Trees are budding, birds are returning and filling the air with their melodies, plants are starting to green up, and color is popping up from bulbs in gardens. Spring is being ushered into the Eastern Sierra as the ‚Äòofficial' first day approaches! Here, at ESLT, we are anticipating a great season with lots of activity in our garden and on the land. We'll kick it off with a Garden Fest …continue reading
Community members had a great day last Saturday exploring Round Valley and Swall Meadows on ESLT's Wildlife Migration Corridor Field Trip. California Department of Fish & Game wildlife biologist Tim Taylor led the group and explained why this area is so critical to the survival of the Round Valley mule deer herd during their winter range in the valley. The Round Valley mule deer herd relies on bitter brush scrub that covers …continue reading
The Conservation Registry is an online database designed to track on-the-ground conservation projects and share this information through a web-site interface. The Registry has been quite successful in the Pacific Northwest and is presently expanding to California. Since ESLT was one of the early adopters (see previous blog) of the resource, they asked if we would be willing to write about how we use the Conservation Registry site to share information about …continue reading
The Round Valley mule deer herd is currently in residence in Round Valley, its winter range habitat. Join ESLT this Saturday for an opportunity to view these animals and learn more about their amazing migration through local terrain. In the morning, we will caravan heading north through Round Valley where Tim Taylor, Mono County Wildlife Biologist from the California Department of Fish & Game, will explain why this winter range and migration …continue reading
We have a great event coming up this week: our Volunteer Orientation for new and existing volunteers. This will be an activity-filled half day in which participants will get to learn about the exciting ways to help our community through service to Eastern Sierra Land Trust. Our mission is to preserve vital lands in the Eastern Sierra region for their scenic, agricultural, natural, recreational, historical, and watershed values, and we could not …continue reading
In this new blog feature we will profile a selection of our conservation projects for our members and interested readers. Big Hot Springs Conservation Easement This 75-acre easement in the Bridgeport Valley was donated to ESLT in December 2005 and protects wildlife habitat and scenic views from adjacent U.S. Highway 395 (in fact many of you have likely driven past this property) and nearby BLM public lands. The property sits to the …continue reading
In February, 2001, ESLT gained 501(c)3 nonprofit status as the first and only local land trust in the Eastern Sierra. But how does a land trust begin? According to Rick Kattelmann, one of the founding members and a former Mono County Planning Commission member, "I remember ten years of assorted conversations, casual talk about how the Eastern Sierra could use a land trust." And then in 2000, seven Mono County citizens, including …continue reading
Hello everyone, my name is Sarah and I am the new AmeriCorps member serving at ESLT for the year! I am extremely excited to be in such a remarkable location, working with a tremendous group of people who share a common mission: to assist private landowners in preserving our rural lands in the Eastern Sierra. I am originally from Los Angeles but have hailed most recently from New York City, where I …continue reading
Recently I spent two days at the Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Program training as we collectively ushered in another 27 young, bright, and enthusiastic AmeriCorps members for a year of service. It is truly inspiring to be involved with a group of young adults that have chosen to give a year of service working in a local community, making a difference for their own generation and for future generations. In addition to reviewing …continue reading
Winter has blown in full force, dumping 24 inches in the last 24 hours at Mammoth Mountain. Cozy inside next to our pellet stove, staff at ESLT have been busy brainstorming ways to get outside in 2010 - just not today. Coming up soon, in February, is our first ever Winter Full Moon Ski Tour! Check out our Events Page for more information, and visit Big Hot Springs Ranch on the web …continue reading