Restoration Days 2000 September 1-4

Come join us Labor Day weekend to celebrate the restoration of Mono Lake! Restoration Days 2000 includes annual activities (such as tours, walks, and talks) as well as some fun new events (such as swimming, face-painting, sidewalk sale, raffle, and a scavenger hunt). Below is a complete schedule of events. Whether you come for one event or stay for the entire weekend, you're sure to have a good time! All events are free (except canoe tours), and fun for the whole family! Come celebrate with us!

Friday, September 1

• 6:30-9:30pm Garden Reception
Restoration Days start off with a reception at the Mono Lake Committee garden. Stop by to meet up with friends, watch the new Mono Lake video, take a tour of our office, or browse our bookstore. Highlights include a "State of the Lake" slide presentation by Executive Director of Operations Geoff McQuilkin, and a book signing by Eastern Sierra authors Jim Stimson and Genny Smith.

Saturday, September 2

• 7:30am Bird Watching in the Mono Basin
Come join the phalaropes, avocets, grebes, pintails, and many more birds during this exciting exploration with an experienced Mono Basin ornithologist. Part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, Mono Lake is one of the premier birding spots in California. Meet at the Information Center and Bookstore. Approximately 11/2 hours.

• 8:00am Volcano Tour at Panum Crater
Join us as we explore the youngest of the Mono Craters! Merely 640 years old, Panum’s abundance of pumice and obsidian—plus its spectacular views of the Mono Basin—make this a pure delight! This 11/2 hour walk begins at the Panum Crater parking lot and ventures to the top of Panum’s rocky plug dome. Meet at the Panum Crater parking lot.

Restoration Days are a relatively new tradition here at Mono Lake, though the roots of the event go back over 20 years. Restoration Days focuses on the ongoing restoration of Mono Lake and its tributary streams, and combines fun family events with educational walks and talks.

• 8:00, 9:30, 11:00am Mono Lake Canoe Tours
Dip your paddle into clouds of brine shrimp and experience Mono’s fascinating ecosystem from a unique and unforgettable vantage point. Tours leave from Navy Beach and explore South Tufa from the water for about an hour. The fee is $17 for adult and $7 for children ages 4–12. Sorry, no children under 4 or pets. Reservations are required and can be made by calling the Committee at (760) 647-6595 or in person at the Information Center and Bookstore. Meet at Navy Beach 20 minutes prior to your reserved departure time.

• 9:30am Lee Vining Creek Walk
Join a Committee naturalist for a walk along Lee Vining Creek and learn about this vital Great Basin habitat, its past, and its future. This walk explores one of the best examples of what was lost due to diversions and discusses restoration goals. Meet at the USFS Scenic Area Visitor Center and plan for about a 2 hour walk.

• 9:30am Mill Creek Driving Tour
Join Committee staff and restoration experts for a drive to various spots along Mill Creek--a prime location for ongoing riparian restoration. Meet at County Park (5 miles north of Lee Vining) to carpool.

• 10:00am Sidewalk Sale
Don't miss your chance to shop for bargains and support the Committee at our sidewalk sale, which continues throughout the weekend.

• 12:00pm Mono Lake Swim
Meet Committee leaders (past and present) for a lunchtime swim in Mono Lake at DWP Dock. Bring towel and refreshments and float in Mono Lake and have a splashing good time! Approx. 1 hour. Meet at Old Marina, 2 miles north of Lee Vining, to carpool.

• 2:00pm Rehydration Ceremony & Annual Lake Blessing
With the lake rising, we celebrate by sharing Mono stories and rehydrating the lake. This year we will have buckets of reclaimed recycled water from Los Angeles, which we will distribute where we think the shoreline will be next year. Lucy Parker, a descendant of the Yosemite Miwok, Mono Lake Kuzedika’a, and Pomo peoples, will highlight the ceremony by offering a blessing for the lake. Meet at Old Marina to participate in this inspiring ceremony. Approximately 1.5 hours.

• 4:00pm Annual Meeting & Picnic
Bring your picnic, blanket, or chair and relax while getting the yearly update on what’s been happening at Mono Lake. Hear Committee Board Members, Executive Director Frances Spivy-Weber, and staff share stories about the rising waters of Mono and changes in the Mono Basin. Meet at County Park. Approx. 1.5 hours.

• 6:00pm Native American Culture & Basketry
Join Lucy Parker at the Information Center and Bookstore as she demonstrates basketmaking in the tradition of the regional Paiute. Lucy learned traditional handiwork from her mother, a master basket weaver, and will pass on some of her knowledge in this special workshop. Approx. 1.5 hours.

