A letter from our Executive Director, Caitlin Paulus

For the past 24 years, my father has cared for a very special piece of land in the northern Sierra Nevada’s, just northwest of Lake Tahoe. As soon as the snow melted in the late spring until it snowed again, our family would spend as much time as possible there – camping, cutting trails, thinning trees, and clearing brush to help the ecosystem thrive and protect it from wildfire.

What started as a simple idea, taking the smaller trees that would normally be cut and chipped and donating them to our local church as Christmas trees, has grown into a beloved family tradition of sharing the joy of freshly harvested silvertips.

Working alongside our neighbor Willie, who runs one of the oldest Christmas tree lots in my hometown of Nevada City, my dad, uncle, and cousin spend days tagging, cutting, and hauling hundreds of trees by hand from the wilderness every November.

Donating a portion of these trees to SEEAG has become a meaningful way for our family to give back in the Central Coast communities I now call home. My dad and I are especially grateful for your support in helping these beautiful trees find their way to families who could use a little extra light and joy during the holidays this year.

Happy Holidays and thank you for support of SEEAG

Caitlin Paulus-Case
Executive Director