Maria Montessori stated in her book Discovery of the Child, "When children come into contact with nature, they reveal their strength." As a requirement of my Montessori-based education, I went away to a nature camp for one to four weeks per year from Kindergarten through eighth grade. By the time we were teenagers, we were spending a month out of the classroom learning about the natural world. I am certain that this …continue reading
At lakes and rare wetlands throughout the Eastern Sierra, birders have the interesting opportunity to find shorebirds such as Wilson's Phalarope, American Avocet and Black-Necked Stilts in the middle of the desert. Photo by Brady Owens, BLM. As the days get warmer and longer, we are starting to see lots of migrating birds passing through California. Here in the Eastern Sierra, our diverse range of habitat makes birding a particularly …continue reading
(Scroll to the bottom of this blog post for 2019 Application Deadlines) The USDA's Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) has created an $8 million fund to support initiatives conserving the Bi-State population of greater sage-grouse and enhancing ranch water quality in the Bi-State region of eastern California and western Nevada. Eastern Sierra Land Trust (ESLT) spearheaded the funding request for this new "Livestock in Harmony with Bi-State Sage-Grouse" RCPP with ten other …continue reading
The snowy mountains look spectacular, don't they? Our Eastern Sierra mountains always look spectacular. As the grandeur of this season unfolds, we are holding a contest to judge the most dramatic images of that crisp, white snow in contrast with those long, dark winter shadows. Please share your images from this winter season between now and March 12th by tagging us on Facebook or Instagram, or by emailing them to . The …continue reading
Each and every year, a mule deer doe teaches her fawns to make the long journey from their winter range on the valley floor to their summer range in the High Sierra meadows and then back again in the cooler season. You might not know that the journey they take each year through the Eastern Sierra is not instinctual. Wildlife biologists' research has documented that migration patterns are learned behavior; the doe …continue reading
All of us at Eastern Sierra Land Trust are excited to welcome Marie Ring to the team as our 2018/2019Education Coordinator & AmeriCorps Member! Marie comes to us throughthe Sierra Nevada Alliance'sSierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership (SNAP)- a selective programthatplaces28 young leaders into conservation agencies and organizations throughout the Sierra Nevada each year. SNAP members like Marie have been working with ESLT ever since the SNAP program began in 2009. By focusingonwatershed restoration …continue reading
ESLT receives the National Conservation Leadership Partner of the Year Award. From left to right: Susanna Danner, ESLT Land Conservation Program Director; Kay Ogden, ESLT Executive Director; and Sherri Lisius, BLM Acting Multi-Resource Staff Supervisor. We are thrilled to share the great news that the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently recognized ESLT as the 2018 National Conservation Leadership Partner of the …continue reading
This post was written by Ryan Delaney, ESLT's 2017-2018 Education Coordinator & Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership (SNAP) Member. Learn more about Ryan and the Sierra Nevada Alliance's SNAP program. One of my greatest joys as an AmeriCorps member has been taking people into our beautiful natural spaces. Though, it does raise the question; why do we have to leave our home in order experience nature? Through the Eastside Pollinator Garden Project, …continue reading
This blog was written by Sara Kokkelenberg, ESLT Stewardship Coordinator Discovery is the constant of my work. "Monitoring" an easement may sound as vague as it does bland. And when I tell people that a large portion of my job is monitoring easements, it usually doesn't pique their interest. However, working outdoors - walking beautiful sections of land that I return to over and over again feels anything but bland. I …continue reading
Eastern Sierra Land Trust's 10th Annual Lands & Legacy At Lands & Legacy Benefit Dinner and Paddle Raise, you will have a chance to protect what you care about most. The evening will feature several engaging speakers sharing our stories of success and inspiration. And, not to be missed, is our lively Paddle Raise: a way for you to champion causes that will have a major impact on the future of …continue reading