Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 by Geoff, Executive DirectorcloseAuthor: Geoff, Executive DirectorName: Geoffrey McQuilkin Title: Executive Director About: Geoff's goals for the Committee are: assuring Mono Lake's continuing protection, restoring Mono Lake's tributary streams, developing a permanent education program, and assuring that the strong tradition of scientific research at Mono Lake continues. A graduate of Harvard in the history of science, Geoff has worked for the Committee since 1992 and was an intern and volunteer before that. He's happy to live close to the lake with his wife Sarah and their daughters Caelen and Ellery.See All Posts by Geoffrey (105) Contact Geoffrey
Andrea Mead Lawrence, alpine skiing Olympic double gold medalist, mother of five, visionary environmental leader, 16-year Mono County Supervisor, and advocate for Mono Lake’s protection, passed away on March 30 at home in Mammoth Lakes with her family at her side. She was 76.
Andrea was an inspirational leader, a tireless champion of doing the right thing, and a gracious model of how to simply be a good person. Here at the Mono Lake Committee she was our sounding board, our conscience, and our friend. We will miss her enormously.
Andrea Mead Lawrence in 2008, hosting the Andrea Lawrence Institute for Mountains and Rivers Award Banquet. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.
Andrea dedicated her life to preserving our shared public landscapes and values. After moving to (more…)
Thursday, March 26th, 2009 by Geoff, Executive DirectorcloseAuthor: Geoff, Executive DirectorName: Geoffrey McQuilkin Title: Executive Director About: Geoff's goals for the Committee are: assuring Mono Lake's continuing protection, restoring Mono Lake's tributary streams, developing a permanent education program, and assuring that the strong tradition of scientific research at Mono Lake continues. A graduate of Harvard in the history of science, Geoff has worked for the Committee since 1992 and was an intern and volunteer before that. He's happy to live close to the lake with his wife Sarah and their daughters Caelen and Ellery.See All Posts by Geoffrey (105) Contact Geoffrey
Updated on March 30:
Today President Obama signed the Omnibus Public Lands Management Act, making the new wilderness designations official. Both Obama and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar spoke eloquently on our national heritage in these lands and our duty to protect them for future generations. Good excerpts are here on the White House blog.
Now, would you believe that a measurable percentage of the Lee Vining population was in attendance? That’s right, local friends Tim Alpers, of Alpers Trout, and Sally Miller, of The Wilderness Society, joined President Obama and other dignitaries at the White House for the signing. That represents 0.5% of Lee Vining!
We’re awaiting all their stories but already have a photo back of them with Buck McKeon, our local Congressman and a champion of the bill (that’s him on the left). Congratulations Sally, Tim, and everyone who has worked for years to make this bill a reality.
March 26 post:
Yesterday’s public lands bill designating new wilderness areas in the Eastern Sierra passed with strong bipartisan support. Here in the Mono Basin there’s a lot of excitement that more than 50,000 acres of public land near Mono Lake were included. It’s great news for protection of Mono Lake and nearby watersheds and great news for these outstanding scenic and ecologically valuable areas to the west in the Sierra and to the east as well.
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009 by Herley Jim, Los Angeles Education CoordinatorcloseAuthor: Herley Jim, Los Angeles Education CoordinatorName: Herley Jim Bowling Title: Los Angeles Education Coordinator About: Herley Jim has been with the Committee since 1997 as Los Angeles Education Coordinator. He loves working with students, their parents, teachers, administrators, and community-based organizations in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. He is the scheduler for the Committee's Outdoor Experiences program. Additionally, he is a founding member of A Cappella Jam, ONE Santa Monica, and the Fancy Dress Swim to Make Poverty History. Herley Jim is grateful for the relationships that make it all glorious and possible, especially Mollie, his wife and partner of many years.See All Posts by Herley Jim (1) Contact Herley Jim
I had a good day Sunday, March 22, representing the Mono Lake Committee at March for Water, the Los Angeles celebration of World Water Day. It was organized by Miguel Luna, (Executive Director of Universidad del Agua, Urban Semillas, and several other organizations), and featured David Nahai (DWP General (more…)
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009 by Geoff, Executive DirectorcloseAuthor: Geoff, Executive DirectorName: Geoffrey McQuilkin Title: Executive Director About: Geoff's goals for the Committee are: assuring Mono Lake's continuing protection, restoring Mono Lake's tributary streams, developing a permanent education program, and assuring that the strong tradition of scientific research at Mono Lake continues. A graduate of Harvard in the history of science, Geoff has worked for the Committee since 1992 and was an intern and volunteer before that. He's happy to live close to the lake with his wife Sarah and their daughters Caelen and Ellery.See All Posts by Geoffrey (105) Contact Geoffrey
This morning the House of Representatives passed the long-awaited wilderness bill, which is now on its way to President Obama for approval.
