Events and Activities
Sierra Harvest AG Skills Course
The Sierra Harvest Ag Skills Course offers a season of in-depth classes all about production farming. All classes are taught on farms in Nevada County by local farmers and agricultural professionals. Location details are emailed one week in advance of class.
Date: Every other Tuesdays on various farms
Please click here for more details.
Get Outdoors at Echo Summit - Eldorado National Forest
Join the Eldorado National Forest for a special event to celebrate the National Trails System which was established in 1968, the same year that Echo Summit was used as a high-elevation Olympic training center.
Date: August 25th
Please click here for tickets and more information.
California Adaptation Forum
Join adaptation practitioners from across the state and nation at the 3rd California Adaptation Forum! The Forum will feature a dynamic program across three full days including plenaries, breakout sessions, workshops, tours, a tools salon, a hosted reception, and numerous networking opportunities. Participants will walk away with new strategies, tools, and connections to accelerate adaptation efforts in their own communities.
Date: August 27-29th 2018
Please click here for more details and to register.
Flood-MAR Session
DWR is hosting a public workshop on Flood-MAR, an emerging water management strategy that could significantly improve water resources sustainability throughout the state.
Flood-MAR is an integrated and voluntary resource management strategy that uses flood water resulting from, or in anticipation of, rainfall or snow melt for managed aquifer recharge (MAR) on agricultural lands and working landscapes, including but not limited to refuges, floodplains, and flood bypasses.
Date:Thursday, August 30
Please click here for more details.
Monthly Environmental Webinar
Beginning in September Sierra Nevada Alliance will offer monthly webinar series for environmental organizations and environmental professionals in the Sierra. In our September webinar: “Shaping the SNA Member Group Program” learn about the current resources, and upcoming resources that the Sierra Nevada Alliance is offering to our network, and share your insight into the resources and webinar topics that would be beneficial for you and your organization. Stay tuned for a comprehensive list of upcoming webinar dates and topics.
Check our website for more details soon
Date: Monday, September 10th 10-11am
Please click here for more information.
Managing Drought in Climate Change
Join the PPIC Water Policy Center and a panel of experts for a discussion on reforms needed to improve resilience and galvanize action to prepare for future droughts.
Date: Monday, September 10th
Please click here for more information.
Global Climate Action Summit
Don't miss your chance to see global leaders Al Gore, John Kerry and many more, coming together to win the race against climate change at the Global Climate Action Summit.
Date: September 12-14
Please click here for more details.
Service Year Alliance Higher Education Fair
Sign up for the Service Year Virtual Higher Education Fair and have live one-on-one conversations with admissions recruiters. You’ll be able to connect with various schools who offer incentives uniquely designed for service year alumni, like Segal Education Award matches for those eligible!
Date: Friday, September 14th
Please click here for tickets and information.
Open Spaces & Wild Places: A Celebration of Land
Join Bear Yuba Land Trust on the Autumn Equinox for a local farm dinner under the oaks and among the rolling hills of 760 permanently protected acres of Nevada County’s pristine agricultural land known as Linden Lea Ranch.
Date: Saturday, September 22
Please click here for more details.
Job Announcements & Volunteer Opportunities
Stewardship Manager- American River Conservancy
The Stewardship Manager is responsible for the effective management of ARC-owned lands and protected easements. This position oversees a corps of hundreds of potential volunteers, and shares supervisory duties with other staff to provide oversight to two AmeriCorps Members.
For more info, click here.
Administrative Assistant - Sierra Nevada Alliance
Join our team! The Alliance Administrative Assistant provides administrative support to the Alliance Executive and Financial Directors to benefit all program areas of the organization.
For more info, click here.
Environmental Manager - Squaw Valley
Manages the environmental responsibilities in day to day operations including budgeting, project management, ordering, estimating, developing new and manage existing company sustainability efforts including all duties related to revegetation.
For more info, click here.
Various Volunteer Positions - Give Back Tahoe
A list of volunteer opportunities in the Tahoe/Truckee area.
For more info, click here.
Civic Spark Sierra Nevada Area Opportunities
Find opportunities through Sierra Business Council, Sierra Nevada Alliance, Placer County, and the Town of Mammoth Lakes in Climate Projects, Water Projects, and Opportunity Access Projects. Interviews will begin in July and start dates are in September.
For more info, click here.
Development Assistant - SYRCL
SYRCL is looking for an organized, detail-oriented and friendly person to work on our development and fundraising team on a part-time basis. The Development Assistant will coordinate special events, and assist in tracking financial contributions, stewarding donors, and doing database entry and funder research.
For more info, click here.
Resources
California Campfire Permit.
Campfire Permits are required for open fires, such as campfire, barbecues and portable stoves on federally controlled lands and private lands that are the property of another person.
Learn more here.
Sierra Nevada Watershed Improvement Program
The Watershed Improvement Program (WIP) builds upon the broad consensus that more must be done to restore Sierra Nevada forests and watersheds.
