Celebrate 25 years of conservation and community

Since 2001, people like you have protected vital lands, ranches, and wildlife in Eastern California For over two decades, conservation supporters and local community members have trusted the Eastern Sierra Land Trust to protect the vital lands that are home to people and wildlife. Today, 25 years later, we are celebrating nearly 24,000 acres that are protected forever because people like you decided to make a difference. From the founding members …continue reading

Allie Rigby2026-04-15T10:44:22-07:00April 15th, 2026|Blog|

How is Black Lake Preserve an ecological lifeline...

Spring is one of the most magical times of year in the Eastern Sierra: migration season. The wetlands at Black Lake Preserve become a birding hotspot. The pollinator garden begins to wake up, with fresh blooms that support bees, butterflies, moths, and hummingbirds. And the skies are alive with movement and sound. Birds are making moves. They are singing, building nests, and showing off in brilliant displays of color and sound. In …continue reading

Gena Wood2026-04-14T11:51:53-07:00April 14th, 2026|Blog|

Local ranchers and farmers can restore grasslands to...

In the spring and summer, if you drive up the 395, you may be surprised by the lush meadows you see on the valley floor, which look quite different from the sagebrush and Pinyon Juniper woodlands at higher elevations. Oftentimes, those meadows are the result of centuries of committed land stewards irrigating these areas for agricultural use. Tribal flood irrigation is even older. Indigenous Tribes, including the Owens Valley Paiute, have …continue reading

Allie Rigby2026-03-10T16:47:10-07:00March 4th, 2026|Blog|

Fava beans grow well in the winter garden managed by the team at the Bishop Paiute Tribe's Food Sovereignty Program.

How food sovereignty can build community and deepen...

On a windy afternoon in January, Masha Bluestein swings open the wooden door of the cob seed house, where hundreds of seeds are sorted into various glass jars. As the Garden and Nutrition Educator, Bishop Paiute Tribe, Bluestein knows the power of a single seed–let alone the power of hundreds of seeds. The cob house makes sense as a place to store seeds: the seeds stay warm in winter and cool …continue reading

Gena Wood2026-01-16T16:53:33-08:00January 13th, 2026|Blog|

Eastern Sierra Land Trust awarded a 2025 grant...

Bishop, California — Eastern Sierra Land Trust is pleased to announce that it has received an award from the Land and Climate Grant Program managed by the Land Trust Alliance and Open Space Institute. The funds from this grant are meant to allow land trusts or other conservation organizations to incorporate climate science into strategic land protection and stewardship efforts, harnessing the land’s natural ability to capture and store carbon. …continue reading

Allie Rigby2025-12-23T13:45:28-08:00December 23rd, 2025|Blog|

Building Momentum for Conservation with Land Trust Alliance...

This week, our Executive Director, Mark Drew, is spending time in Washington, D.C., participating in Land Trust Alliance Advocacy Days — an annual gathering where land trust leaders from across the country come together to advocate for policies that support conservation, working lands, and local communities. Day 1 Highlights One of the highlights of the trip so far was a meaningful meeting with Aubrey Bettencourt, the …continue reading

Darlene Schuetz2025-12-23T10:26:00-08:00May 7th, 2025|Blog|

ESLT Receives CCLT Project Advancement Grant

BISHOP, CA: Eastern Sierra Land Trust (ESLT) is excited to announce it has been awarded a 2024 Project Advancement Grant from the California Council of Land Trusts (@calandtrusts) to help conserve critical habitat in Mono County. This grant will support ESLT's "Wetlands for the Future: Tribal Partnership in Protecting Critical Habitats to Achieve California's 30x30 Goals" project. The Antelope Lake property, a 205-acre property located in Adobe Valley, Mono County, California, …continue reading

Darlene Schuetz2025-01-15T08:55:42-08:00January 15th, 2025|Blog, Press Releases, What's New|

ESLT Hires New Executive Director, Mark Drew

ESLT is thrilled to announce Mark Drew, Ph.D., as its new Executive Director. With over 25 years of experience in conservation, leadership, and natural resource management, Mark brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the organization. A life-long conservationist, Mark has worked both in domestic and international conservation in Asia, Oceania, the eastern Caribbean and a decade here as Eastern Sierra Regional Director for California Trout. His professional experiences span …continue reading

Darlene Schuetz2024-12-10T15:49:29-08:00December 10th, 2024|Blog, Press Releases, What's New|

Welcome Noah Williams, our new Tribal Partnerships Program...

ESLT is thrilled to welcome Noah Williams to our team as the new Tribal Partnerships Program Manager! Noah, a proud member of the Bishop Paiute Tribe, brings a wealth of knowledge, experience, and deep-rooted connection to the Eastern Sierra to this vital role. Growing Up in Payahuunadü Noah grew up in the Owens Valley, or "Payahuunadü", the "place of flowing water". This land has shaped his passion for environmental protection from …continue reading

Darlene Schuetz2024-12-10T10:44:54-08:00December 9th, 2024|Blog, Press Releases, What's New|

Prop 4

Eastern Sierra Land Trust today urges all Californians to vote yes on Proposition 4, a critical $10 billion bond measure–the largest ever–that will fund vital projects to protect our communities and natural environment, as well as for land and water conservation across the state. The measure will appear on the November 5th ballot. This November, vote YES on Prop 4 and invest in clean drinking water, wildfire protection, and vital habitat. …continue reading

Darlene Schuetz2024-10-16T14:40:10-07:00October 16th, 2024|Blog, Press Releases, What's New|

Eastern Sierra Landlines

The ESLT Blog