Students participating in the Experience Ambientalia program celebrated World Migratory Bird Day during the month of October. In partnership with the Mono Lake Committee, DeChambeau Creek Foundation, Eastern Sierra Bird Alliance, local high school teachers, and our colleagues at Laguna Mar Chiquita in northern Argentina, the students took part in a bird outing and assisted in restoring vital wetland habitat in the Mono Basin.
During the outing, students borrowed binoculars from the Eastern Sierra Bird Alliance and learned bird identification skills while participating in a birding scavenger hunt to identify resident species at DeChambeau Ranch and Ponds. Jake Suppa, DeChambeau Creek Foundation Program Officer, accompanied the group and shared the history of the ranch and ponds, explaining their ecological significance for Mono Basin wildlife. Students also assisted with updating pond infrastructure to ensure geothermal water flows properly into the wetland area. Thanks to the DeChambeau Creek Foundation, each student received their own copy of The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada to support their burgeoning naturalist journeys.
Students on both sides of the hemisphere are now doing concurrent environmental stewardship and educational activities at Laguna Mar Chiquita and Mono Lake throughout the season. To celebrate World Migratory Bird Day, students in Argentina participated in a bird-a-thon. The students circumnavigated Laguna Mar Chiquita via kayak, boat, horse, off-road vehicle, and hiking in search of birds. Thier day concluded by discussing the impact that anthropogenic disturbances can have on avian life.
In November, students will celebrate World Fisheries Day by learning about the political and ecological importance of fish and engage in activities that promote sustainable fishing practices in streams.
About the Experience Ambientalia program
Experience Ambientalia is a community group that seeks to better connect youth to their home ecosystems and cultivate a sense of environmental stewardship. The Mono Lake chapter of Experience Ambientalia parallels a much larger program and contingent of students in Argentina, where Experiencia Ambientalia was founded in 2021 to engage youth in conserving Laguna Mar Chiquita. Mono Lake is a sister lake with Laguna Mar Chiquita within the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network because of their combined role in providing critical habitat for Wilson’s Phalaropes.
We are seeking support to cover essential expenses and educational materials to provide these life-changing opportunities to students. If you are interested in supporting the Experience Ambientalia program, you can do that here:
Top photo courtesy of Marina Castellino.