For more info, click here.
Public Comment: Former Grant Grove Incinerator- Sierra Wate Management
The National Park Service (NPS), in coordination with Avatar Environmental LLC, is seeking public comment on an Engineering Evaluation/Cost Analysis (EE/CA) that was prepared to consider alternatives for removal actions for a former dump site located within the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park, in Fresno County, California.
For more info, click here.
Delta Science Program
The Delta Science Program was established to develop scientific information and synthesis for the state of scientific knowledge on issues critical for managing the Bay-Delta system. That body of knowledge must be unbiased, relevant, authoritative, integrated across state and federal agencies, and communicated to Bay-Delta decision-makers, agency managers, stakeholders, the scientific community, and the public.
For more info, click here.
Become a 2018 Member Group of the Sierra Nevada Alliance!
Our goal at the Sierra Nevada Alliance is to protect and restore the Sierra Nevada by strengthening individual efforts and joining together as a region-wide force. The most integral component of the Alliance is our strong network of Member Groups. The goal of the Alliance Member Group program is to increase the value of this network as a resource to all involved through expanding our base of Member Groups. We work to actively facilitate collaboration amongst Member Groups to broaden our collective impact on behalf of the Sierra.
Contact Sara Monson here
For more info, click here.
Highlights
25th Anniversary Conference a Success!
More than 130 local, regional and national thought-leaders came together at our Regional Resiliency conference last weekend, makin the 25th Anniversary Conference a success. The event kicked off with an in-the-field restoration and enhancement activity at Prosser Creek in Truckee (featured below), followed the next day by a keynote address from author and environmental activist Richard Heinberg.
Heinberg set the stage with a lecture relating his personal experiences in the Sonoma County fires to the greater issue of climate change and what can be done to withstand the effects of it. The conference highlighted the work of some of the leading environmental professionals in the Sierra and showcased what each is doing to increase resiliency of the region via several notable workshops.
“Our conference theme of ‘Regional Resiliency’ helped guide our agenda and motivated us to collaborate and innovate better together on ways to enhance the ecological resilience of the Sierra,” said Jenny Hatch, Executive Director. “There are many opportunities and constraints that stand before us, but as a true alliance we can succeed,” she continued. Hatch also commented on the growing number of member groups (43 to date) as an indication of everyone feeling empowered to come together and work together on behalf of the region we all love.
Twenty-seven of our 2017-2018 SNAP members attended their August Graduation held at conference. Each member gave a short presentation of their service highlights, sharing with conference attendees their projects, successes and lessons learned during their term. “We are exceptionally grateful for the dedicated commitment each SNAP member has given to their service term and to the Alliance” said Rachel Durben, SNAP Program Director. “Several conference attendees commented on how inspiring it was to hear about the amazing projects the members had been working on and were impressed with the technical skills and strong work ethic members have brought to their host sites throughout the Sierra. We are truly fortunate to have such an amazing team of SNAP members serving this year,” she continued.
Also, Education and Communications Director, Sara Monson, revealed a new Sierra Nevada Alliance Directory and a monthly webinar series for Member groups, partners, SNAP members and alumni, which will begin next month.
Once again, the Sierra Nevada Alliance Conference acted as a great place for environmental professionals in the Sierra to network. The Member Group presentations gave members a platform to share their work, and lunchtime and happy hour provided perfect opportunities for people to meet their peers and discuss their challenges and successes in the field. The silent auction was a fun activity in between sessions and included amazing items this year like a seaplane tour of Tahoe, handcrafted wooden boxes, brewery gift cards and more. A special thanks to all of our donors who contributed items to the silent auction and to supporters who bid on items.
The conference was generously sponsored by environmentally conscious businesses including Chatten-Brown & Carstens, LLP; The Rose Foundation; Shute Mihaly Law Firm; El Dorado Water Agency; Sorensen’s Resort; Strawesome; Mono Lake Committee; Defenders of Wildlife; The Sierra Fund and Sierra Watch.
Thank you to everyone who attended. We look forward to seeing you at our next conference in 2020.
Prosser Creek Restoration
More than 30 volunteers restore an acre of habitat
To kick-off the 25th Anniversary Conference, the Sierra Nevada Alliance and SNAP members teamed up with Trout Unlimited and community volunteers to help with the ongoing restoration of Prosser Creek. More than 30 volunteers joined this year’s graduating AmeriCorps class as we implemented 12 cubic yards of gravel into the creek bed. This gravel will be dispersed by annual flow cycles and provide critical trout spawning habitat that has deteriorated since the construction of the Prosser Creek Dam.
A huge thank you to our diverse group of volunteers - moving that much gravel by hand is hard work! - and the heat did not make it any easier! Be sure to check out TakeCareTahoe.org to volunteer in similar events or to find ways to broaden your knowledge of the Basin.
