Thinking with the Heart:
Went to the Desert for the Wildflowers,
Came Back Blessed with a Gift!

The desert was blooming in mid/late-May, so I decided to go and take photos of wildflowers. Drove down US 395 from Bishop to Lone Pine, turned east onto CA-136 south of town at the Eastern Sierra Visitor Center, later, onto CA-190 toward Death Valley and went as far as the Father Crowley Overlook and turned around. Snapped pictures along the way, and when I got back to the turnoff for the tiny mining town of Darwin, I decided to go and take a look. I had never been there before.

It was just as I had pictured it: weathered, sun-bleached, forlorn. The town's population has been dwindling: from 53 in the 2000 U.S. Decennial Census, to 43 in 2010, to 36 in 2020. It feels like a town that is barely hanging on.

But those who remain in Darwin have a strong sense of community. I had heard that the post office was the town's gathering spot, so that's where I headed. Indeed, there are chairs and a bench permanently placed outside it where locals with a rough-hewn charm gather to chat, share news, and gossip. Nearby, there are also shelves and boxes full of items free for the taking: canned foods, clothes, books, knick-knacks. Neighbors looking out for one another. 

There are also a couple of community bulletin boards. A flier pinned on one of them caught my eye: "Free! Adorable 5-week-old kittens need a good home. Sweet, playful, gray tabbies. Beautiful markings! 2 females, 1 male, litter box trained, affectionate, healthy."

I thought with my heart.

There was a number to call, but I had no bars on my cell phone. Not a problem: The one bearded local who was hanging out on the bench pointed to a fenced lot down the hill from the post office where there were two trailers. An elderly woman came out of one and let me in the gate. A man who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties came out of the other. They were taking care of the kittens and other animals that had been left with them by a woman who had just moved out of town the night before. Neighbors looking out for one another's pets.

I took the boy, as I already had two females (Buttonwillow and Phoenix, a calico and a Russian blue mix) and a male (Rescue, a white and orange tabby I've written about in a past issue of The Juniper). Good way to even out the pride. The kitten is just as the flier described him: adorable, sweet, playful, with beautiful markings, litter box trained, affectionate, and healthy.

The Eastern Sierra is full of surprises: from the beauty of its natural wonders to the kindness of its nature-loving, down-to-earth folks, sparsely spread out from the desert to the slopes. 

Another surprise: Unbeknownst to me at the time of the kitten's homecoming, May was/is "National Be Kind to Animals Month." That sentiment should apply year round, whether we are talking about wild or domesticated animals. In the case of cats in particular, it is kindest to keep them indoors—for their own sake as well as for the health of the environment: They are hunters of small wildlife by nature (mammals, reptiles, birds and bugs), and are themselves predated upon by coyotes, bobcats, birds of prey and other wild animals. 

I learned a hard lesson last July, when Groom, my domestic short-haired black cat with beautiful green eyes went missing. A couple of nights later and through the following weeks, the howling of coyotes near my West Bishop home confirmed what was most likely his demise. Until then, my cats had been indoor/outdoor. No longer.

The kitten just had his first vet visit and shots and will be neutered later this month. Cat and dog overpopulation control is important. My hope is that he will thrive as an indoor cat together with the others, and live a long, happy, fulfilled life.

And as a forever reminder of his colorful desert roots, his name is, of course, Darwin.  

#WildfireResilienceWeek Raging Now through June 8!  

In partnership with Mono and Inyo Counties, our friends at Whitebark Institute are hosting a weeklong series of events across the Eastern Sierra (see e-poster above) to help cultivate wildfire-resilient communities using effective wildfire risk reduction strategies. The goal is to equip residents with realistic and actionable steps to defend themselves and their homes from wildfires, while at the same time fostering collective action within individual communities and our entire region.

Friends of the Inyo commends our community partners for doing this important work just as summer is getting underway, and encourages Eastern Sierra community members who have not yet been to a Wildfire Resilience Week event, to participate in at least one of the several still left so they can gain a comprehensive understanding of wildfire resilience strategies and to connect with fellow residents and experts in the field. 

Scan the QR code, or click on the e-poster above or on this link, to get more details and learn how to participate. 

In the photo below, Calfire Captain Stan Nelson and his crew gave a demonstration Friday, May 31, in Mustang Mesa, to show locals how CalFire might approach defending homes during a blaze, and explained in great detail what is important for effective home hardening and building defensible space around a home. This North Inyo County Firewise event was part of Wildfire Resilience Week in Inyo and Mono Counties. The event was well attended and most enlightening. 

Kevin Kiley at FOI!

FOI Staff received a visit from CA 3rd District Congressman Kevin Kiley on Sunday, May 26. In the photo, left to right, are Jaime Lopez Wolters, FOI Desert Lands Organizer; Allison Weber, FOI Forest and Water Policy Director; Congressman Kevin Kiley; and Joseph Miller, FOI Indigenous Community Relations Coordinator. 

It isn't every day that a Congressional Representative visits Friends of the Inyo, but on Memorial Day Weekend Sunday, May 26, California's 3rd District Congressman Kevin Kiley did just that. The Congressman, who was visiting with constituents in the Eastern Sierra while participating in Bishop’s annual Mule Days festivities and Memorial Day observances, took the time to drop by FOI's Bishop Office, talk to our staff, and listen to our environmental protection concerns.

California’s 3rd District in the House of Representatives is the most geographically diverse district in our state, spanning most of the California-Nevada border; it includes Plumas, Sierra, Nevada, Placer, Alpine, Mono, and Inyo Counties, as well as parts of Yuba, El Dorado, and Sacramento Counties. 

