Indoor workshop
Join professional bird photographer Bob Steele as we explore digital photo editing. Much has changed in computer and software capabilities in just the past couple of years. Topics discussed and demonstrated will include: image storage and backup strategies, converting RAW images, noise removal, basic image editing, sizing and sharpening images for different outputs such as email, internet, and printing. We will even discuss briefly what AI can do for your images. There will be group discussion with questions and answers throughout.
Date: Saturday, June 20
Time: 1:30pm-6:30pm
Instructor: Bob Steele
Workshop location: Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center
Indoor workshop
Join Gena for a watercolor workshop on illustrating birds. This session covers the basics of drawing birds and using watercolor to capture their features. Open to all skill levels, the class provides an opportunity to learn new techniques and experiment with materials. Gena will also share her favorite tools and some useful tricks for painting birds. Suggested materials to bring include watercolor paints, watercolor paper of any size or type, one or two pencils with medium to soft hardness, round watercolor brushes (sizes 2–12 recommended), and an eraser such as an Art Gum or Magic Rub. A limited selection of materials will be available for those who need them.
Date: Saturday, June 20
Time: 1:30pm-4:30pm
Instructor: Gena Wood
Workshop location: Community Center
Bodie, one of California’s most famous state parks, was known as one of the most lawless, wildest, and toughest mining camps in the West, and boasted a population of about 8,500 in the late 1870s. Join Chris, a Bodie Foundation tour guide, for a fascinating walk through town and hear stories about the characters who lived in this legendary settlement. We’ll also join Chris for a special tour through the 125-year-old stamp mill that processed much of the gold and silver and still houses some of the original equipment. The weather at this 8,400-foot elevation can be unpredictable so wear sunscreen and dress in layers. Bring snacks and plenty of water.
Date: Saturday, June 20
Time: 1:30pm-6:30pm
Instructor: Chris Spiller
Meeting location: CCF A
Difficulty rating: moderate
Driving distance: 65 miles
Whether you’re an avid birder or just starting out, nature journaling is a powerful tool to deepen your observations, sharpen your bird identification skills, and connect more intimately with the natural world. In this interactive session, we’ll explore techniques for sketching, note-taking, and recording field observations that will enhance both your birding experience and your appreciation for Mono Basin’s diverse wildlife. No prior art or writing experience is necessary—just bring your curiosity! We’ll provide guidance on simple drawing techniques, field notes, and how to capture bird behaviors and habitats in your journal. Come ready to observe, sketch, and discover the beauty of birds through journaling. Bring a portable camp chair or stool, favorite notebook and sketching supplies, or use materials provided. Our journaling location will be selected based on where conditions are best, but will be within a 10 mile drive of Lee Vining and may require a short walk to reach (less than a quarter of a mile).
Date: Saturday, June 20
Time: 1:30pm-4:30pm
Instructor: Michelle Kelly
Meeting location: CCF B
Difficulty rating: easy
Driving distance: 20 miles
Spend a morning enjoying birds and other wildlife in one of the Mono Basin’s most spectacular locations—Lundy Canyon. The mixture of aspen-cottonwood-willow riparian habitat with mature conifers provides prime habitat for a variety of Eastern Sierra birds. The awesome scenery, including displays of wildflowers, picturesque historical sites, beaver lodges, butterflies, and breathtaking rocky peaks should provide additional flavor to the outing. We will make a special effort to locate species of breeding birds as well as to locate birds by song. Bring snacks, water, and sunscreen.
Date: Sunday, June 20
Time: 1:30pm-5:00pm
Instructor: Dannique Aalbu
Meeting location: CCF C
Difficulty rating: moderate
Driving distance: 25 miles
We will drive to South Tufa where we will walk to Mono Lake to view active Osprey nests, discuss why a fish-eating bird is living at a fishless lake, and talk about Osprey natural history. South Tufa is the best area to view active nests and if we are lucky the chicks will be large enough to offer us a glimpse. Updates to the current research will also be discussed, which includes some dispersal, migration, and local foraging data thanks in part to Chautauqua grants for banding and telemetry study. We may adjust our route (and possibly our location) based upon current Osprey activity. We will be in exposed areas without shade. Please bring a hat, sunscreen, snacks, and water.
Date: Saturday, June 20
Time: 2:00pm-5:00pm
Instructor: Lisa Fields
Meeting location: CCF A
Difficulty rating: easy
Driving distance: 22 miles
Join Doc Nancy for a presentation of the animals around us. There will be skins, skulls, bones, and specimens to highlight these remarkable creatures and show how they are so successful in such extreme environments. There will be a special presentation on Bear Biology and Management. This presentation will take place outdoors at Gus Hess Park; bring a small chair in case the picnic tables are full.
