Join professional wildlife tracker and mountain lion researcher Phil Johnston for a day in the desert learning to read the stories of wild animals through tracking. Phil has over a decade of experience teaching tracking and is certified as Senior Tracker through Tracker Certification North America. Come learn to identify the track and sign of the many charismatic creatures who make their living in the Eastern Sierra. Location will be in the …continue reading
Join professional wildlife tracker and mountain lion researcher Phil Johnston for a day in the desert learning to read the stories of wild animals through tracking. Phil has over a decade of experience teaching tracking and is certified as Senior Tracker through Tracker Certification North America. Come learn to identify the track and sign of the many charismatic creatures who make their living in the Eastern Sierra. Location will be in the …continue reading
Join professional wildlife tracker and mountain lion researcher Phil Johnston for a day in the desert learning to read the stories of wild animals through tracking. Phil has over a decade of experience teaching tracking and is certified as Senior Tracker through Tracker Certification North America. Come learn to identify the track and sign of the many charismatic creatures who make their living in the Eastern Sierra. Location will be in the …continue reading
Mule Deer populations in the Eastern Sierra have declined in recent decades. Work is being done to permanently protect the critical winter range of this iconic species. With spring soon approaching, mule deer will follow their instinct and migrate to the upper summer ranges. Wildlife biologists’ research has documented that migration patterns are learned behavior; a doe teaches her fawns, and that leads them to the places they can find food and …continue reading
Beth Pratt, a world-renowned conservationist with National Wildlife Federation, will share her work on wildlife crossings followed by the Eastern Sierra Wildlife Stewardship Team who will highlight the new Highway 395 wildlife crossing in Mono County and fundraising opportunities. In this multi-agency presentation, we'll hear from ESIA, CA Dept of Fish & Wildlife, Caltrans, ESLT's Kay Ogden, and Mono County Supervisor, Stacy Corless on the team effort helping our wildlife safely cross the highway at a hazardous location.
Spend time enjoying the Eastern Sierra, and you'll watch the landscape come alive. Here, golden desert mesas and sagebrush steppe teem with species like pronghorn, pygmy rabbit, and bobcat. The rare Bi-State sage-grouse meanwhile raises their chicks on the green irrigated meadows in places like Bridgeport Valley. These valley ecosystems rise suddenly to towering peaks, creating homes for species like black bear, the endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, and Sierra Nevada red …continue reading
Garnering the support of local, state, and federal agencies over the course of years, we have now secured a conservation easement in perpetuity for the historic Hunewill Ranch (est. 1861). This working ranch is located in the heart of beautiful, expansive Bridgeport Valley, and is framed by the mountain peaks that border Yosemite National Park. It is now preserved forever for wildlife and sustainable ranching. This historic agreement marks our largest conservation …continue reading
A mule deer doe dashes across a road. © Joe Riis Stand by Highway 395 today, and two minutes may go by without the roar and burst of breeze from a passing car. California issued stay-at-home orders to stop the spread of coronavirus this spring, during what happened to be peak mule deer migration season. That means that for the first time in decades, the Round Valley mule deer herd …continue reading
© Bill Dunlap It's the time of year when many animals that call the Eastern Sierra their home are preparing for a long journey. When food and shelter become scarce in the winter, most migrate to warmer areas often at lower elevations. The local Round Valley mule deer herd is no exception. Twice each year, the Round Valley mule deer herd embarks on a particularly risky migration journey. These deer …continue reading
Join us for an informative field trip to the Round Valley mule deer herds migration corridor. Biologist Tim Taylor with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will share updates on some of the challenges the deer are facing as we explore the beautiful Round Valley migration area. ~~ This is a free family-friendly event. Please leave your canine friends at home. Binoculars are recommended but not required, and please remember to …continue reading