By Virginia Pritchard Virginia started working at the Sierra Institute in the Fall of 2020 as a Collaborative Forestry Management Apprentice and will be working on West Lassen Headwaters Infrastructure Assessment and Watershed Improvement Project. She graduated from Oregon State University in 2016 with a dual B.S. in Environmental Science and Microbiology with a Chemistry […]
P-CREW reunion at Marin Headlands
During the summer, P-CREW crew members spend five weeks in the wilderness, working 8-hour days doing physical labor, backpacking, and living in close proximity with 11 other teenagers and two crew leaders. For many, it is their first time having a “real” job, camping, or going an extended period of time without access to the […]
In Praise of Small Streams
We are often most impressed by the bigger things in life and our rivers are no exception to this bias. Despite this, I believe if you take some time to understand how watersheds work, you can be convinced that the little trickling mountain creek is just as, if not more, impressive than its downstream relative. […]
First steps in managing an invasive aquatic pathogen in the Feather River Basin
I arrived at Indian Valley in January this year for a year-long fellowship developed through a partnership between the Sierra Institute for Community and Environment and the Feather River Chapter of Trout Unlimited. One major component of the project and, admittedly, the one which first captured my attention, is an aquatic survey and the formulation […]
Watershed Program Study officially released by the California Department of Conservation
The final report can be found here. Watershed coordinators are key to watershed health. In fact, they have generated seven times the funds state agencies have invested in them. Those are among the findings of an in-depth report two years in the making by Sierra Institute for Community and Environment. “Wading through the Watershed Program” […]
Collaborative forest restoration: one response to wildfire
On November 15th, Kyle and I attended a meeting of the Yosemite Stanislaus Solutions (YSS) collaborative group in Sonora, California. It includes a diverse array of stakeholders, such as representatives from Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center, Sierra Pacific Industries, Friends of Berkeley Tuolumne Camp, the Tuolumne Group of the Sierra Club, and encompasses much of […]
Sweet Subtleties of Summer
Today we are at the East side of Jewel Lake. It is fairly cold and windy today but we are building a camp fire. It is nice to hear the wind through the trees and the birds chirping. I tried to go fishing this morning but the fish weren’t biting.. Other than that, it feels […]
Forest Management Tour with Collins Pine
6/20- Collins Pine Co. and PCREW talked trees, timber, and forest management techniques with triple bottom line objectives. — This was my 2nd year leading the Sustainable FOrest Management Tour with Collins Pine on behalf of Sierra Institute. Our typical tour attendee is retired and somewhat in the know about timber and forest management. At […]
Wrapping Up Sustainability Institute
“By taking care of the environment, the environment takes care of us.” “Sustainability is maintaining communities even during environmental and economic changes.” “Sustainability is what holds our small town together.” These were just some of the sentiments expressed by Greenville Junior/Senior High School students during the final Sustainability Institute presentations last Thursday, May 18. Groups […]
Sustainability: from classrooms to landscapes
When was the last time you thought about the impacts of a decision you made, not just on yourself or your family, but on the whole community? Or the surrounding environment? Or the local economy? And not just in the immediate future, but how it might influence future generations as well? Talk about place-based learning! […]