![On May 20, Tahoe Donner partnered with the Sugar Pine Foundation and local volunteers to plant 240 western white pines and 120 red firs in a fire-damaged area of Tahoe Donner in Truckee, Calif. (Courtesy photo)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/05/DSC_0035.jpg")
TRUCKEE, Calif. (May 22, 2015) – Headed by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI), approximately 40 organizations across the United States and Canada came together on May 20 with a goal to plant over 200,000 trees simultaneously in one hour in an effort to break a world record for a cause.
Tahoe Donner partnered with the Sugar Pine Foundation and local volunteers to plant 240 western white pines and 120 red firs in a fire-damaged area of Tahoe Donner. The Tahoe Donner team successfully planted all trees well within the hour limit. The seedlings are generally resistant to blister rust fungus, which has devastated forests in the western United States and Canada.
“We were hoping we would get a good turnout, but we never expected so much local support,” said Bill Houdyschell, Tahoe Donner Forester. “We had a total of 69 participants, including children from local schools. I truly am excited we had this opportunity to plant rust-resistant trees. In addition to the world record challenge, we returned something to the environment that should have been here all along.”
In total, 1,100 individuals participated across four time zones with groups ranging in size from 25 to 100 participants. According to SFI, the group initiative to plant over 200,000 trees was successfully completed in one hour’s time. An official confirmation from Guinness World Records is expected within six to eight weeks.
About SFI
SFI is an independent, non-profit organization that aims to make the world a better place by promoting sustainable forest management through standards, research, conservation partnerships and community building. Visit www.sfiprogram.org for more information.
About Tahoe Donner Forestry
The Tahoe Donner Forestry Department is dedicated to maintaining the health of the forest within the association’s 7,000 acres while minimizing the threat of forest fires. Forester Bill Houdyschell and his team are nationally regarded as leaders in their field and manage a variety of programs detailed in the pages listed to the left.
About Tahoe Donner
Tahoe Donner is one of America’s largest homeowner’s associations, with nearly 6,500 properties and 25,000 members enjoying over 7,000 acres in the Sierra Nevada. Tahoe Donner is a vibrant community with a passion for outdoor recreation and a celebration of the Tahoe lifestyle.
Located 15 minutes from Lake Tahoe in Truckee, California, Tahoe Donner operates a wide variety of recreational facilities – some which are for members only and others which are also open to the general public. These amenities can be explored in detail at Tahoedonner.com.
For more information on Tahoe Donner, as well as its recreational facilities and events, please visit tahoedonner.com or call 530-587-9400. ‘Like’ Tahoe Donner on Facebook at facebook.com/tahoedonner and follow Tahoe Donner on Twitter @tahoedonner and Instagram @TahoeDonnerAssociation.
