Two california gulls standing on top of a tufa mound with a reflective lake in the background.

The fence to protect Mono Lake’s gulls is funded – thank you!

Our Indiegogo campaign ended last night at midnight—102% funded with $15,304! Thank you to all 228 of you who contributed to this campaign. We are grateful that you understood the need for a fence, took the time to visit our campaign, and gave generously to help us reach our goal.

What’s next for the fence?

As we watched your donations come in through Indiegogo we felt confident enough to begin ordering fence materials, and this week the fence will be going up! The mostly sunny, calm weather looks conducive for making good progress. Gull biologist Kristie Nelson, who is coordinating the fence’s construction, has noted coyote prints in the mud on the landbridge as she has been taking materials out there, indicating that coyotes are actively sniffing out ways to get to the gull nesting colony. The fence will be well-timed.

Geoff and Kristie unload fence materials at the Mono Basin Outdoor Education Center, where they were stored for a few days. Photo by Elin Ljung.

What’s next for you?

Campaign perks like stickers and wine glasses will be arriving to you in the next few months. As the fence goes up and becomes operational we’ll be adding your messages to the fence and getting photos of your good wishes out there on the landbridge, fluttering in the wind and helping to deter coyotes. If you’ve got questions about your perks, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by email or by calling (760) 647-6595.

It took several trips using the gull research boat to get the fence materials out to the landbridge. Photo by Elin Ljung.

Thank you, again, for pitching in to help protect the gulls. Together we are ensuring that this critical link in Mono’s ecosystem carries on for another generation!

Out on the landbridge, it’s time to start putting the fence up! Photo courtesy of Kristie Nelson.

Top photo courtesy of Point Blue Conservation Science.