May 15th, 2013 by Arya, Communications DirectorcloseAuthor: Arya, Communications DirectorName: Arya Degenhardt Title: Communications Director About: Arya oversees the Committee's communications program, which includes the Mono Lake Newsletter. She loves her job because she gets to share the inspiring work of the Mono Lake Committee with members and visitors alike. When she's not in the office you might find her running with her dogs Dublin and Poco, volunteering with the Lee Vining Fire Department, listening to any music with a banjo in it, or willing the plants in her garden to grow. Her favorite things to do in the Mono Basin include ice skating on nearby lakes, skiing the Mono Craters, and getting to smell the sagebrush when it rains.See All Posts by Arya (97) Contact Arya
I hope you get to visit Mono Lake this summer. I hope you walk through the sagebrush down to the shoreline to say hello to the alkali flies. I hope you get to see a sunset, or a sunrise, or the march of puffy clouds across the quiet sky. I hope you fish one of the streams, photograph a tufa tower, see a bird you’ve never seen before, go for a float.
Why do I hope this for you? There are two reasons: the first is that there is a small, but dedicated staff that has been working tirelessly through the chilly winter months to prepare for your visit. We’ve been working to make sure that this special place is protected, that water flows down the creeks, that there are tours and seminars to be taken, that new books are available … more »
May 15th, 2013 by Rosanne, Office DirectorcloseAuthor: Rosanne, Office DirectorName: Rosanne Catron Title: Office Manager About: Originally from Bishop, Rose's easy-going, friendly personality make her perfectly suited for her role as Office Director. Rose creates the complicated bookstore schedule, oversees the intern and volunteer programs, and keeps office relations smooth and happy.See All Posts by Rosanne (37) Contact Rosanne
Road construction on Mono Lake Avenue in Lee Vining. Photo by Rose Catron.
Have you visited Lee Vining lately? If so, you may have noticed construction equipment and torn up roads. In addition to the Digital 395 installation that is happening in Lee Vining, the Mono County Department of Public Works is rehabilitating the streets of Lee Vining from now through … more »
May 10th, 2013 by Angie, Project SpecialistcloseAuthor: Angie, Project SpecialistName: Angie Glaser Title: Project Specialist About: Originally from coastal Southern California, Angie answered the call of the mountains and has spent the past three summers in the Sierra, including one as the Mono Lake Committee's Canoe Coordinator. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara she worked in outdoor education and interned for the National Park Service. When she’s not paddling through swarms of brine shrimp, you can find her backpacking, climbing, or cooking really spicy Thai curry.See All Posts by Angie (24) Contact Angie
According to today’s most recent update from the National Park Service, Tioga Pass will indeed open tomorrow, May 11. While the road opening will cut hours off travel time from the Eastern Sierra to Yosemite, visitors should be prepared for very few amenities and services on the road to Yosemite Valley. Read the … more »
May 9th, 2013 by Elin, Communications CoordinatorcloseAuthor: Elin, Communications CoordinatorName: Elin Ljung Title: Communications Coordinator About: Elin's job consists of some of her favorite things: finding typos, experimenting with layouts, and figuring out how best to communicate the Committee's work to the world. She also oversees the Field Seminar program. Elin is an EMT on the Lee Vining Fire Department, loves sitting at Latte Da Coffee Cafe immersed in a good book, and watches English Premier League football (soccer) at any opportunity.See All Posts by Elin (147) Contact Elin
For the last week the streets of Lee Vining have been overtaken by heavy equipment and construction workers, all to complete one of the last stretches of Digital 395, the stimulus-funded project that will provide high-speed broadband internet to communities between Barstow and Carson City.
This view from the Lee Vining Webcam on May 8 at 11:55am shows Digital 395 construction in the center of Highway 395 ... along with much-needed rain clouds!
In fact, if you’ve logged into the Lee Vining Webcam recently, you will have seen the “ditch witch” drilling right in the middle of … more »
May 7th, 2013 by Greg, Information & Restoration SpecialistcloseAuthor: Greg, Information & Restoration SpecialistName: Greg Reis Title: Information & Restoration Specialist About: Since his Committee internship in 1995, Greg has been involved with Mono Basin stream restoration and with maintaining the Committee's computers, Websites, and Research Library, and researching and compiling information for our programs. His B.S. degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in Forestry and Natural Resources with a concentration in Environmental Management and a Senior Project in Hydrology reflect his interests in natural resources management, watershed management, and habitat restoration. He is a member of the California Society for Ecological Restoration and he also works for the Rivers and Delta Program of The Bay Institute.See All Posts by Greg (136) Contact Greg
The Mono Lake Committee recently received the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power’s (DWP) forecast for Mono Lake levels for the 2013 runoff year (April 1, 2013–March 31, 2014). The lake level forecast is primarily based on the preliminary April 1 runoff forecast of 66%, which makes this year officially “dry.”
Despite the 2013 runoff year being officially "dry," the area around Tioga Pass still has quite a bit of snow, as this photo from April 22 shows. Photo by Angie Glaser.
