As my AmeriCorps year comes to an end, I almost feel like I just started at ESLT! It's probably because the year has been a whirlwind of activity and exciting new experiences. My recent AmeriCorps graduation gave me an opportunity to reflect on my time here, and on the impact of the Sierra Nevada AmeriCorps Partnership (SNAP) in general. The SNAP Program places 27 talented and creative young people at different environmental …continue reading
Last week, a newly hired ESLT crew started work removing hardstem bulrush at Benton Ponds, as part of the speckled dace restoration project. For more information on this project, check out our previous blog post: Enhancing Habitat for Native Fish through Partnerships. The first order of business for this hardy group of individuals was to don waders, plunge into the cold water, and start hacking a channel so that the California Department …continue reading
In late September Eastern Sierra Land Trust partnered with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to clean up areas on the Owens River as a part of the state wide Sierra Nevada Conservancy's Great Sierra River Cleanup. This year, nearly 2,000 volunteers across the state cleaned up about 36,000 lbs. of trash and recycling from rivers throughout the Sierra Nevada. During the local cleanup, ESLT volunteers picked up …continue reading
The 2011 Brown Bag Lunch series was more popular than ever! ESLT has put on five free and informal talks on various subjects the first Wednesday of the month this spring and summer. These talks have allowed the public to learn about topics ranging from composting and raising backyard chickens to how to find and identify local wildflowers. The talks take place in the garden at the ESLT office on Home Street, …continue reading
ESLT's Great Sierra River Cleanup Saturday, September 24th 9:00am- 12:00pm Join Eastern Sierra Land Trust in the stewardship of our water resources and local recreation areas! This year, we will again partner with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in participation in the statewide Sierra Nevada Conservancy's Great Sierra River Cleanup and clean up trash from a popular area of the Owens River. Drinks and snacks will be provided! Bring …continue reading
In early 2008 after working closely with several key partners, Eastern Sierra Land Trust (ESLT), along with landowner Bill Bramlette, finalized permanent preservation for the important 900 acre Benton Hot Springs Ranch. This property includes numerous springs and seeps, ponds, and both wet and dry alkali meadows. The protection of wetlands and riparian areas is crucial in arid regions because of their role as critical wildlife habitat. The property is managed as …continue reading
ESLT's first Family Day was a huge success! Twenty people of all ages experienced Crowley Hilltop Preserve for the first time and learned about the plants and wildlife that live there. Thank you to everyone that participated and to our wonderful volunteers! I had a really great time sharing this property with the public. Everyone learned something about the mission …continue reading
On Saturday, August 13th, ESLT will open Crowley Hilltop Preserve to the public for Family Day from 9am-11am. As part of the Community Connections program, ESLT hosts events to awaken wonder and curiosity about the natural environment in children. If kids have fun outside and begin to ask questions about how the natural world works, they will develop a connection and become the next generation of stewards and caretakers of our land. …continue reading
written by David Woodruff, ESLT Deputy Director Eastern Sierra landowner Tina Bundy Nappe and her family have permanently preserved her 60 acres for future generations. Her land, know as Willow Flat, which includes a half a mile of the Little Walker River, has now been preserved with a conservation easement, a voluntary binding land protection agreement between the landowner and Eastern Sierra Land Trust (ESLT). The Nappe family retains ownership and management …continue reading
written by Jessie O'Dell, ESLT Intern As the summer unfolds to reveal the beauty of the Sierra, the opportunity to explore the lands ESLT is working to preserve always reawakens my admiration of the world in which we live. Having grown up in Swall Meadows for all of my 17 years, I have spent much of my life scrambling around the trails of the Eastern Sierra, always searching for new ways to …continue reading