The film “Sympathy for Delicious” was one of the “15 buzziest films at Sundance,” according to online news source The Daily Beast. You can see an image from the movie, which stars actor Orlando Bloom.

One might ask … how does “Sympathy for Delicious” relate to Mono Lake?

Well, just about one year ago, the Mono Lake Committee got a call from the set, requesting a large order of our stainless steel klean kanteen water bottles. Director Mark Ruffalo had seen a bottle owned by the costume designer, and wanted to provide his cast and crew with an alternative to plastic water bottles. A few days later, we saw photos on the internet of the actors with our bottles!

Watch for “Sympathy for Delicious” coming to your local theater, and see if you can spot a bottle either in the movie or in the credits.

Mono Lake Committee policy staff Geoff and Lisa traveled south to Bishop recently to hear David Freeman (interim General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power) expand upon his proposal to use LA land in the Eastern Sierra to generate solar power. The LA Times published an article about that meeting today—LA takes a shine to another Owens Valley product: sun. Look for the Committee’s take on the solar park proposal in the upcoming issue of our Newsletter, which goes to press within the week!

The complete listing of 2010 Field Seminars is now online. Registration for Field Seminars for Mono Lake Committee members begins on February 1 (already a member login here, become a member now here). Open registration begins on March 1. It’s time to begin making your summer and fall Field Seminar plans!

How do you find the listing of seminars? There are three ways to get there:

—Navigate to the Field Seminar page by mousing over “visit” at the top of the page. Click on “things to do” in the menu that drops down. Then click on “click here for the full list” under the Special Field Seminars heading on that page.

—You can also go straight to the Field Seminar page from the Mono Lake Website’s home page. Just click on this button on the right-hand side of the page:

—Also, as you navigate through the Mono Lake Website, you’ll see this ad on the right-hand side of most pages. You can click on it to go straight to the seminar page!

Scheduling is nearly complete for the Mono Lake Committee’s 2010 Field Seminar series … with nearly 20 weekend classes confirmed so far! Field Seminars explore aspects of the Mono Basin’s natural history, provide budding artists and photographers with expert instruction, and offer members and visitors a chance to delve deeply into subjects of their choice.

Sneak peek for 2010: the (more…)

Ellery and Caelen McQuilkin pull two lucky winners in the 2009 Free Drawing. Photo by Elin Ljung.

On Monday, November 30, the long-anticipated results of the 2009 Free Drawing were revealed … Caelen and Ellery, daughters of Executive Director Geoff McQuilkin, pulled out 25 tickets from the thousands submitted. Twenty-five lucky people won prizes ranging from a Committee shopping spree to a wine tasting tour, original artwork to ski vacations, Patagonia clothing to sports equipment….

We’ll announce the winners in (more…)

Researcher Scott Stine has studied aspects of Mono Lake's climate history since the mid-1970s. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.

Paleoclimatologist Scott Stine has been involved with Mono Lake since the effort to protect it began, primarily through his rigorous scientific investigations in the Mono Basin. You can hear a little bit about his work on climate change in this three-minute slideshow at the American Public Media Marketplace. Scott’s research is one of many studies going on at Mono Lake, all of which help to build a body of information that guides land managers in protecting this beautiful place long into the future!

Photo by Robert Glenn Ketchum.

For those of you in the Sacramento area, a treat is coming your way on Friday, November 13 from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm. That evening, the Viewpoint Photographic Art Center will be opening a new photographic exhibit by artist Robert Glenn Ketchum. The new show, titled “Southwest Alaska and Bristol Bay: A World of Parks and Wildlife Refuges at the Crossroads,” will be on display until (more…)

What’s special about the Sierra Nevada? And what are people doing to keep it that way? Here’s your chance to tell your story and share your knowledge and experiences with residents and visitors of the Sierra Nevada region: the Sierra Nevada Geotourism MapGuide.

The National Geographic Society has partnered with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy and Sierra Business Council to capture the history and heritage of the Sierra Nevada Region in order to create an interactive Web site and print map. History buffs and adventurers, backpackers and foodies, birders and sightseers can discover unique destinations based on recommendations from those who know best—residents of and those who love the Sierra Nevada.

Nominate your favorite Sierra places for the MapGuide (more…)

Beautiful aspens line the Lee Vining Creek Trail. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.

This Mono-logue post comes to you from Intern Claire Skinner.

Fall is a magical time in the Mono Basin—sunny days, crisp weather, and lots of fall color. Lundy Canyon and the June Lake Loop are wonderful places to watch quaking aspens shedding their green for leaves of yellow, orange, and red.

It’s also the perfect time to discover the lovely Lee Vining Creek Trail—Lee Vining’s best kept secret! Aspens grow abundantly along (more…)

Thousands of people visit the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve each year. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.

In breaking news from Sacramento, Governor Schwarzenegger announced a plan today that would keep all state parks open, instead of the 100-park closure that seemed likely last week. This is great news for the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve and Bodie State Historic Park!

We’ll keep you updated on the details that are surely forthcoming, but you can read the LA Times article and the Sacramento Bee article in the meantime. And this weekend, visit your favorite state park in celebration!