October 20th, 2019 by Robbie, Restoration Field TechniciancloseAuthor: Robbie, Restoration Field TechnicianName: Robert Di Paolo Title: Restoration Field Technician About: Robbie grew up in San Francisco and received his BS in Environmental Science from Humboldt State University. He first heard about Mono Lake in an environmental policy class, became a Mono Lake Intern in the summer of 2014, and hasn't left since! He is now responsible for monitoring Mono Lake's tributary streams, measuring the level of Mono Lake, coordinating annual aerial Eared Grebe surveys, leading the invasive plant removal program, and assisting with any additional restoration programs in the Mono Basin. In his free time you might find him fishing, hiking, skiing, or playing board games.See All Posts by Robert (44) Contact Robert
In British Columbia Robbie assisted Dr. Boyd with telemetry studies to determine annual migration patterns of Eared Grebes. Photo by Robbie Di Paolo.
They’re not an endangered species, they’re not an invasive species, and they’re not a mascot for a sports team—according to a recent paper these are indicators that we shouldn’t expect Eared Grebes to start trending on Google anytime soon. In fact, a paper published in the National Academy of Sciences journal identified grebes as one of the least-popular bird groups in the United States.
I learned this not-so-fun fact while I was in Riske Creek, British Columbia, capturing Eared Grebes with Dr. Sean Boyd and his colleagues from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). While cradling a little one-pound grebe in my hands, the bird patiently waiting to be released, I felt baffled about why such a cool and unique bird was not more loved.
October 18th, 2019 by Jessica, Office DirectorcloseAuthor: Jessica, Office DirectorName: Jessica Schneider Title: Office Director About: Jess began working at the Mono Lake Committee in 2010, oversaw the bookstore for several years, and returned to the Mono Lake Committee in late 2014 as Office Director after working at a local resort and starting her own business. Jess creates the complicated office and bookstore schedule, oversees the intern and volunteer programs, and keeps the office functioning smoothly. She lives on a small ranch north of Mono Lake, with horses, cows, goats, dogs, chickens, turkeys, and a cat.See All Posts by Jessica (46) Contact Jessica
The 2019 Mono Lake Committee staff. Photo by Andrew Youssef.
In a blink, summer 2019 came to a close and another excellent group of seasonal staff headed out into the world, in one way or another changed by their time spent in the Mono Basin.
When not answering questions on the front counter, Information Center & Bookstore Assistant Kevin Brown also presented his talk, “Save the Pupfish! History, Water, and the Surprising Persistence of the Devils Hole Pupfish,” at our Refreshments with Refreshing ‘Ologists lecture series.
Merryn Venugopal is sticking around the Eastern Sierra for the winter after a great summer as Information Center & Bookstore Assistant. We were fortunate to have her professionalism and experience with retail systems at the front counter all season. … more »
October 17th, 2019 by Anna, Philanthropy DirectorcloseAuthor: Anna, Philanthropy DirectorName: Anna Christensen Title: Philanthropy Director About: Anna's packed résumé includes former Committee Membership Coordinator (1999–2000), Director of Development for Indiana State University Foundation, Chief Development Officer for the Geological Society of America Foundation, and Director of Marketing and External Relations for the Beacom School of Business at the University of South Dakota. She is happy to be back working at the Committee as Philanthropy Director.See All Posts by Anna (4) Contact Anna
The Mono Lake Committee’s intern program is a bridge that connects passionate people to the Mono Lake story.
2019 Ruth Borun Intern AnnaLisa Mayer, right, on a field trip with members of the Committee’s staff and Board of Directors. Photo by Andrew Youssef.
Internships allow individuals (young and old) the opportunity to be paid to work for a successful environmental organization and launch their own careers or propel them in new directions. Past interns fondly remember leading walking tours at South Tufa, answering challenging questions in the bookstore, guiding canoe trips with unbelievable scenic views, and recruiting new members to join the Committee.
In 2019, two families chose to honor family members with special contributions to support internships over the summer. This marks the first year the Committee made available the opportunity for memorial gifts in this manner. … more »
October 16th, 2019 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 grew up in on California's Central Coast dreaming of the two weeks each summer that her family would spend in the Eastern Sierra, and as soon as she graduated from St. Olaf College in 2005 she moved to Mono Lake full-time. She prefers to travel at high speed on either telemark skis or a mountain bike, or be completely still, immersed in a good book.See All Posts by Elin (342) Contact Elin
At the Mono Lake Committee we spend a lot of time thinking about inputs of water into Mono Lake. How much? For how long? In what patterns? From what sources? When will it arrive? Is it enough?
But during the recent windstorm-induced power outage (see page 17), I got to thinking about Mono Lake’s output. It powers the phalaropes (see page 6) on their long migration to South America after they have stopped here to gorge on brine shrimp and molt. On their non-stop flight to Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Paraguay, each new feather, each tiny digestive system is powered by Mono Lake. … more »
October 15th, 2019 by Lisa, Associate Policy DirectorcloseAuthor: Lisa, Associate Policy DirectorName: Lisa Cutting Title: Eastern Sierra Policy Director About: Lisa supports the policy team with her two decades of experience in Mono Basin policy issues. She concentrates on the north Mono Basin, Caltrans projects, restoration progress, and other focused policy issues. Lisa uses sleuthing-out good fly fishing spots as another excuse for hiking, and it's always a treat when her dog Tucker comes to visit the office!See All Posts by Lisa (37) Contact Lisa
This weekend author David James Duncan will share reflections on friendship, writing, and remembrance here at Mono Lake. We hope to see you here!
