Stewardship

We work hand in hand with federal agencies such as the Inyo National Forest, Bureau of Land Management and the Death Valley National Park to restore healthy public lands ecosystems through trail maintenance, road and trail restoration, habitat monitoring and improvement, removal of invasive species, and maintenance to limit the expansion of the human imprint in natural environments.

Volunteer Stewardship

Get Out, Give Back.

Millions of visitors come to our national forest, park and BLM lands for recreation and renewal. Friends of the Inyo members and volunteers are among the few that give back through citizen stewardship. Please join them!

Friends of the Inyo is able to contribute in a real way to the protection, enhancement and restoration of public lands through the many citizen volunteers, young and old; local and distant; individuals and groups who lend thier hands and hearts, giving back to their public lands. In 2009, over 600 volunteers participated in our programs.

Here are some ways to get involved:

• Fish Slough Volunteer Patrol, an endangered species and habitat monitoring program. Additionally, Friends of the Inyo is involved in monitoring routes on both Inyo National Forest and BLM lands.
• Wilderness Campsite Inventory: Help the Inyo National Forest count and document campsites in the Golden Trout, Hoover, Boundary Peak and Inyo Mountains Wilderness areas this summer! Training happens June 25-27.

• Mammoth Lakes Summer of Stewardship: Join us for the second year of daylong volunteer events to clean up some of the favorite places around Mammoth, like Horseshoe Lake, Duck Pass Trail, Sherwin Lakes Trail and Inyo Craters. SOS is made possible through grant funding from the National Forest Foundation and Mammoth Resort. Stewardship trail days happen June 5, July 3 in the Lakes Basin, July 17 at Lake George, July 31 at Coldwater Creek/Duck Pass, August 28 at Panorama Dome, September 11 at Convict Lake and September 25 at the Owens River Headwaters/Glass Creek. Thanks to the National Forest Foundation, Mammoth Resort and MLTPA for their partnership with SOS!

• Mammoth Lakes Basin Volunteer Host Program: New for 2010! Volunteers serve as trailhead hosts, helping to inform visitors, monitor trail use and collect data for area planning. Training June 19-25; hosting starts July 2.

• EVOLVE Wilderness Stewardship: Join a multi-day backcountry trip to care for some of the most spectacular trails and locations in the Sierra! Sign up for a summer 2010 trip to Thousand Island Lake August 1-7 or Steelhead Lake August 19-22.
• Customized Group Trips: universities, schools and businesses--even family reunions--can add stewardship to their mountain retreat agenda.

Do you have a favorite trail in need of some TLC? A lake that needs a clean up? Have a group looking for an educational and rewarding time out helping our public lands? Or are interested in adopting an area? Please contact Stacy at Stacy@friendsoftheinyo.org or 760-873-6500.

Professional Stewardship Crews

Since 2008, Friends of the Inyo has employed professional, paid crews that work on public lands from the Inyo Mountains to Mono Lake. Your donations and membership contributions support their work on the land.