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM Or log onto YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain. 

The audience will be able to submit questions during the presentation.

A Suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event.  Please donate at www.Tahoesiliconmountain.com

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

January 11: Donner Party’s Forlorn Hope Expedition

On December 16, 1846 fifteen members of the Donner Party left Donner Lake to bring back help for the friends and family left at the lake, making for a tragic part of Truckee’s history. Called Forlorn Hope, only seven survived the 33-day ordeal which covered almost 100 miles. These brave survivors spurred the four rescue parties that saved half of the Donner Party.

On December 16, 2020 four extreme athletes (Tim Twietmeyer, Jennifer Hemmen, Bob Crowley, and Elke Reimer) followed the trail of the Donner Party’s Forlorn Hope from Donner State Park to the Sacramento Valley near Wheatland. Join Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, on Monday, January 11th, to hear the story of the team’s journey. Listen to the team’s thoughts on why they think the Forlorn Hope party made the decisions they did and the difficulties the team faced as they made the journey amidst the early snowfalls of the 2020-2021 season.

The trip culminates 7 years of research, both from written word and in-the-field surveys. Multiple trips were made to scout the route the team traveled. The key purpose of the team’s trip was to 1) Discover the lost trail of the Forlorn Hope, 2) Honor the members of the Forlorn Hope Party, and 3) Inspire others to combine history with sport. The team made the trip in 5 days, compared to the 33 days it took the Forlorn Hope party to make the trip. After successfully retracing the steps of the Forlorn Hope Party the team had these comments in their trip blog.

“We walked four across as we neared the end. We saw the small wooden sign hammered into the ground off in the distance, as the wagon road-and we, turned south. Each of us reached into our pocket to reveal the tribute cards we’d carried across the Sierra, over the pass, along the Yuba, in

the shadow of Devil’s Peak and Cisco Butte, by the fateful wrong turn, into the teeth of Burnett Canyon and the North Fork of the American River, up the hill so steep, across the river again, along the Bear River and now here, the place the seven Forlorn Hope survivors had been brought.

As we neared the spot where the adobe house once stood, we gently laid each card down at the base of the sign; reuniting the seventeen members of Forlorn Hope for the first time in 174 years. We felt relief too, our mission accomplished.”

For additional information on the trip, please visit the expeditions website www.forlornhope.org

Please join us on Monday, January 11h, at 5:00 PM online at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM. The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM Or log onto YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain.

The audience will be able to submit questions to the panelists during the presentation.

A Suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event. Please donate at www.Tahoesiliconmountain.com
You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

December 14: Restoring the Truckee River Watershed

Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2452743958388812/

A key part of life in Truckee and Tahoe is the water. Lake Tahoe, the many surrounding smaller lakes, and the rivers, including the Truckee, all add to the quality of life in the Truckee-Tahoe region. But did you know that the Truckee River is considered polluted by the EPA? Join Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, on Monday, December 14th, for a “River talk” with Sue Drake and Beth Christman of the Truckee River Watershed Council. 

The Watershed Council will present on how human impact has damaged the Truckee watershed, and how over the years the watershed council has been managing projects to help reverse the damage and protect the Truckee River for the future generations to come. They will also let the audience know how they can get involved. 

Drake is the Development Director for the Truckee River Watershed Council. Prior to working on protecting the Truckee River, Drake worked in ski resort management at Northstar California and as an environmental consultant and biologist focused on water quality and wildlife protection in the western states. Drake has a B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from University of Montana, Missoula.  

Christman is the Director of Restoration Programs for the Truckee River Watershed Council. She has

been restoring meadows and streams in the local area for over 20 years. Christman has a B.A. degree in Biology from U.C. Santa Cruz and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University.

Please join us on Monday, December 14th, at 5:00 PM online at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM. The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM or log onto YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain. 

The audience will be able to submit questions to the panelists during the presentation.

A suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event.  Please donate at www.Tahoesiliconmountain.com

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

www.truckeeriverwc.org

 

June 8: Virtual Mountain Minds Monday - Climate Change and How to Follow Through

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1463176077191868/

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to host Dr. John Henry Beyer, who will present on Climate Change: its causes, the severity, and how to help mitigate the impact of climate change. Beyer will present during the June 8th virtual Mountain Minds Monday via live stream using the Tahoe Silicon Mountain YouTube Channel.

Beyer will explain the science behind global warming and climate change in a way that is engaging and understandable. By representing large datasets visually, explaining complex concepts in accessible language, and drawing on psychologists’ research on reactions to disturbing information, Beyer will offer us a path forward under what might otherwise feel like insurmountable challenges.

Beyer received his Ph.D. in Geophysics from UC Berkeley, which led to a management career in geophysical exploration of geothermal energy sources for power generation. Beyer has managed geothermal exploration projects in Japan, Indonesia, and the Azores.

More recently Beyer has been involved in research management, developing technologies to mitigate climate change. At the California Energy Commission Beyer managed research focused on increasing efficiency and reducing emissions from electricity generation systems. At Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory he managed research on the geologic storage of carbon dioxide to reduce the carbon dioxide build up in the atmosphere.

Please join us on Monday, June 8, at 5:00 PM on line at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM. The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM Or log into YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain.

A Suggested donation of $5.00 will help TSM to defray the expenses of live streaming the event. Please donate at www.Tahoesiliconmountain.com

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

A big thank you to our Gold Sponsor Holland & Hart Foundation, and our Silver Sponsor MOBO Law, LLP.