• 6:00pm Guided South Tufa Walk
The most famous tufa grove at Mono Lake, South Tufa, receives thousands of visitors from all over the world every year. Sunset provides a wonderful experience as the light of evening illuminates the tufa towers, the birds welcome nightfall, and the shadows of the desert grow long. Join a Mono Lake Committee naturalist for an in-depth look at this wonderful place and a general introduction to Mono Lake’s fascinating ecosystem. Tours are 11/2 hours long and meet at the South Tufa kiosk in the parking area. South Tufa is a federal fee area; adults are charged a $3 fee. These tours are given daily at 10am, 1pm, and 6pm through a partnership with the Forest Service and Mono Lake Tufa State Reserve.

• 8:00pm Night Hike & Star Talks
Join Committee naturalists for an enchanted walk through the Mono Basin's Jeffrey Pine forest. Stargaze Mono's dark skies and learn about this forest. Meet at the Information Center and Bookstore and bring a blanket. Approx. 2 hours.

• 8:00pm Encore Presentation of "State of the Lake" and Mono Lake Video
If you missed the Mono Lake Video Premiere or the State of the Lake presentation Friday night, here's your chance to catch up! Meet at the Information Center and Bookstore. Approx. 1 hour.

• Overnight Camping at County Park
Take advantage of this once-a-year opportunity to camp overnight at County Park for free! Bring the family!

• 8:00, 9:30, 11:00am Mono Lake Canoe Tours
The incredible Committee canoe tours are again offered, so if you haven’t made it onto the lake yet, here’s another chance. Tours leave from Navy Beach and explore South Tufa from the water for about an hour. The fee is $17 for adult and $7 for children ages 4–12. Sorry, no children under 4 or pets. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (760) 647-6595. Meet at Navy Beach 20 minutes prior to your reserved departure time.

• 8:30am County Park Bird Walk
Come join the phalaropes, avocets, grebes, pintails, and many more birds during this exciting exploration with an experienced Mono Basin ornithologist. Part of the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, Mono Lake is one of the premier birding spots in California. Meet at County Park. Approximately 11/2 hours.

• 9:00am Photopoint Project Kickoff
Join Committee staff for the start of the Mono Basin Photopoint Project. This project will document (in film) the progress of restoration efforts in the Basin. Meet at the Information Center and Bookstore. Approx. 1.5 hours.

• 11:00am DWP-led Restoration Walk along Creeks
Join DWP and MLC staff on a walking tour of the Basin's streams. Restoration experts will discuss new theories and asses how fast Mother Nature is healing these small streams. Meet at the Information Center and Bookstore. Approx. 4 hours.

• 3:30pm Restoration Seminar & Tree Watering
Committee naturalists and local experts will discuss the current state of restoration work at Mono Lake, including the tributary streams. Participants will water pine seedlings planted in years past, and those interested will walk to the lakeshore to talk about the current meromixis state of the lake. This excursion takes about 3 hours and meets on the west side of the County Road crossing of Lee Vining Creek.

• 7:30pm Living Lakes Presentation
Mono Lake is the U.S. partner in the Living Lakes Partnership, an international group of lakes working together to share solutions to problems facing lakes worldwide. Learn about the 13 partner lakes in the project in places like Greece, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa, Spain, and Russia! Meet at the Information Center and Bookstore. Approx. 1/2 hour.

• 8:30pm Fireside Storytelling
Meet at Old Marina for campfire stories and S'mores! This event was a hit with kids (young and old alike) last year. Seasoned Eastern Sierra veteran Jim Hetrick will regale us greenhorns with tales of the woods and the wild! Duration: as long as the fire and the stories are flickering!

• 7:30am Bird Watching Expedition
Here’s one last chance to see that snowy plover, black-necked stilt, or juvenile California gull! Meet at the Information Center and Bookstore. Approximately 11/2 hours.

• 8:00, 9:30, 11:00am Mono Lake Canoe Tours
It’s almost the last chance until next year to float among the tufa towers and brine shrimp. Treat yourself to this very special way of experiencing Mono Lake before the paddles and canoes are put away for the season. The fee is $17 for adult and $7 for children ages 4–12. Sorry, no children under 4 or pets. Reservations are required and can be made by calling (760) 647-6595. Meet at Navy Beach 20 minutes prior to your reserved departure time.

September 1-4, 2000