If you are inspired by the uniqueness of the Mono Basin and want to help protect Mono Lake in your free time, then the Mono Lake Volunteer program is for you. The program contributes to important work in the Mono Basin by the Inyo National Forest, California State Parks, and the Mono Lake Committee on behalf of Mono Lake.
Volunteers are provided with a free comprehensive three-day training at the beginning of June led by local interpretive experts. The goal of the training is to prepare the volunteers for their roles and provide a strong foundation in the natural and cultural history of Mono Lake and the Mono Basin. This year, a Zoom orientation will be held on Wednesday, June 3 and followed by an in-person training from Friday, June 5 through Sunday, June 7.
As representatives of Mono Lake and the Mono Basin, volunteers devote hundreds of hours each year performing a variety of meaningful duties. Volunteer jobs are chosen by volunteers based on their interests in conjunction with the needs of the partner organizations working to benefit Mono Lake.
The primary volunteer duties include:
- Roving at South Tufa, Old Marina, or Panum Crater to answer visitors’ questions and encourage resource protection
- Answering questions at the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center
- Pulling invasive plants and watering trees in restoration areas in the Mono Basin
- Helping with mailings at the Mono Lake Committee
For volunteers interested in interpretation, optional opportunities consist of South Tufa or Panum Crater tours or patio talks at the Scenic Area Visitor Center. Throughout the summer volunteers are invited to various community events, educational trainings, and fun field trips in the Mono Basin as well.
Volunteers help protect the Mono Basin and have fun doing it! Photos courtesy of Janet Carle.
If the volunteer program is of interest to you, please contact me, Operations Coordinator Deja Charles-Tomkins, with inquiries: (760) 647-6595 x120.
Top photo by Arya Degenhardt.