25th Anniversary Farm-to-Table Dinner was an Event to Remember
Chefs Darren Weston, Wyatt Dufresne and Glenn Simpson created a mouth-watering evening under the stars
Our first-ever chic Farm-to-Table Dinner, in partnership with Squaw Valley Institute (SVI), was certainly an unforgettable evening. Held on the lakefront terrace of the North Tahoe Event Center in King’s Beach, renowned, local celebrity chefs Darren Weston Wyatt Dufresne and Glenn Simpson created a beautiful seven course meal paired with wine for more than 100 guests.
This one-of-a-kind experience was a partnership venture from two organizations who both work to build a stronger community. “As a leader in conservation, connection and communication, we relish the opportunity to partner with other prominent organizations on engaging our communities to give back to the Sierra in the hopes that future generations will be able to enjoy this wondrous playground like so many of us do,” said Jenny Hatch, Executive Director of the Sierra Nevada Alliance. SVI is the newest member group of the Alliance and brings with it an influence of culture, arts, education and community.
Special thanks to Matt Reardon, Executive Director of SVI for his leadership in planning the event. Also, huge thank yous to our incredible chefs for donating their time and talent, and to our food and beverage partners, Tahoe Food Hub, Bella Grace Vineyards and Tahoe Blue Vodka. And thank you to Keoki Flagg for showcasing and donating his breathtaking artwork throughout the conference and Farm-to-Table Dinner. Last, but certainly not least, thank you to our hard-working, dedicated volunteers for making the evening the success that it was. We couldn’t have done it without you, and it was an amazing way to celebrate the Alliance’s 25th Anniversary!
SNAP Spotlight: Sierra Watershed Education Partnership (SWEP) - Shireen Karimi
Shireen Karimi works with Sierra Watershed Education Partnerships (SWEP) as an Environmental Field Educator. SWEP’s mission is to encourage environmental stewardship through hands-on scientific exploration and education. Shireen grew up in San Diego, CA, but has always considered the Sierra her second home. Growing up, she constantly was being taken on camping trips to Yosemite. This helped shape her passion for protecting the places she loves and ultimately led her to pursuing a B.A in Environmental Studies. She graduated in May of 2017 from the University of San Diego and a few months later found herself moving to Truckee, CA to serve as the Americorps for SWEP!
It has been a whirlwind of a year! To start off, the Fall began with an influx of beginning of the year school programs. Some of which included field days with seventh graders, spent planting trees and learning about forest health as well as starting off our Science Festival season at Incline Elementary school in Nevada. Coming from a background of coaching, Shireen felt she had some understanding of teaching but was soon surprised to learn she had a long way to go! The beginning of the year was a lot to take in, but by the time Winter rolled around, she began to pick up the swing of things.
Winter came as soon as it left and with it arrived SWEP’s Winter Discovery Program. The Winter Discovery Program really gave Shireen a test for teaching and she was pleasantly surprised with what she found. The Winter Discovery Center is a program that takes place in a yurt at the Tahoe Cross Country Center. Here, third, fourth, and fifth graders from Tahoe Truckee Unified School District (TTUSD) attend lessons taught by SWEP staff about snow science! This was Shireen’s favorite program because it allowed her to fully discover the creativity that lies behind teaching and exploration. The students are able to learn the science and then play in the snow, which allows them to bridge connections that they maybe wouldn’t have been able to do in a traditional classroom setting.
As Spring arrived, SWEP jumped straight into their Saghen program. Fifth grade students from schools within the TTUSD attend UC Berkeley’s Sagehen Biological Field station and are introduced to hands on scientific exploration from not only SWEP but also other organizations such as Tahoe Institute for Natural Sciences (TINS). SWEP’s stations introduce students to macroinvertebrates and allow direct creek exploration by inviting students to physically get in Sagehen Creek and go bug hunting!
Currently, SWEP is working on prepping for the new school year. As Summer winds down, the workload is just beginning to pick up once again! Shireen is unsure of what lies ahead beyond her time at SWEP, but is looking forward to the next chapter with new found skill at “winging it” and keeping a positive attitude all at the same time!
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The policy of the Resource is to include articles that appear in local or
major media outlets relevant to Sierra conservation. We also include news
releases, event notices, funding opportunities and job announcements sent to
us from our Member Groups and friends. If you as a reader disagree with the
content of a submission we encourage you to submit a letter to the editor of
the issuing publication to reach the broader audience who read the article.
You are welcome to forward your letter to the editor to the Alliance for
inclusion in our new "Letters to the Resource" section. We also invite Letters
to the Resource to be directly submitted on any article with which you're
concerned.
Newsletter contents prepared by Rachael Blum, Administrative Assistant with the Sierra Nevada Alliance.
If you have articles, events or announcements that you would like included in this newsletter or if you have feedback,
please email Rachael.
If you would like to support the Sierra Nevada Alliance initiatives,
please click here to contribute to our funding.
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