Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Mono Lake volunteer spotlight: Janet “JB” Barth

Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

This post was written by Aviva North, 2017 Mono Lake Intern.

While Mono Lake Volunteer Janet “JB” Barth might be new to living in the Mono Basin, she certainly is not new to volunteering, environmental activism, or her love for the Eastern Sierra.

JB taught in the Napa school system for more than 20 years before retiring and moving to Benton, California. Photo courtesy of JB.

In high school in Napa, California JB participated in a camping and outdoors club and their first-ever outing trip was to Mono Lake around 1970—that’s when she claims, “the first time I saw this place I knew this was where I wanted to be.” Sure enough, this past year JB moved to Benton, California after retiring from more than 20 years in the Napa school system as a special aide, and now feels the busiest she’s ever been in her life.

Eastern Sierra Wildlife Care is another local organization where JB volunteers. Photo courtesy of JB.

JB completed Mono Lake Volunteer training this past spring and now splits her time between removing invasive plants and greeting boaters at Navy Beach. Her support for Mono Lake goes back to Mono Lake Committee’s establishment in 1978 and she even helped hand-water trees along Lee Vining Creek when the water situation was at its worst. In addition to volunteering with the Committee, JB has already become a vital part of both Mono350 and Inyo350 climate action groups, wilderness projects with the Bureau of Land Management, Eastern Sierra Wildlife Care, and Freedom in Motion, while also continuing to work for various groups such as Friends of the Napa River and the Napa Land Trust in her former home. “You meet great people when volunteering, everyone is so nice!” she explained about finding her community in the Eastern Sierra.

JB also volunteers on wilderness projects with the BLM. Photo courtesy of JB.

While JB is not busy volunteering she enjoys gardening, quilting, weaving, camping, hiking, and riding horses. When asked “why the Mono Lake Committee?” her powerful response was, “It embodies everything I’ve worked for over the years. I’ve stood in front of nuclear power plants and cleaned up oil spills before, and this place is a continuation of fighting the good fight—it’s a no brainer I became involved here!” Believe in our mission too and want to get involved? Be sure to check out the rest of our website , think about volunteering, and consider joining the Mono Lake Committee as a member!