Last week a group of volunteers joined staff from California State Parks, Mono County, and the Mono Lake Committee to remove the recently burned and damaged Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve boardwalk located on the north shore of Mono Lake below Mono Lake County Park.
The wooden boardwalk was a path that allowed visitors from near and far to experience tufa formations up close, go birding, and walk to platforms that offered breathtaking views of Mono Lake. Unfortunately, the boardwalk was one of the casualties of the Inn Fire back in late May. Since then, the community and visitors have felt the impact of this local treasure no longer being accessible.
After the fire, the Mono Lake Committee immediately began discussions with the California State Parks staff about removal and replacement of the burned boardwalk, which is one of three major access points to the lake. The outpouring of volunteer and partner support not only completed the removal last week, but also added momentum to planning and building a replacement.
We created a volunteer form and flyers to allow the community and supporters of Mono Lake to participate in the project. After receiving signups from a total of 47 volunteers to help with tasks such as removing planks, hauling burned material, food/water replenishment, collecting nails, and more, we were ready to launch.
There were a wide variety of folks who came to help, from Mono Lake Volunteers to individuals who saw a flyer about the project in a coffee shop in Mammoth Lakes and decided to participate. We were especially inspired by others who traveled across California to support the work. Some made the trek from the Bay Area, Sacramento, the central California coast, and Los Angeles. The many zip codes represented showcased the wide-reaching appreciation and love for the Mono Basin.
Last Wednesday we were ready to begin the project of preparing the area for a future boardwalk to be built. The day started with eager volunteers and staff from the partner organizations grabbing a light breakfast and volunteers being assigned to different work groups. The beginning of each “shift” began with a meeting for everyone involved to go over the plans for the day, an introduction of who was present, and most importantly how to maintain safe working conditions.
Once the work began, progress on the removal of the boardwalk was swift. The vegetation team helped clear any spikes sticking up from the ground, another team focused on removing nails from the wood planks, and a third group focused on disassembling the boardwalk. Before we knew it, it was time to begin moving the piles of wood up to containers in the parking lot. As I walked through the work zone I saw many people with smiles on their faces, heard a lot of laughter, and felt the enthusiasm of everyone involved; this was a labor of love, dedication, and excitement.
In addition to the Mono Lake Committee and California State Parks, Mono County played a valuable partner role in the effort. County Public Works staff arranged for equipment and operators to transport broken down material up to a sorting station in the parking lot. Wood was salvaged for use locally at visitor sites where possible, with burned and damaged material transported by the County for disposal. The County Sustainable Recreation team turned out in force as well, providing skilled help throughout the project.
The Lee Vining Women’s League, Linda Dore of the former Epic Café, and volunteers kept the work crews fed with hearty lunches and homemade desserts each day such as lemon bars and brownies topped with caramel and sea salt. Helping to power the effort behind the scenes were Mono Lake Committee members and the Bodie Foundation, which have provided funds for the boardwalk removal and a replacement.
By Thursday morning all that was left was to dismantle the viewing platform and transport the piles of wood and debris up to the parking lot. There were many returning volunteers from the first day who knew exactly where to begin from where we left off the day before. Everyone came back with a sense of eagerness and responsibility to complete the project.
Murmurings began amongst the workers saying that there might not be much more work to do beyond lunchtime and that the third workday we had planned for may not be necessary. Sure enough, the project was completed by 2:00pm on Thursday, July 17. California State Parks employees commented that the work that was completed in a day and a half would have taken their team a whole season to complete! The quick success of the clean-up was due to the support provided by volunteers and the collaboration between all the partners involved.
Overall, the project was a great example of different groups and people coming together for an important cause. It showed how powerful it can be when a community comes together for a common interest.
If you would like to contribute to a replacement boardwalk, you can do so here:
Top photo by Arya Degenhardt.