December 31st, 2012 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
Number 1 on our Top Ten highlights list is the remodeled Committee storefront—a multi-year process culminating in the construction and grand re-opening this past summer!
The crowd gathered for the storefront grand re-opening in August! Photo by Arya Degenhardt.
Among the many highlights and wonderful moments … more »
December 30th, 2012 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
Number 2 on our Top Ten highlights list is the intensive process of planning for a 21st century aqueduct that can deliver restoration flows to Mono Lake’s tributaries at the times they need it the most, deliver water to Mono Lake so it can rise to the management level of 6392 feet above sea level, as well as efficiently export water to Los Angeles.
An aerial view of Rush Creek, the Rush Creek return ditch, and Grant Lake Reservoir, which are key to the 21st century aqueduct discussions. Photo by Geoffrey McQuilkin.
If you’ve been following the Mono Lake Newsletter, you’ll know that the Committee has been working intensively on this process for nearly two years. … more »
December 29th, 2012 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
We missed winter last year. There was little snow in the Mono Basin during the 2011/2012 season, and sometimes you forgot that it was winter. Hikers freely roamed the high country in December 2011, and Tioga Pass remained open well into January 2012. One year later: a week’s worth of winter storms have nearly erased our memory. Now there is snow to play in and a dramatic, new landscape to discover. If you drop everything to see Mono Lake and her snow-dressed mountains, don’t forget your skis, snowshoes, tire chains, and budget some extra time to get around. You will not be disappointed.
Poconip fog lingers in Lee Vining Canyon as a Christmas Day storm breaks over the Sierra Crest. Photo by Bartshe Miller.
December 29th, 2012 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
Number 3 on our Top Ten highlights list is the solution that is keeping Mono Lake’s state park open and operating.
Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve Interpretive Specialist Dave Marquart at Old Marina explaining how the new parking fee keeps the park open. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.
December 28th, 2012 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
Number 4 on our Top Ten highlights list is a compendium of things that have made this year particularly memorable. One of the great things about living in the Mono Basin is that life is infused with the happenings of the natural world.
Since pictures are worth a thousand words….
Dry years can mean cold temperatures without precipitation, which makes good conditions for ice skating. We rang in the year with some seriously memorable ice skating on very-frozen lakes such as Lundy Lake Reservoir shown here. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.
December 27th, 2012 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
December 26th, 2012 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
Number 6 on our Top Ten highlights list are all the local kids who explored their Mono Basin backyard with the Committee’s Outdoor Experiences program.
OE Instructor Jessica Francois (in hat) teaches Lee Vining Elementary students about Lee Vining Creek. Photo by Santiago Escruceria.
Between creek walks, watershed studies, watering trees, sketching wildlife, planting saplings at school, and birding, Lee Vining’s students really got out there! Take a look: … more »
December 25th, 2012 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
Members mingle with Committee Board and staff at the Wild & Scenic Film Festival. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.
Last March, the Mono Lake Committee brought the Wild & Scenic Film Festival to LA—featuring our film, The Mono Lake Story, in its Southern California premiere. The evening brought together local members, the filmmakers and composer, many of our partners in the area, and Committee Board and staff, all celebrating Mono Lake at … more »
December 24th, 2012 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
The Committee aspen tree will draw its water from the new greywater system. Photo by Elin Ljung.
Number 8 on our Top Ten highlight list are the great strides we made toward efficiency and reducing our ecological footprint.
In February, Sierra Watershed Progressive installed a greywater system that connects the public restroom sink and our swamp cooler with the landscaping out front. It’s only the fourth commercial project in California, and this summer visitors and staff watered the trees by washing their hands!
After the busy remodel summer, we squeezed in one more project before the snow arrived: adding 33 photovoltaic solar panels to the south-facing roof of the bookstore. Sierra Solar came back to help us max out our solar panel capacity after installing 9 panels on the ice house roof back in 2010. Making use of our high-altitude, consistent sun, our 42 solar panels will help us cut our grid electricity consumption by more than 50%.
Sierra Solar staff installed 33 panels on the Committee's bookstore roof in October. Photo by Bartshe Miller.
December 23rd, 2012 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
A view of the Mono Craters from the lake's north shore. Photo by Arya Degenhardt.
As the year draws to a close, our thoughts have turned toward 2013 and all the exciting work we’ll be doing for Mono Lake. No doubt you’ve seen many requests for year-end donations these days … please keep us in mind as you make your gifts.
Donations from members and friends are what power the Mono Lake Committee’s successful protection, restoration, education, and science programs.
Today—right now—is the perfect time to make a year-end gift to benefit Mono Lake. We make it easy to do online, plus we have fantastic limited-time thank-you gifts.
