| | Dear Friend, Following a trying summer of wildfires, poor air quality and temporary National Forest closure orders in our state, fall feels like an especially welcome respite this year. In the October Issue of our Juniper E-Newsletter, we present a recap of the work Friends of the Inyo's Trail Ambassadors did toward the end of the summer to protect and care for the public lands of the Eastern Sierra despite various challenges; a foretaste of fun outdoor events we have coming up this month and next; an update on our campaign to Protect Conglomerate Mesa; an invitation to enjoy our linguistic blog posts in celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month; and more! Happy reading—and if you like what you read, happy sharing! |
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| | | ALL OUR EVENTS ARE FREE! Fall Colors of the Bodie Hills, 10/9/2021, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Bodie Hills Conservation Partnership and Friends of the Inyo will lead a fall colors tour in the northern portion of the Bodie Hills on Oct 9. The outing will be primarily a driving tour with several stops, including visits to historic mining sites. Photography is encouraged and the trip leader will be pointing out any wildlife encountered along the way. RSVP in advance is required, however, THIS TRIP IS FULL. To put your name on the waiting list (attendance is not guaranteed), please contact Jora@friendsoftheinyo.org. (Also be sure to scroll down to our Collaborative Efforts section below to learn how you can sign up to receive the Bodie Hills Conservation Partnership's Quarterly Newsletter to stay up to date with news about these precious hills right in our backyard.) |
|  | | | | | Come and enjoy Conglomerate Mesa by night and by day with Friends of the Inyo, on a new-moon “Dark Desert Skies Campout” with optional guided hike the following day. This event is FREE, and telescopes will be available, but you must bring your own camping gear, food, water and warm clothes. A high-clearance vehicle with sturdy tires is highly recommended. RSVP is required, as attendance is limited to 30 participants. For more specific details and to sign up, please visit friendsoftheinyo.org/events. |
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| | | | Tens of Thousands of Public Comments Submitted for the Mesa! From July 31st to August 30th, a public scoping comment period was open for Mojave Precious Metals’ (MPM) and its Canadian parent company K2 Gold’s destructive mineral exploration at Conglomerate Mesa. The Ridgecrest Bureau of Land Management received nearly 21,000 public comments: a number of submissions that employees at Friends of the Inyo have never seen in a 30-day public scoping period! While we can’t know exactly what all of the comments say, we are certain that support for protecting Conglomerate Mesa from Mojave Precious Metals and K2 Gold was overwhelming. What’s Next? Through this winter, the Ridgecrest BLM will process all of the comments and prepare a scoping report summarizing their content. Shortly thereafter, it will release the environmental analysis for MPM’s proposal at Conglomerate Mesa. This environmental review will be coupled with another 30-day (or possibly 60-day) comment period. Stay in touch with Friends of the Inyo to receive all the information you need to make your voice heard and to continue to stand for Conglomerate Mesa. If you are not yet a subscriber to the Conglomerate Mesa Newsletter, click here to start receiving it. Together, we will protect the Joshua Trees, our dark desert skies, our remaining wilderness, and the public lands we’ve come to know and love. #ProtectConglomerateMesa |
| |  | From Our Stewardship Director Check out Friends of the Inyo's Stewardship Director Alex Ertaud's September Round-Up blog post, and celebrate with us the wonderful accomplishments of our Trail Ambassadors. They, and Alex, have been busy all summer and into early fall, caring for the public lands of the Eastern Sierra together with our agency partners and, of course, our selfless volunteers. A Great Way to Support Our Amazing
Trail Ambassador Program Is By Giving! Please click here to read a letter from Executive Director Wendy Schneider about the importance of our Trail Ambassadors Program and how you can help support it through the end of the year. |
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| | At Friends of the Inyo, we have been observing the monthlong period from September 15 - October 15, known as National Hispanic Heritage Month by posting a series of fun blog posts about Spanish-language nature and conservation terms that have made their way into the English language, and sharing them on our social media channels. Check them out, as well as posts about other news since our last Juniper at friendsoftheinyo.org/blog. |
|  | Don't forget to read our monthly column, Amigos de Nuestras Tierras (Friends of Our Lands) on the first Thursday of the month at Mono and Inyo Counties' sole Spanish-language weekly, El Sol de la Sierra. |
|  | Do you have ideas for Spanish-language outreach about public lands in the Eastern Sierra? Do you live in Mono or Inyo County and are you interested in learning more about Friends of the Inyo's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts? Let us hear from you! Contact our Communications Director, Louis Medina, by writing to Louis@friendsoftheInyo.org. |
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| | | |  | | | |  |  | Check out the last (Mid-September 2021) Issue of
Every Last Drop, The Keep Long Valley Green Coalition Newsletter - Volume 1, Issue 4 - Mid-September 2021: The Keep Long Valley Green Coalition — Working for Equitable Water Sharing in the Eastern Sierra, a column by Friends of the Inyo Executive Director Wendy Schneider (originally published in early September in the official e-newsletter and blog of Walking Water (www.walking-water.org), which, like KLVG is working to achieve water justice, but whose scope extends beyond the Eastern Sierra to other parts of the United States and the world.
To submit a story or story idea(s), please write to info@keeplongvalleygreen.org. Click here to subscribe - It's FREE! |
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| |  | Check out our Professional Opportunities page at friendsoftheinyo.org/pro! We are looking to fill two positions at the moment: Operations Manager and Desert Lands Organizer. Administration and Community Organizing opportunities available for the right persons. Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko (Pexels) |
| |  | Want to support Friends of the Inyo? Consider making a donation online today! Thank you for your generous support. |
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| Friends of the Inyo appreciates the following organizations and local businesses for their generous sponsorship of our programs: |
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| | | Inyo Mono Alpine County
Cattlemen’s Association |
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| | Remember to update the address to our new location: Friends of the Inyo
621 W. Line St., Suite 201
Bishop, CA 93514 FriendsoftheInyo.org |
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