Join us for nature-based yoga, a climate change education and advocacy picnic,   interpretive hikes, or half- or multi-day volunteering out on the land. The fun never ends with friends... of the Inyo! 

August 10th, Rock Creek Boardwalk Project

Saturday, August 10th 2024 @ 8:30AM, we will be replacing dilapidated sections of the boardwalk structures which protect sensitive plants throughout the Upper Rock Creek Canyon trail. We will meet at the East Fork TH/Palisade Day Use parking lot and caravan or hike to project sites.

August 17th through 19th, 20 Lakes Basin Work Week

Saturday August 17th through Monday August 19th, be a Friend of the Inyo, and the Yosemite Toad, and help restore system trails/rehabilitate riparian habitat from user damage.This is critical habitat for the Yosemite Toad, among other sensitive species, and currently, many social trails and illegal campsites in the area threaten the health of this ecosystem. Let's be the change! We will be working in the 20 Lakes Basin, Mono Ranger District, Inyo National Forest and will meet at the Saddlebag Trailhead August 17th at 9 AM. 

All Season Long, Solitude Monitoring

Help Friends of the Inyo conduct visitor data collection for the Forest Service in various designated Wildernesses on the Inyo National Forest. It’s easy: You can do it while you’re out enjoying nature by hiking target trails in research areas and recording how many other people you encounter. That’s it! It is called Solitude Monitoring, and it helps inform the Forest Service on trail quotas, usage, and how well the “Wilderness Character” of a place is being managed. We need a wide variety of data: various days (weekdays vs. weekends vs. holidays) and usage over various months (April-November). 

Questions? If you have any questions about any of our volunteering opportunities please contact Friends of the Inyo's Stewardship Director, Lindsay Butcher, at lindsay@friendsoftheinyo.org. 

From strolling and sketching, to learning about snakes, to creating cyanotypes using elements from nature, to learning about the geological forces that created the Sierra Nevada, to helping clean up and restore the Eastern Sierra’s beautiful lands and waters—Friends of the Inyo offers a variety of engagement opportunities for everyone. And on some days, there is more than one activity to choose from.      

August 3rd & 31st Sierra Foraging: Plant Medicine and Wild Edibles of the Eastern Sierra Nevada Interpretive Hike

August 10th The Misunderstood Danger Noodle: a Sssiera Snake Walk- Bridgeport Interpretive Hike.

 Saturday August 3rd and Saturday August 31st, from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, come join White Mountain District Trail Ambassador, Jean on a hike up East Fork of Rock Creek where you’ll learn about, and potentially find, some medicinal-edible flora.

Saturday August 10th and Saturday September 14th from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, come join our Bridgeport Ranger District Trail Ambassador Jordan for an exploration of all things slithery… explore the reptilian world, and the perfect habitat of the scrubbrushy Eastern Sierra. 

August 17th Stories Set in Stone: Geology of the Sierra Nevada, Bennettville Interpretive Hike

August 24th Mt. Whitney Stroll and Sketch: An Artsy Interpretive Morning Hike

Saturday August 17th and Saturday September 7th,  from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, come join Trail Ambassador Ellie for a hike back in time. Explore the historic Bennettville mine and get an up-close and personal view into the geology of the Eastern Sierra. This hike will begin at an elevation of 9,500, and we will gain about 300 feet as we go up to the old mine and townsite. 

Saturday August 24 and Saturday September 21st from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, Bring your curiosity and creativity and join Mt. Whitney District Trail Ambassador,   Bella on a guided walk alongside Lone Pine River. We will be learning about the natural wonders around us and making stops to create art along the way. Friends of the Inyo will provide mini sketchbooks and pencils but feel free to bring your own if you’d like.

August 24th Mammoth Lakes Basin Interpretive Hike and Cyanotype Creation

Saturday August 24th and Saturday September 28th from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, come join Mammoth Lakes Ranger District- Trail Ambassador Brian, on a gathering hike to Heart Lake to make a Cyanotype! Heart Lake trail is a perfect ~1.5 mile stroll to collect leaves, rocks, flowers and other decorations to use in making a Cyanotype or “Sun-Print”.

Get moving and unwind in the beautiful Mammoth Lakes Basin: join us for Nature-Based Yoga led by Friends of the Inyo's Lead Trail Ambassador Jean on the deck of Pokonobe marina on Lake Mary. 

No registration is required. Bring your own yoga mat, refreshments, and anything else you might need for a lovely morning of yoga on the lake.

This free offering ends August 30th. 

Questions? Reach out to jean@friendsoftheinyo.org

 From trail work to education to guided hikes to art workshops to nature yoga to volunteering opportunities and beyond, our stewardship program does it all, and can do MORE with your support:

Tuesday, August 6th, 5:30-8:30 PM, Join us for an evening of fun, food, games, and music for all ages with local organizations and opportunities to make some change on climate change! Everyone who attends will receive discount coupons to
purchase dinner and dessert from two popular local food truck favorites, Uncle Shyam’s and Sierra Snow.

Great music will be provided by Ghosts of Ferns, a contemporary folk duo of singer-songwriter June McCrory and multi-instrumentalist Caley Kevlin. Come enjoy their upbeat “summer picnic inspired” selections, including covers of popular tunes and their own wonderful original songs.