The bill includes outstanding lands in the Mono Basin and overlooking Mono Lake, including (more…)
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 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 (91) Contact Arya
The country of South Africa.
According to my flight itinerary it took me 31 hours, 10 minutes and 11,311 miles to get from San Francisco to Durban, South Africa, leaving me with just about enough energy left to cringe at the thought of the carbon footprint of the trip. (more…)
Monday, March 23rd, 2009 by Geoff, Executive DirectorcloseAuthor: Geoff, Executive DirectorName: Geoffrey McQuilkin Title: Executive Director About: Geoff's goals for the Committee are: assuring Mono Lake's continuing protection, restoring Mono Lake's tributary streams, developing a permanent education program, and assuring that the strong tradition of scientific research at Mono Lake continues. A graduate of Harvard in the history of science, Geoff has worked for the Committee since 1992 and was an intern and volunteer before that. He's happy to live close to the lake with his wife Sarah and their daughters Caelen and Ellery.See All Posts by Geoffrey (105) Contact Geoffrey
Visit LandLines today!
Today’s quick note is about our friends at the Eastern Sierra Land Trust. They are working hard to protect vital lands throughout the region and they’ve completed a number of important projects, including several of note here in the Mono Basin.
They have a new blog — LandLines — on their website, so when you are browsing for the latest news, be sure to make a visit!
Friday, March 20th, 2009 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 reflects his interest in natural resources management, administration, planning, environmental analysis, and restoration. He is a member of the California Association of Environmental Professionals and the California Society for Ecological Restoration.See All Posts by Greg (134) Contact Greg
Today is the Vernal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. The days are now getting longer than the nights, the sun continues to move higher in the sky, and the snow line continues to move uphill. Our homepage has changed–winter photos are gone and spring (more…)
Monday, March 16th, 2009 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 (91) Contact Arya
This afternoon I’m traveling to South Africa to visit one of the lakes in the international Living Lakes network, St. Lucia. Funded by a private grant secured together with the Wildlands Conservation Trust, I am going to St. Lucia in support of connecting people at non-profits–the people who do the on-the-ground work of lake protection around the world. This is both a dream come true and the opportunity of a lifetime. Armed with my trusty notebook I will be posting to The Mono-logue as opportunities arise in the next seven days of work and travel. (more…)
Friday, March 13th, 2009 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 reflects his interest in natural resources management, administration, planning, environmental analysis, and restoration. He is a member of the California Association of Environmental Professionals and the California Society for Ecological Restoration.See All Posts by Greg (134) Contact Greg
SNOWPACK
Some snow sensors in the Mono Basin are reporting above-average snowpack! Gem Pass snow water content is 108% of the March 10th average! This is 96% of the April 1st average–the typical date of peak snowpack in the Sierra. Most other snow measurements in the area are (more…)
Thursday, March 12th, 2009 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 reflects his interest in natural resources management, administration, planning, environmental analysis, and restoration. He is a member of the California Association of Environmental Professionals and the California Society for Ecological Restoration.See All Posts by Greg (134) Contact Greg
Today the US House of Representatives voted 282 to 144 to pass S.22, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act–but since a 2/3 majority was required for procedural reasons, the bill hasn’t passed yet.
The east slopes of Mt. Conness and North Peak are proposed for Wilderness designation. Photo by Greg Reis.
Another vote will be taken at some point, perhaps soon. And an amendment was added which requires the bill, if it passes, to go back to the senate.
Please call your representative and thank them for voting yes! If they voted no, please call them to ask that they vote yes the next time around. See how your representative voted. U.S. Capitol Switchboard phone number to be transferred to your Rep’s office: (202) 224-3121.
Please explain to your representative why you support this bill. The Mono Lake Committee supports it because (more…)
