Stateline, Nevada/Lake Tahoe – On a recent holiday weekend, hundreds of visitors snapped selfies with a two-legged bear while sledding at Lake Tahoe.

The “Take Care” bear mingled with families reminding them to throw away their broken sleds, rather than leaving them littered on the snow. A new billboard just went up in Folsom, California with the same message.

In the ongoing quest to encourage responsible recreation, the Take Care Tahoe program is making an aggressive push to educate visitors and locals about the importance of picking up trash and taking care of Lake Tahoe’s environment. The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Tahoe Fund, and Lake Tahoe Visitors Authority are funding the new billboard with the #NoSledLeftBehind message.

“When we see discarded sled pieces and cigarette butts littering the snow and trails, it tells us that we need to do a better job educating the public on how to enjoy Tahoe responsibly,” said Joanne S. Marchetta, executive director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. “We want the millions of visitors who come to Tahoe to become part of the solution to protect this special place.”

Earlier this month the Nevada Division of Transportation (NDOT) picked up nearly 2,000 pounds of trash of broken sleds and debris at Spooner Summit, a gateway entrance to Lake Tahoe. This cleanup followed a post-New Year’s haul of 2,000 pounds of trash including diapers and broken sleds.

Trash is just one of the issues that the collaborative Take Care Tahoe group addresses to encourage stewardship and responsible recreation while visiting and traveling to Lake Tahoe. The group uses humorous messages like, “No Sled Left Behind” to combat trashed sledding sites and “Be #1 at picking up #2” to remind people to pick up dog waste.

The new billboard will complement the messaging on a similar digital billboard on I-80 Eastbound in Colfax, California. The digital billboards will be active throughout the winter season, regularly cycling through the campaign’s humorous but informative messages.

The concept for the Take Care Tahoe campaign was developed by a collective group of more than 30 organizations that love Lake Tahoe and want to see more people connect with the beautiful natural environment. Via the Take Care Tahoe website, visitors and residents can find out more about Earth Day festivals, beach cleanups, nature walks and more. There are also signs throughout the Lake Tahoe Basin with friendly reminders about how to be good stewards. The campaign was developed by the creative team of Nate Laver and Meg Seigal and is directed by BRONTOSAURUS! Los Angeles.

Learn more about Take Care Tahoe online at takecaretahoe.org or via Instagram @takecaretahoe.

Caption: The Take Care Bear poses with a child while sledding at Spooner Summit.

Photo courtesy of the Tahoe Fund

Caption: Take Care Tahoe billboard along U.S. Hwy 50 in Folsom to encourage stewardship and responsible recreation while visiting and traveling to Lake Tahoe.

Photo courtesy of the Tahoe Fund

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency leads the cooperative effort to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural and human environment of the Lake Tahoe Region, while improving local communities, and people’s interactions with our irreplaceable environment. For additional information, contact Chris Larson, Public Information Officer, at 775-589-5278.

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