Friends of the Inyo's Forest and Water Policy Director, Allison Weber, shared the following sentiments:

"We are grateful to Congressman Kiley and his team for making the time to meet with us while in the area, and were happy to host them at our Bishop office, where we shared the work we spearhead in both Mono and Inyo Counties and the surrounding federal lands, the coalitions and initiatives we are proud to support, and, of course, the must-see sites in the Eastern Sierra." Knowing that Kiley is a Rocklin, California resident who has not had much opportunity to enjoy the vast and diverse natural beauty and culture of the Eastern Sierra, Weber said, "We hope to help remedy this in the future by taking the Congressman and his team on field tours to some of the key destinations in our working area, whether it be to the beautiful alpine high country where we do our stewardship work, or to the unique locations where we are protecting wildlife habitat and our main economic driver, recreation, from mineral exploration and extraction, such as the Bodie Hills, Hot Creek, and Conglomerate Mesa. 

"The Congressman expressed support for protection of the natural beauty and recreation economy of the Eastern Sierra," she said, "as well as a desire to help build further connections with federal agencies as needed. We offered our heartfelt appreciation for the Congressman’s previous work to introduce House Resolution 3427, Mono Lake Kutzadikaa Tribe Recognition Act, and were pleased to hear him reiterate his dedication to moving this and other local Tribal initiatives forward. We look forward to continuing to share information and updates with the Congressman’s office as we keep on doing what we do best – building relationships and advocating for our and our partners' work to protect the lands and waters of the Eastern Sierra."

From FOI's Leadership

LADWP's reluctance to engage with the concerns of local stakeholders raises questions about equity and environmental justice in water management practices. Last year, Los Angeles relied heavily on water from Payahuunadü: We supplied nearly 70% of the City’s water. This is double the yearly average in preceding years, usually between 30 and 40%. This shift has occurred even though Los Angeles has made a meaningful move towards localized water sourcing and conservation efforts within the city. Clearly, Payahuunadü has been left out of this progress. Instead, Los Angeles is decreasing the amount of water it is acquiring from other sources. 

A century of water extraction has taken a heavy toll on Payahuunadü, with LADWP falling short on performing most of the court-mandated measures to mitigate its environmental impact. Dust pollution continues to pose a threat to human health. In response to these persistent challenges, Friends of the Inyo has joined with the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission and the Sierra Club to form the Eastern Sierra Water Alliance. Our Alliance has launched a water justice campaign to unite water advocates in Owens Valley and hold LADWP accountable to our people and ecosystems. We submitted detailed technical comments, raising concerns and making suggestions, in response to LADWP’s 2024/2025 water extraction plan. The agency did not acknowledge, much less respond, to us. 

As we navigate the complex landscape of water governance in our area, it is imperative that public voices are not only heard but actively incorporated into decision-making processes. The future of water sustainability in the Eastern Sierra hinges on collaborative, inclusive approaches that consider the needs of both urban centers and rural communities alike. ESWA will continue to work toward this goal.

2024 Trail Ambassadors

We are proud to introduce this year's team of Trail Ambassadors! Trail Ambassadors are highly visible on the trails of the ranger districts where they are assigned, and, besides doing important trail maintenance and restoration work in support of the Inyo and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests (INF & HTNF), they also educate trail users on how to best recreate responsibly, provide interpretive talks and hikes, engage the public in volunteer public lands stewardship events, and provide a presence on the ground. Some of them like working for Friends of the Inyo so much, they are back for their second or even third summer season with us. The schedule of the hikes and other activities they will lead, will be posted at FriendsoftheInyo.org/Events later this month. Please help us in welcoming them!

FREE Online Series

Session Six of Walking Water's Yearlong FREE Online Water Learning Series focused on Los Angeles is scheduled for 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 13. This session welcomes Carlos Moran, Senior Program Manager with the Council for Watershed Health. Click on the button below, or the image above, to register. 

NOTE: If you're still undecided about attending Walking Water's online series, read the following first-person account by FOI's Water Justice Organizer, Lauren Kelly, about her experience at a live Eastern Sierra event organized last month by Walking Water. We hope it will encourage you to engage with Walking Water and Friends of the Inyo in water justice, in either a learning or advocacy capacity. 

Report from the Waters

A walk around Patsiata (Owens Lake) on May 18, was part of the first local Walks of Resilience and Accountability organized by our friends at Walking Water and the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission. Friends of the Inyo participated, of course. 

On May 18th and 19th, Walking Water and the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission held their first Walks of Resilience and Accountability in Payahuunadü. Until now, these Walks have taken place twice a year along the Los Angeles River. People from Payahuunadü usually drive down to Tovaangar, also known as Los Angeles, to connect with Angelenos and discuss the impacts of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s water extraction. However, for the Walks this spring, people from Tovaangar drove up to Payahuunadü for a change. This included many representatives from groups like Accelerate Resilience L.A., Heal the Bay, and Spherical. The Owens Valley Indian Water Commission graciously welcomed this group onto Nüümü and Newe homelands. Almost 40 people participated in this weekend of building relationships, asking questions, and planning for a more just water future. 

On the first day, we walked a route around the northern end of Patsiata, also known as Owens Lake. On the second day, we met at the Fish Springs Trout Hatchery and then walked to Three Creeks, the sanctuary that recently returned to Indigenous ownership and stewardship. Across the weekend, we talked about the historical and ongoing oppression faced by the Native tribes of Payahuunadü. We also learned about some of the incredible activities and programs built by the Three Creeks Collective to support Native folks in the valley. To learn more and get involved, please join us at the next Walks of Resilience and Accountability this October, back along the L.A. River! We will share details with everyone closer to the date.

– Lauren, Water Justice Organizer with Friends of the Inyo

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