Friends of the Inyo | The Juniper for August 2020

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Hello

It's no secret that the Eastern Sierra is a very special place. And I believe that this summer we are all itching to get out of our homes and find some respite in our favorite outdoor spaces. But with increased visitation, comes an increased challenge to manage that traffic. Trailheads and trails are more crowded than ever, trash cans are overflowing, and parking lots are being used as campsites. This is hard to see and we share in your frustration as well. Rest assured that our trio of Trail Ambassadors led by our Stewardship Director, Alex, have been working incredibly hard to care for your public lands.

In this month's issue of the Juniper, you can read read Alex's August Stewardship Updates in his blog Post below. We are also happy to officially announce that we are recipients of the 2020 Wild and Scenic Rivers Stewardship Partnership Funding Award enabling us to do lots of great work in the Owens River watershed.

I'm also excited to share "Birds & Blossoms in the Bodie Hills," a virtual outing led by FOI's own Jora Fogg, and Nora Livingston from the Mono Lake Committee. And we are hosting another virtual event "Sport Fishing in the Eastern Sierra," presented by our Trail Ambassador, Lindsay Butcher.

Finally, we are just over half way to reaching our goal of raising $20,000 to save Conglomerate Mesa. An anonymous donor has offered to match $10,000 in donations. Your donation will go twice as

Sincerely,

Kyle Hamada
Communications Director

August Stewardship Update & Highlights

They say time flies when you’re having fun, and that certainly applies to our stewardship activities this summer. Along with fellow Trail Ambassadors Lindsay Butcher and Julia Tawney, our trio has been out and about lopping overgrown trails, bucking logs off of trails, interacting with and educating the public, and packing out all trash we find on trail or at the trailheads. Read the latest updates from our Stewardship Team in Alex's blog post.

2020 Wild and Scenic Rivers
Stewardship Partnership Funding Award

Friends of the Inyo received a grant to perform restoration work in the Owens River Headwaters Wild & Scenic River Area. Our work is focused on improving riparian habitat and stream quality, as well as sharing the area with a wider audience, particularly in the local schools. FOI has a history of involvement in the Owens River Headwaters, having worked to protect it from development and promoted its designation as wilderness. Our Trail Ambassador, Julia Tawney, will be putting together a series of videos and webinars for the public to learn about the history, geology, and flora and fauna of this special area. Keep your eyes out for more information on those videos and virtual events coming soon.

Learn More

Birds and Blossoms in the Bodie Hills

In partnership with the Bodie Hills Conservation Partnership, Friends of the Inyo helped create this virtual outing to the Bodie Hills. This video features Friends of the Inyo's own, Jora Fogg, and Nora Livingston from the Mono Lake Committee, to highlight some of the wonderful values we are seeking to protect in the Bodie Hills. We hope you enjoy the video!

Watch the Video

Conglomerate Mesa is Under Threat

We’ve gained a lot of momentum from the first donations over the past few days, but we still need your help. An anonymous donor was so inspired by our fight for Conglomerate Mesa that he offered to match the next $10,000 in donations! That means that your generous donation will go twice as far to help us reach our $20,000 goal.

Help us reach our $20,000 Goal

To make sure K2 does not secure permission to drastically expand drilling and devastate the Mesa with roads, we need to demonstrate to BLM that the Mesa instead deserves protection from such exploitation. This will require us to hire scientists, lawyers and other professionals. We need $20,000 to secure effective help.

Double Your Donation

Conglomerate Mesa Featured in Blog Post
by the Conservation Lands Foundation

As part of Conservation Lands Foundation's #ILoveCADesert campaign, Conglomerate Mesa was featured in a blog post on their website. Click on the button to read our Love Note to Conglomerate Mesa and to learn more about Conservation Lands Foundation.

"I encourage you to share your own Love Note for the California Desert. Even though we can’t visit many of these important places right now, we can still appreciate and advocate for our favorite public lands and parks from afar. Share your Love Note on social media, tag @ConservationLands, and include #ILoveCADesert in your post."

- Conservation Lands Foundation

Learn More

As restrictions are lifted in coming months and both residents and visitors alike begin to return to public lands to recreate, it is important to keep in mind some best practices to recreate responsibly. Here are a few resources to help inform you if and when you decide to recreate in the Eastern Sierra again:

Virtual Event: Sport Fishing in the Eastern Sierra

Wednesday, Aug 19th at 4pm - 5:30pm

Join Trail Ambassador, Lindsay Butcher, for a virtual presentation on the development of sport fishing, the evolution of the department of fish and wildlife, and the impact on native aquatic species of the Sierra Nevada.

*NOTE: Information regarding joining the Zoom Meeting will be provided to you upon registering for the event. Please save this information to join the meeting later.

About the Presenter:

Lindsay joins us this year as a Trail Ambassador, working from Lone Pine up to June Lake. After having run away from her real life of working multiple vintages making wine in California and Australia, she worked and played in Yosemite National Park, making her home here in the Eastern Sierra.

Reminder: New Office Location

I'd like to remind you that we have moved from our previous location on Barlow Lane to a new downtown office on West Line Street. Please also take a moment to update our address in your contact records so that all donations and correspondence will go to the right address.