The evening will also include brief remarks from local community leaders including Meryl Picard, Chair of the Bishop Paiute Tribe; Jeff Griffiths, Inyo County Supervisor; and Chris Bubser, Mammoth Town Councilperson. A variety of local organizations will be present and tabling to share practical actions area residents can take to benefit both our local communities and the planet.

Questions? Reach out to Inyo350's Fran Hunt: franhunt@gmail.com

 Momentum is building in the Bodie Hills, for the good and the bad. From wildfire to now FIVE different exploratory gold drilling sites on the Nevada side, threats are growing, yet new policy is coming to protect the Bi-state sage grouse and local protection efforts are abounding and gaining traction. Friends of the Inyo is a proud member of the Bodie Hills Conservation Partnership, check out the Partnership's most recent edition of its quarterly newsletter.

The Conglomerate Mesa Coalition is proud to share three new short videos about the non-mineral value of Conglomerate Mesa and how we can protect it as it continues to be threatened by gold mining. We thank Will Allen-DuPraw for making these amazing short films as part of the critical work to protect the mesa!

"Upcoming EIS" Short Video

Kathy Bancroft, the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone Tribe, and Jaime Lopez Wolters, the Desert Lands Organizer for Friends of the Inyo, describe the BLM’s upcoming Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Conglomerate Mesa and how you can make your voices heard.

"Conglomerate Mesa Overview" Short Video

Conglomerate Mesa is threatened by a gold mining exploration. Kathy Bancroft and Jeremiah Joseph from the Lone Pine Paiute Shoshone Tribe and Jaime Lopez Wolters, Desert Lands Organizer with Friends of the Inyo, explain what is at stake.

"Joshua Trees on Conglomerate Mesa" Short Video 

As botanist Maria Jesus explains, Joshua trees are threatened throughout their range in California, especially in the south. Conglomerate Mesa lies at the northern end of their range and the Joshua trees there are much more likely to survive the coming changes in climate. The Conglomerate Mesa Coalition is surveying the Joshua trees along the path of a proposed mining exploration to advocate for their protection.

Want more Conglomerate Mesa? Check out the coalition's newsletter, Inyo to Coso: 

On July 9th, the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission presented to the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) Commissioners on the history of negotiations for tribal water rights. Executive Director Teri Red Owl gave this presentation, and she urged the LADWP Commissioners to reopen negotiations over the tribes’ unresolved water rights. The Commissioners responded positively with promises that they would look into next steps and engage in good faith. 

Because this presentation had been delayed for months, Friends of the Inyo worked with the Owens Valley Indian Water Commission to encourage the public to speak up in support. We put the call out to the community, and we received record engagement: online, we reached a total of 29,485 social media accounts, and 423 people shared our posts. People care about Payahuunadü’s tribes and their fight for water. 

In the end, we had 14 people attend this meeting in-person in Los Angeles to give impassioned public comments urging LADWP to listen to the Indigenous peoples of Payahuunadü. Even more people came to show solidarity and support in the meeting room itself. Beyond in-person participation, we also had 54 people submit written comments online. These comments made a huge impression on the LADWP Commissioners, and we hope they will respond to this overwhelming public support.

Thank you so much to everyone who participated!

The Eastern Sierra Land & Community Survey is a community-led research effort to understand local perspectives on land use and management in our region. The Survey will be conducting interviews, holding focus groups, and administering household surveys through summer 2024 to improve understanding of landscape values and stewardship priorities that support vibrant and resilient communities and landscapes across the Eastern Sierra region.

The Survey is a collaborative project to increase the resilience of Eastern Sierra landscapes to environmental change. Its organizers are hoping to understand how community members value and use the land, with the goal of uplifting community voices to inform future stewardship and land management practices.

The Survey is looking for folks who live in Inyo, Mono, and Alpine counties to interview; interviews last about an hour, and participants can receive a $50.00 gift card for their time. In-person, Zoom, and phone calls are all options for being interviewed - and surveyors are able to drive to meet you anywhere that works best for you. 

If you’re interested in participating in an interview, focus group, or survey, contact them via the button below: 

Questions? Email emmsage@stanford.edu.

Friends of the Inyo is proud to be a partner of The Pinyon Community Climate Action (PiCCA)  Project, a collaborative climate action project to improve the resilience of pinyon-juniper woodlands. We are combining ecological and sociological methods to improve forest and community resilience to climate change in the Eastern Sierra. As part of this effort, our team is building out a community-led woodland monitoring network, using an app developed by partners at the Bishop Paiute Tribe. This monitoring network will help monitor forest health, as well as identify important areas for Tribal stewardship. We need your help to collect data and help keep our pinyon-juniper woodlands healthy and resilient!

Mark Your Calendars:

Sunday September 8th, Pinyon Pine Healthblitz Extravaganza! 

Have you heard of a bioblitz? Well, we are doing a healthblitz! Together, we will get out on the land to assess the health of local pinyon pine stands. In response to widespread pinyon
pine mortality, the Bishop PaiuteTribe created the Tribal Citizen Wunupu (Pinyon, Pine Nut Tree) survey. This survey will be used by the PICCA team to build community-based networks to center and uplift Tribal-led initiatives and solutions & identify areas of declining health
for future stewardship

Time and location to be determined. Questions? email allison@friendsoftheinyo.org 

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Thank you for your generous support.