Sierra Speaker Series: The King of Pines in Peril
In partnership with California State Parks and the Nevada County Library, the monthly Sierra Speaker Series connects folks to the rich cultural and natural history of the area, and at this presentation, Maria Mircheva will talk specifically Sugar Pine, the King of Pines. Join us at Donner Memorial State Park Visitor Center to learn and engage!
Sugar pine is known as the King of Pines for its size and the beauty of its giant pine cones. Sugar pines used to be about 25% of the local forests, but are less than 5% now. This is due to historic logging, fire suppression which favors other species, and a non-native invasive fungus called White Pine Blister Rust. Come learn about the effort to bring back sugar pines to Tahoe!
Maria Mircheva first volunteered to climb trees for the Sugar Pine Foundation in 2006. In 2007 after the Angora Fire, Maria took over the daily operation and became the Executive Director. For the past 18 years, she organized the planting of over 250,000 trees. Maria holds a BA in Business Economics and a Master's in Environmental Science from UC Santa Barbara.