Saturday, October 19 • 3:00–4:30pm • Mono Lake County Park Sunday, October 20 • 3:00–4:30pm • Lee Vining Community Center
On Saturday, David will share reflections and remembrances gathered along the creative path walked with his friend, celebrated poet Tom Crawford.
On Sunday, David will offer a pre-publication preview of One Long River of Song: Notes on Wonder for the Spiritual and Nonspiritual Alike, a forthcoming book of essays by his friend, renowned author Brian Doyle.
October 11th, 2019 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 grew up in on California's Central Coast dreaming of the two weeks each summer that her family would spend in the Eastern Sierra, and as soon as she graduated from St. Olaf College in 2005 she moved to Mono Lake full-time. She prefers to travel at high speed on either telemark skis or a mountain bike, or be completely still, immersed in a good book.See All Posts by Elin (342) Contact Elin
Travel to the Mono Basin in winter to experience the “forgotten” season on the east side of the Sierra Nevada. Winter here is quiet, majestic, and worth discovering with a guide on one of our winter field seminars.
Join us for a winter field seminar to experience the “forgotten” season in the Mono Basin. Photo by Arya Harp.
October 5th, 2019 by Arya, Communications DirectorcloseAuthor: Arya, Communications DirectorName: Arya Harp Title: Communications Director About: Arya oversees the Committee's communications program, which includes the Mono Lake Newsletter and the Mono Lake Calendar. She loves her job because she gets to share the inspiring work of the Mono Lake Committee with members and visitors alike. 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 (193) Contact Arya
In July, longtime Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve Ranger Dave Marquart retired after 36 years of service at Mono Lake. To say that Dave is an institution at Mono Lake, and within the Reserve, is an understatement—in his tenure he saw much change, and through it all, he served as a dedicated caretaker of the resources and a skilled interpretive guide, helping countless people learn about and become inspired by Mono Lake.
By the time he retired in July, ranger Dave Marquart had led countless bird walks at County Park during his 36-year career with the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve. Photo by Elin Ljung.
The Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve essentially protects the central core of Mono Lake—the bed and waters of the lake itself and all state-owned portions of the lake’s 40-mile shoreline, including the majority of the tufa groves, for a total of approximately 49,000 protected acres. Dave’s … more »
September 30th, 2019 by Geoff, Executive DirectorcloseAuthor: Geoff, Executive DirectorName: Geoffrey McQuilkin Title: Executive Director About: Geoff's goals for the Committee are: ensuring Mono Lake's continuing protection, restoring Mono Lake's tributary streams, developing a permanent education program, and ensuring 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, Ellery, and Cassia.See All Posts by Geoffrey (154) Contact Geoffrey
If you wanted to summarize this past summer at Mono Lake in one word it would be this: phalaropes.
Phalaropes flocked in spectacular formations at South Tufa this summer. Photo by Andrew Youssef.
The dainty Mono-loving migrators put on spectacular displays at South Tufa for many days, dipping and weaving in tight flocks of thousands. Visitors stopped in their tracks and canoes floated in place to watch the aerial acrobatics. Mono Lake Committee staff captured one dramatic episode on video and it quickly became our most-watched video ever; you can see it for yourself here.
The phalaropes have now headed to points south for the winter, but like many things at Mono Lake, their summer displays were possible thanks to protection work behind the scenes … more »
September 26th, 2019 by Krista, Birding InterncloseAuthor: Krista, Birding InternName: Krista Fanucchi Title: Birding Intern About: A Bay Area native, Krista began exploring the Sierra Nevada at an early age and eventually landed her first seasonal position in Yosemite in 2009. After obtaining her BS in Geography and a minor in GIS from Portland State University, she was fortunate enough to receive a handful of positions researching and banding songbirds and Raptors in Yosemite, Point Reyes National Seashore, and on a windy butte near Mt. Hood in Oregon. In her free time, she enjoys exploring, reading, and painting pictures of both every day and peculiar things.See All Posts by Krista (5) Contact Krista
Autumn in the Eastern Sierra is a captivating time of year. After a busy summer of growth and renewal, vibrant pockets of yellow, gold, and red spills down steep canyon walls and across hilltops. Most of the birds have flown south for the winter, and the autumn leaves quiver and shine throughout a silent landscape. Though the fall colors have just started to pop up in isolated pockets throughout the Eastern Sierra, the crisp clean air announces more fall splendor to come soon!
Lundy Canyon fall color on 9/26/19. Photo by Krista Fanucchi.
Some small groups of aspen are just starting to change color along the June Lake Loop (7,654′), in Lee Vining Canyon (6,781′), and … more »
September 26th, 2019 by Anna, Philanthropy DirectorcloseAuthor: Anna, Philanthropy DirectorName: Anna Christensen Title: Philanthropy Director About: Anna's packed résumé includes former Committee Membership Coordinator (1999–2000), Director of Development for Indiana State University Foundation, Chief Development Officer for the Geological Society of America Foundation, and Director of Marketing and External Relations for the Beacom School of Business at the University of South Dakota. She is happy to be back working at the Committee as Philanthropy Director.See All Posts by Anna (4) Contact Anna
Mark Arax’s new book The Dreamt Land is making literary, political, and social waves, and our friends at Bay.org are hosting a lecture and Q&A with the author! A group of Mono Lake Committee friends and members will be there, and we’d love to see you for this evening of lively conversation. Mono Lakers at the event include Greg Reis, Information & Restoration Specialist; Anna Christensen, Philanthropy Director; Martha Davis, Mono Lake Committee Board Member; and Peter Vorster, expert hydrologist and hydrogeographer.