May 11: Virtual MMM - Got Plants? How to use IPIA’s to Improve Water Conservation

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/468412030486878/

Virtual Meeting: bit.ly/YouTubeTSM

Tahoe Silicon Mountain a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, will host its May Mountain Minds Monday meeting on May 11, via live stream using the Tahoe Silicon Mountain YouTube Channel.

Please join us online at 5:00PM for a presentation by Peter Stock, VP Marketing/Sales Western Region for EnviroTech Soil Solutions, Inc. and the owner of Peter Stock Press Inc. Stock will focus on using Internally Porous Inorganic Amendments (IPIAs) to improve soils water holding ability, such that 20-30% less irrigation may be needed.

Water as a commodity is becoming more precious every day. Reducing water use and eliminating runoff are two key areas of importance for the Lake Tahoe basin. Stock will present on how IPIAs can be used in all soil conditions to allow a better air-water exchange for a more dynamic soil profile that increases water infiltration, water-holding and drainage. Using IPIAs means less water, less runoff, and a healthier lawn or garden.

Please join us on Monday, May 11, at 5:00 PM online at bit.ly/YouTubeTSM

The event will be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Livestream for this event starts at 5:00 PM on bit.ly/YouTubeTSM. Or log into YouTube and search for Tahoe Silicon Mountain.

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/89675910061

February 10: The Five Mass Extinctions on Earth and the Start of Number Six

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/473378713576092/

Volunteer and attend free! https://signup.com/go/ZqXeaVN

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to welcome Dr. Montana Hodges who will present on mass extinctions and possible links to a sixth mass extinction.

Hodges will discuss the “Big 5” mass extinctions that have happened in the past, and how they have been tied to climate change. One of these major extinctions left a detailed fossil record almost in Truckee’s front yard along the western Sierra Nevada. Each of the extinctions wiped out more than half of all life on earth, sometimes almost all. Hodges will also present biological and climate data that supports the world is in or nearing a sixth mass extinction.

Hodges is a professor at Sierra College and Sierra Nevada College. Hodges received her Ph.D. from the University of Montana, Missoula, and is a paleontologist and Jurassic fossil expert, specializing in the impact of the environment on ecosystems during mass extinctions. When not teaching in The Tahoe Truckee area, Hodges’ works as a paleontologist at Denali National Park, enjoys researching mass extinctions, rescuing dogs, and teaching skiing.

Please join us on Monday, February 10th at Alder Creek Cafe, located at 15275 Alder Creek Road in Tahoe Donner, Truckee. Registration and networking begin at 5:30pm; dinner starts at 5:45pm; and formal introductions begin at 6:15pm. Dinner is available on a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum).

The event will also be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event. Live stream for introductions starts at 6:15 PM with the presentation at 6:45 PM. bit.ly/YouTubeTSM
You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

Feb 11: Hibernate, Hoof It, or Hang Tough: Winter Wildlife Survival

Volunteer and attend free!
http://signup.com/go/rWZWPtl

Tahoe Silicon Mountain, a local network of entrepreneurs and professionals, is pleased to welcome Will Richardson to discuss winter wildlife adaptations in his presentation: “Hibernate, Hoof It, or Hang Tough: Winter Wildlife Survival.”

Richardson will discuss how the different animals of the Tahoe ecosystem combat the elements to make it through the winter. He will delve into where animals go and what they do to survive the cold and the snow to be able to emerge again in the spring.

Richardson is the Co-founder and Executive Director for the Tahoe Institute for Natural Science and received his Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology from the University of Nevada, Reno, studying bird communities in Sierra Nevada aspen habitats.

Please join us at Mountain Minds Monday on Monday February 11th from 6-8pm at Pizza on the Hill, in Tahoe Donner located at 11509 Northwoods Blvd., Truckee. Pizza and salad are available and we use a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum). Before and after the presentation, there will be time for networking.

The event will also be available on YouTube as a livestream and after the event: bit.ly/YouTubeTSM

This month’s event is sponsored by Holland & Hart LLP and Molsby & Bordner, LLP.

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail

Oct 8th: Why Tahoe Gets So Much Wildfire Smoke and How We Can Predict It

RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/2202871636649557/

We are pleased to welcome Neil Lareau to present at Mountain Minds Monday: “Why Tahoe Gets So Much Wildfire Smoke and How We Can Predict It”

Come learn from a physicist why we’ve had so many smoky days in Tahoe and how cutting-edge remote sensors provide new perspectives about wildfires that can help us advance our ability to predict their impacts on society.

Neil Lareau, Assistant Professor of physics at the University of Nevada, Reno, will explain the inner workings of destructive and extreme fire behaviors like fire tornadoes, 130+ mph winds, and pyrocumulus clouds that can reach 40,000 feet into the atmosphere.

Mountain Minds Monday will be held on Monday, October 8^th from 6-8 pm at Pizza on the Hill, in Tahoe Donner located at 11509 Northwoods Blvd., Truckee. Pizza and salad are available and we use a pay-what-you-can model ($5 minimum). Before and after the presentation, there will be time for networking.

The event will also be livestreamed and available online as it happens on YouTube: bit.ly/YouTubeTSM

This month’s event is sponsored by Holland & Hart LLP, Molsby & Bordner, LLP, Mountain Workspace, and Heads Up Health.

You can find us at TahoeSiliconMountain.com or sign up for email meeting announcements here: http://bit.ly/TSMEmail