by Bob Gardner, President of ESLT’s Board of Directors

This photo is of my twin sister and I in front of our home on North Fowler Street in Bishop. Our home is gone now but was right next to the current ESLT Office building, which you can see in the photo.

I spent most of my childhood in Bishop. It was a perfect place to grow up, with creeks within walking distance, numerous opportunities for hiking, fishing, and skiing, and the towering Sierra Nevada mountains in the background. I was fortunate to live in such a spectacular place and still have many memories from those days.

Memories were rampant when my sister and I celebrated our Bishop High School Class of 1969 50th Reunion last fall with over 100 high school classmates and their guests. It was fun being with friends we had not seen for 50 years. What was amazing to me was that most of us still had the same personalities we had in high school. It was as if nothing had changed (well, maybe a few things…)

© Adonis Abril

Revisiting memories with my high school friends and being with them made me aware of the valuable connection I had both to them and to Bishop. It is the same awareness I have when I go to certain places in the Eastern Sierra, which I experienced as a child. These places never change for me. They are the same streams, rocks, trees, plants, and wildlife that have been there forever.

They are important touchstones for me, things that give me joy and peace, as well as stability amidst the rapid change in the rest of my life.

We enable these touchstones for many across the Eastern Sierra as we protect and conserve vital lands. We make sure the landscapes, wildlife, and habitat will always be there.

Thank you for your constant support for our work that connects people to the lands of the Eastern Sierra. By doing what we do, we are ensuring there will be plenty of memories and plenty of photos of children in special places in the Eastern Sierra well into the future.

Cheers, Bob

Author Bob Gardner is the President of our Board of Directors here at ESLT. His letter also appeared in our 2018 Annual Report.

Read the full report here, and learn how ESLT is protecting your special Eastern Sierra places.

© Amy Leist