| | | | Dear Friend, Last month, my predecessor, Kyle Hamada, said farewell as Communications Director of Friends of the Inyo. Fortunately, our organization will still be able to turn to him for assistance and guidance as a Consultant. This month, it's my turn to say hello. I was welcomed warmly by the FOI Staff and Board in late June, and feel privileged to be a part of an organization involved in protecting and caring for the Eastern Sierra - Payahuunadu. I believe that my nearly 20-year trajectory in nonprofit work has brought me to a place where I can take part in what I believe is the most urgent task humanity has been given in our lifetime: to try to undo the bad climate karma we have brought upon ourselves, our non-human neighbors, and the planet as a whole. My aim is to amplify the voice of Friends of the Inyo, as well as the local land stewards, scientists, advocates, and native inhabitants who are partnering with us, to inspire others to also care for Payahuunadu until it can be restored to the loveliness of its original Paiute name: "the land of flowing water." As a native Spanish speaker (I was born in El Salvador), I am also looking forward to helping FOI with the launch of Spanish-language outreach and the expansion of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts. In this issue of The Juniper, you will be asked to exercise the power of your pocketbook to help fight destructive mining in three of our public lands; check out upcoming education, exploration and volunteering events; learn about our hard-working Trail Ambassadors; and more. Happy reading--and if you like what you read, happy sharing! | | | | | | | | UPCOMING EVENTS! Some of the following events are hosted by Friends of the Inyo, some by our partners. All help further our mission: To ensure the public lands of the Eastern Sierra exist in an intact, healthy natural state for people and wildlife through preservation, stewardship, exploration and education. We encourage you to engage in these activities. | | | | | | JULY 7 - 10:
Four FREE Film Screenings of Manzanar Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust (84 mins), by InterSection Films, directed and produced by Ann Kaneko and produced by Jin Yoo-Kim. All screenings will be accompanied by a panel featuring local community organizers. The film recounts more than 150 years of history, showing how this distant valley is tied to the city of Los Angeles. It reveals the forced removals of two peoples–the Nüümü (Paiute) and the Newe (Shoshone) who were marched out of the Valley in the 1860s, and the Japanese Americans who were forcibly brought here from their West Coast homes and incarcerated in a World War II concentration camp: Manzanar. Click on the appropriate link below for your area for more details: July 7th, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. - In Lee Vining July 8th, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m. - In Bishop July 9th, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. - In Big Pine July 10th, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. - In Lone Pine
July 17, starting at 8 a.m.:
Bodie Mountain Summit Hike. Click here for details, required RSVP, and waiver. Space is limited.
July 24, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.:
Rock Creek Lakes Cleanup. Click here for details, required RSVP, and waiver. Space is limited.
Later this Summer/Fall | | | | | |  | | | | | | |  | June Stewardship Roundup of our Trail Ambassadors' Work...
And More!!! The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines ambassador as an authorized representative or messenger. That is exactly what our Trail Ambassadors are: Through their work and their words, they are authorized representatives of Friends of the Inyo, whose aim is to protect and care for the Eastern Sierra, and they are true "leave no trace" messengers to public lands users. Check out Stewardship Director Alex Ertaud's latest blog post about the positive impact our Trail Ambassadors, together with our Volunteers and Partners, have made so far this summer. Happy trails! | | | | | |  | New Interactive Story Map on the Protect Conglomerate Mesa Website A desert landscape may look hostile and even barren to many, but it is teeming with life. It is also a repository of irreplaceable geological, paleontological and anthropological knowledge. Visit protectconglomeratemesa.com to access a brand-new interactive story map created by Maria Jesus, a graduate student at California Botanic Garden and a Protect Conglomerate Mesa Coalition member, to get an idea of all the treasures that will be lost if open-pit mining is allowed on Conglomerate Mesa. | | | |  | | | | | | |  | Keep Long Valley Green Coalition & Newsletter! The Keep Long Valley Green Coalition continues to pressure the Los Angeles Dept. of Water and Power to give the tribes, recreationists, ranchers and other Payahuunadu (Eastern Sierra) stakeholders "a seat at the table" regarding use of our region's water. Very soon, we will be launching a new series titled Every Last Drop: Exposés on the L.A. / Eastern Sierra Water Wars, by local author Jamie Della, to tell the many stories of our coalition members' experiences with LADWP. Please reach out to us if you have a story to share! We will close every issue with a request for your help: - The Keep Long Valley Green coalition believes LADWP should give the people, economy, and ecosystems of Payahuunadu a seat at the table. It is time for a shared water ethic. We want to flood Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office with letters saying we know that DWP can meet the water needs of the people of Los Angeles AND decrease its take from the Eastern Sierra. It's time for them to do it!
We invite you to visit the Keep Long Valley Green page on Friends of the Inyo's website to learn more. The KLVG Coalition's official website is KeepLongValleyGreen.org. Also be sure to sign up for the Every Last Drop Newsletter by clicking on the button below. NOTE: To submit a story or story idea(s), please write to info@friendsoftheinyo.org. | | | | | |  | Because Our Work of
Protecting and Caring for the Eastern Sierra
Never Stops! In between the monthly issues of the Juniper, we keep our readers updated in real time with blog posts at the bottom of the friendsoftheinyo.org home page, as well as our Stewardship and Policy pages. As the graphic suggests, all you have to do is scroll down to find the latest "news gems" at the bottom of those pages! | | | | For example, in a letter received in June but not in time to be included in the June issue of the Juniper, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power let Friends of the Inyo know it was halting premature groundwater pumping at Owens Lake, referencing our advocacy letter submitted during the comments period in March. Other examples of important blog posts uploaded onto our website in the last month include: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | Want to support Friends of the Inyo? Consider making a donation online today! Thank you for your generous support. | | | | | | | | Friends of the Inyo appreciates the following organizations and local businesses for their generous sponsorship of our programs: | | | | | | | | | | Inyo Mono Alpine County
Cattlemen's Association | | | | | | Remember to update the address to our new location: Friends of the Inyo
621 W. Line St., Suite 201
Bishop, CA 93514 Friendsoftheinyo.org | | | | Like and follow us on social media: | | | | | | |