Date: Saturday, June 20
Time: 2:00pm-3:30pm
Instructor: Nancy Muleady-Mecham
Meeting location: Hess Park
Difficulty rating: easy
Driving distance: N/A
Brine fly monitoring at Great Salt Lake builds directly upon the long-term alkali fly monitoring framework developed at Mono Lake. Both lakes support dense populations of ephydrid flies that are critical food for birds, but they have important ecological differences that required methodological adaption. Mono Lake is a deep lake with tufas and alkali flies (Ephydra hians), while Great Salt Lake is shallow and expansive with microbialites and brine flies (Ephydra gracilis). Additionally, Great Salt Lake experiences highly dynamic shorelines and higher salinity. These differences limit our ability to use the same methods used at Mono Lake at Great Salt Lake. Therefore, we have adapted these methods and expanded our inquiries through interval-based shoreline sampling, undergraduate-led field research, microbialite community composition analysis, and machine learning-assisted counts of pupae and larvae. This work also explores how these methods could be applied to other saline lakes, including Laguna Mar Chiquita in Argentina, contributing to cross-system comparisons of fly population dynamics in saline environments. Overall, this work is a case study in cross-system, cross-flyway collaboration.
Date: Saturday, June 20
Time: 4:00pm-5:00pm
Presenter: Georgie Corkery
Presentation location: Mono Lake Committee
Common Raven (Corvus corax) populations are increasing across the American West, often with significant consequences for native taxa. Drawing on field research conducted in Yosemite National Park, and situating those findings within the ecological context of the Mono Basin and the broader Great Basin, this talk examines how anthropogenic subsidies drive raven population growth and how artificially elevated densities of ravens may alter predator–prey dynamics. We will review evidence that ravens track human activity, exploit human food and infrastructure, and may be exerting increasing nest predation pressure on native birds. The presentation concludes with discussion of management implications for reducing food subsidies, and outlines next steps for understanding impacts on sensitive species.
Date: Saturday, June 20
Time: 5:00pm-6:00pm
Presenter: Steve Root
Presentation location: Mono Lake Committee
Bring your gaming skills and strategy to a fun session featuring every birder’s favorite board game: Wingspan! All experience levels are welcome. Sierra STEM, a local outdoor education and science enrichment nonprofit, will host two tracks for board game lovers: (1) a competitive points-based bracket for players looking for a feathered face-off; and (2) group games to facilitate learning and community for new players or those just looking for a friendly flock. We will have a class set of Wingspan games available, but welcome participants to bring their own game to ensure we have plenty!
Date: Saturday, June 20
Time: 6:00pm-9:00pm
Instructor: Neal Fox
Meeting location: Community Center
Late June brings some of the longest and most active birding days of the year in the Mono Basin. Get ready for an early evening adventure of birding into the dusk. We will ply some active birding spots in the Mono Basin for early evening activity that may include shorebirds, waterfowl, nighthawks, poorwills, and Winnowing Snipe. We will also search for owls once night falls. Bring layered clothing for cooler weather after the sun sets.
Date: Saturday, June 20
Time: 7:30pm-9:30pm
Instructor: Keith Hansen
Meeting location: CCF A
Difficulty rating: easy
Driving distance: 25 miles
Late June brings some of the longest and most active birding days of the year in the Mono Basin. Get ready for an early evening adventure of birding into the dusk. We will ply some active birding spots in the Mono Basin for early evening activity that may include shorebirds, waterfowl, nighthawks, poorwills, and Winnowing Snipe. We will also search for owls once night falls. Bring layered clothing for cooler weather after the sun sets.
Date: Saturday, June 20
Time: 7:30pm-9:30pm
Instructor: Roni Shacker
Meeting location: CCF B
Difficulty rating: easy
Driving distance: 30 miles
From Canada to Argentina, saline lakes support some of the most spectacular migratory birds on Earth. Representatives from Mono Lake, Owens Lake, Great Salt Lake, and Laguna Mar Chiquita will share short films from their respective lakes and use them as a launching point for a conversation about research, conservation, and the birds that connect these distant waters.
Date: Saturday, June 20
Time: 6:30pm-9:30pm
Presentation location: Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center
Join this field trip for an evening bat walk in Lee Vining Canyon. While waiting for darkness to fall, Burleigh will beguile us with a captivating introduction into the biological and behavioral world of bats. We will then head out to Lee Vining Canyon to “see” the bats using Sonobat Live acoustical monitoring equipment. This will allow us to identify each bat by species through an almost instantaneous analysis of their ultrasonic echolocation calls as they fly over. Bring warm layers.
Date: Saturday, June 20
Time: 7:30pm-10:00pm
Instructor: Burleigh Lockwood & Evan Weissman
Meeting location: Mono Lake Committee
Difficulty rating: easy
Driving distance: 10 miles
On the eve of the summer solstice, come and celebrate the season with folktales and stargazing! Your enchanted evening starts watching the colors change as the sun sets over the lake and tufa. Then, as the waning moon sets behind the escarpment, Lisa will help us connect with the vast night sky. We will be sitting on the sandy beach at South Tufa Mono Lake, so dress warm, bring a blanket or small folding chair to sit on. This program will delight humans of all ages!
Date: Saturday, June 20
Time: 7:30pm-9:30pm
Instructor: Lisa Murphy
Meeting location: CCF A
Difficulty rating: easy
Driving distance: 22 miles