Median levels of precipitation and evaporation are assumed, so after September the accuracy depends on how wet next fall and winter will be. The elevations in the table below are in feet above mean sea level. … more »
May 2nd, 2013 by Elin, Communications CoordinatorcloseAuthor: Elin, Communications CoordinatorName: Elin Ljung Title: Communications Coordinator About: Elin's job consists of some of her favorite things: finding typos, experimenting with layouts, and figuring out how best to communicate the Committee's work to the world. She also oversees the Field Seminar program. Elin is an EMT on the Lee Vining Fire Department, loves sitting at Latte Da Coffee Cafe immersed in a good book, and watches English Premier League football (soccer) at any opportunity.See All Posts by Elin (147) Contact Elin
“Today, the City of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s high-profile lawsuit against the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District and other environmental agencies was dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California.”
May 2nd, 2013 by Erica, Project SpecialistcloseAuthor: Erica, Project SpecialistName: Erica Tucker Title: Project Specialist About: Erica learned about Mono Lake Committee while attending the Mono Basin Bird Chautauqua. She previously taught environmental education in Yosemite National Park and worked as a manager for a San Francisco Bay Area non-profit. During the winter of 2011-2012 she took a birding-focused, 13,000-mile cross country road trip, worked as a milker on a dairy goat farm, and built an 8’ x 16’ tiny house. Erica knows all the good birding spots around Mono Lake and is happy to share them!See All Posts by Erica (13) Contact Erica
Over 80 people joined Mono Lake Committee staff and Andrea Lawrence’s family for the annual Andrea Lawrence Award Dinner, held last Friday at Parallax Restaurant on Mammoth Mountain.
Quentin Lawrence speaks at the podium (far left) at the 2013 Andrea Lawrence Award Dinner. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.
It was a beautiful evening, with perfect light for viewing the newly named Mt. Andrea Lawrence. With great food, beautiful views, and inspirational speakers, the evening was … more »
May 1st, 2013 by Erik, Project SpecialistcloseAuthor: Erik, Project SpecialistName: Erik Lyon Title: About: Erik first visited the Mono Lake Committee in September 2010. He learned about the lake's natural and political history as a participant of Whitman College's "Semester in the West," a hundred-day-long environmental field studies program focused on the politics, ecology, and writing of the American West. He quickly took great interest in water policy and hydrology, and is excited to be back at Mono Lake for a third summer as a Project Specialist. At Whitman, Erik finished up a bachelor's degree in Economics with a minor in Biology in 2012, and returned to his alma mater later that year as a staff member for Semester in the West. When he is not at work, Erik can be found playing guitar, hiking, taking photos, and playing volleyball.See All Posts by Erik (6) Contact Erik
Volunteers count California Gull nests at Mono Lake. Photo by Russ Taylor.
You are on a rocky volcanic island surrounded by an alkaline sea. Your only protection from the high-desert sun is your khaki-colored Mono Lake Committee logo bucket hat. It’s also your only protection against the frenzied California Gulls flying every which way and trying, as you suspect, to whitewash you with an airborne “splat!” … more »
April 28th, 2013 by Erik, Project SpecialistcloseAuthor: Erik, Project SpecialistName: Erik Lyon Title: About: Erik first visited the Mono Lake Committee in September 2010. He learned about the lake's natural and political history as a participant of Whitman College's "Semester in the West," a hundred-day-long environmental field studies program focused on the politics, ecology, and writing of the American West. He quickly took great interest in water policy and hydrology, and is excited to be back at Mono Lake for a third summer as a Project Specialist. At Whitman, Erik finished up a bachelor's degree in Economics with a minor in Biology in 2012, and returned to his alma mater later that year as a staff member for Semester in the West. When he is not at work, Erik can be found playing guitar, hiking, taking photos, and playing volleyball.See All Posts by Erik (6) Contact Erik
April 26th, 2013 by Lynette, Project SpecialistcloseAuthor: Lynette, Project SpecialistName: Lynette Villagomez Title: Project Specialist About: A native of the Coachella Valley, Lynette attended Humboldt State University and graduated in June of 2012 with a major in Environmental Science and a minor in Natural Resources Planning. She enjoys traveling, knitting, baking, collecting agates, hiking, and exploring new places. She brings her interest in water politics and environmental justice to the Mono Lake Committee, where she manages social media and assists with membership. Lynette likes to paddle board on Mono Lake and has plans to someday build her own yurt.See All Posts by Lynette (16) Contact Lynette
The combination of spring’s arrival and the opening of fishing season on April 27 is prompting many visitors to ask when campgrounds and business will begin to open in the Mono Basin. Now that Sonora Pass (Highway 108) is open as of April 24, with the possibility that Tioga Pass may open before Memorial Day weekend, Lee Vining will again be swarming with activity in no time! Here are recent updates … more »
I hope you get to visit Mono Lake this summer. I hope you walk through the sagebrush down to the shoreline to say hello to the alkali flies. I hope you get to see a sunset, or a sunrise, or the march of puffy clouds across the quiet sky. I hope you fish one of the streams, photograph a tufa tower, see a bird you’ve never seen before, go for a float.
