Stewardship

Volunteer Stewardship

Get out and give back! 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.

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! We are able to contribute in a real way to the protection, enhancement and restoration of public lands through the many volunteers - young and old, local and distant, individuals and groups - who lend their hands and hearts, giving back to their public lands.

Each year, the number of volunteers grows. In 2011, more than 1200 volunteers participated in our volunteer stewardship programs, which include the Mammoth Lakes Summer of Stewardship, Citizen Science Program, Wilderness Campsite Inventory, Mammoth Lakes Basin Volunteer Host Program, EVOLVE, and Customized Group Trips, listed below.

Mammoth Lakes Summer of Stewardship 2011

Now in its third year and proving ever more popular, Summer of Stewardship (SOS) is a partnership between FOI and the Mammoth Lakes Trails and Public Access Foundation (MLTPA), supported by the National Forest Foundation and Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, along with local businesses and clubs that co-sponsor events.

In the Summer of 2011, FOI and MLTPA partnered on seven SOS days on Sherwin Lakes/Valentine trails, Horseshoe Lake, Coldwater trails, Inyo Craters, Lake George, Convict Lake, and Panorama Dome - plus National Trails Day in June Lake - for a total of 218 volunteers and over 1000 hours of stewardship.

These events begin on site at 8:30 in the morning with complimentary bagels and conclude after noon with free lunch, drinks and raffle prizes provided by some of our local and distant sponsors, including Old New York Deli & Bagel Company, Roberto's Cafe, Michelle Mather Massage, Mammoth Pet Shop, Mammoth Mountaineering, Sierra Maps, Footloose Sports, Kittredge Sports, Java Joint Cafe, Linda Wright of State Farm Insurance, and Patagonia.

At the 2011 SOS Sherwin Lakes/Valentine trails event, 20 volunteers (17 adults and 3 children) and 9 staff (5 from FOI, 3 from MLTPA and one FOI intern) made possible 100 total hours of volunteer stewardship, a $2,085 value. Specifically:

• 10,000 feet of trail maintained
• 30 feet of trail restore
• 8.5 miles of trail monitored/hiked
• 10 trail structures maintained/repaired
• 1 trail structure built (water bar)
• 10 logs removed
• 5 picnic tables painted (Sherwin Lakes Day-use area)
• 2 signs replaced (wilderness boundary and Sherwin Lakes/Valentine Lake trail junction)
• 10 pounds of trash removed
• 142 visitors contacted

Friends of the Inyo will post the 2012 SOS schedule as soon as we have it, both on this website and through our monthly e-newsletter. If you are not already a member of Friends of the Inyo, join now to receive it!

Wilderness Campsite Inventory

Help the Inyo National Forest count and document campsites in areas such as the Hoover, Ansel Adams, John Muir, Golden Trout and Inyo Mountains Wilderness. Andrew Schurr, FOI's Stewardship Coordinator, oversees this program. For information about upcoming 2012 projects, email him at andrew@friendsoftheinyo.org or call (760) 873-6500. 

Mammoth Lakes Basin Volunteer Host Program

We launched this program in 2010 and hope to grow more involvement in 2012. Volunteers serve as trailhead hosts, helping to inform visitors, monitor trail use and collect data for area planning.

EVOLVE Wilderness Stewardship

Join a multi-day backcountry trip to care for some of the most spectacular trails and locations in the Sierrav Nevada! Sign up for a summer 2012 trip to destinations in the John Muir and Ansel Adams wilderness areas as soon as we post our upcoming summer schedule. Stay tuned!

Customized Group Trips

Universities, schools and businesses - even family reunions - can add stewardship to their mountain retreat agenda! Please email FOI Wilderness Exploration and Stewardship Coordinator Todd Vogel at todd@friendsoftheinyo.org for more information. 

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. 

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.