Tuesday, July 20th, 2010 by Mono Lake Committee StaffcloseAuthor: Mono Lake Committee StaffName: Mono Lake Committee Staff Title: About: The Mono Lake Committee is a 16,000 member non-profit citizens' group dedicated to protecting and restoring the Mono Basin ecosystem, educating the public about Mono Lake and the impacts on the environment of excessive water use, and promoting cooperative solutions that protect Mono Lake and meet real water needs without transferring environmental problems to other areas.See All Posts by Mono Lake Committee (29) Contact Mono Lake Committee
The Urban Semillas group reaches the top of Lembert Dome. Photo by Michael Clausen.
“Take small steps,” said Santiago Escruceria, the Outdoor Experiences Manager, “that’s the trick to hiking on a steeper slope without losing lots of energy,” and the group took it to heart, suddenly looking like the experienced hikers that we knew they could be.
The group that came to participate in the Mono Lake Committee’s Outdoor Experiences program during the first week of July was composed of high school graduates and kids in their early-20s from Los Angeles. They were all a part of a program called Urban Semillas, a young adult program that teaches students about water and trees, people’s relationship with nature, where their water comes from, and that nature isn’t something that you just see on TV—it’s real—and when they visit places like Yosemite and Mono Lake, it’s ALL around them.
We were hiking to Lembert Dome and Dog Lakes, two places that neither I nor the group had ever been to, so we were all (more…)
Monday, July 19th, 2010 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
I hope you’ll be in Lee Vining this Saturday for the first ever Trail Chic fashion show at the Lee Vining Community Center. It’s a fashion show fundraiser for the Mono Lake Committee’s Outdoor Experiences program.
When: 7:30pm, Saturday, July 24th, 2010 Where: Lee Vining Community Center What: A fashion show featuring wines & bubbly by Barefoot, a silent auction, and raffle Admission: Free!
Yes, it’s a fashion show.
There will be … Barefoot wine & bubbly (for a donation) … a silent auction featuring some amazing wines … a wide and wild variety of fun hiker/adventurer styles modeled by local outdoor aficionados. I don’t want to give away all of the surprises in store for the evening, but (more…)
Sunday, March 28th, 2010 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 Metropolitan Water District World Water Day certificate of appreciation awardees.
In celebration of World Water Day, the Metropolitan Water District and the Friends of the United Nations partnered to honor non-profit environmental groups and relief organizations for their leadership and work on providing clean and safe drinking water around the world. The Mono Lake Committee was acknowledged, along with an impressive list of organizations, at a ceremony at the MWD headquarters in downtown Los Angeles. (more…)
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 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 (133) Contact Elin
OE Instructor Hillary Behr explains tufa formation to a group of Los Angeles Infrastructure Academy students.
This update comes to the Mono-logue from Hillary Behr, one of the Mono Lake Committee’s Outdoor Experiences Instructors:
The 2009 Outdoor Experiences season has been going strong all summer! It is the first season here for both me and my co-worker Logan Parsons and we are finding the program very fun and rewarding. I drove out to the Mono Basin from New Hampshire this spring and am still trying to get used to the stunning Sierra and vast open spaces of the west. As I get to know this place, it keeps opening up to reveal more and more beauty and mystery.
Two groups in particular have really blown us away as far as the maturity and attitudes of the students. Both were part of a program called Generation Power. All the students attended the Infrastructure Academy, a school sponsored by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) that prepares students for jobs in city infrastructure.
Generation Power students are chosen from their class to work for DWP performing water audits in Los Angeles Unified School District. Since they are already involved (more…)
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…)
Sunday, January 25th, 2009 by Bartshé, Education DirectorcloseAuthor: Bartshé, Education DirectorName: Bartshé Miller Title: Education Director About: Bartshé directs the Committee's Outdoor Experiences Program, Canoe Program, and Interpretive Programs, and manages the Mono Basin Field Station. He has been an Eastern Sierra resident since 1993.See All Posts by Bartshé (30) Contact Bartshé
The Water Replenishment District of Southern California (WRD) has committed $10,000 to underwrite transportation and scholarships for more students to participate in Mono Lake Committee’s Outdoor Experience Program (OE). Thanks to WRD’s support, more students will be able to experience Mono Lake and see how solutions work in balancing the water needs of people and their watersheds. OE is (more…)
Sunday, December 28th, 2008 by Mono Lake Committee StaffcloseAuthor: Mono Lake Committee StaffName: Mono Lake Committee Staff Title: About: The Mono Lake Committee is a 16,000 member non-profit citizens' group dedicated to protecting and restoring the Mono Basin ecosystem, educating the public about Mono Lake and the impacts on the environment of excessive water use, and promoting cooperative solutions that protect Mono Lake and meet real water needs without transferring environmental problems to other areas.See All Posts by Mono Lake Committee (29) Contact Mono Lake Committee
Wednesday, December 24th, 2008 by Mono Lake Committee StaffcloseAuthor: Mono Lake Committee StaffName: Mono Lake Committee Staff Title: About: The Mono Lake Committee is a 16,000 member non-profit citizens' group dedicated to protecting and restoring the Mono Basin ecosystem, educating the public about Mono Lake and the impacts on the environment of excessive water use, and promoting cooperative solutions that protect Mono Lake and meet real water needs without transferring environmental problems to other areas.See All Posts by Mono Lake Committee (29) Contact Mono Lake Committee
8. The Committee’s Outdoor Experiences Program turns 15(more…)
Monday, December 15th, 2008 by Santiago, Outdoor Experiences ManagercloseAuthor: Santiago, Outdoor Experiences ManagerName: Santiago Escruceria Title: Outdoor Experiences Manager About: Since Santiago runs the Outdoor Experiences Program, you can usually find him out exploring the Mono Basin with groups of inner city youth from Los Angeles, showing them where their water comes from and the importance of water conservation. He also frequents the County Park birdwalks and the Lee Vining Creek trail with binoculars in hand, and sings the praises of Macs everywhere.See All Posts by Santiago (4) Contact Santiago
… and I am back in the office for the winter! This year’s Outdoor Experiences season was probably the longest in the history of the program–we started in May and finished in mid-November; a record seven months! This year, we also celebrated the 15th anniversary of the program.
