To celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service, Friends of the Inyo partnered with Devils Postpile National Monument. While we always enjoy our work on the Inyo National Forest and BLM around the Owens Valley, it was really nice to partner in another special place in the Eastern Sierra. Thanks to a grant from the California Wildlinds Grassroots Fund of the Rose Foundation, Friends of the Inyo and the National Park Service were able to sponsor a couple of projects as ways for volunteers to connect with Devils Postpile.
The Founder’s Day Stewardship Event kicked off with National Monument Superintendent Deanna Dulen sharing the history and significance of Devils Postpile.
Volunteers worked on a number of projects to care for the Postpile, including disguising social trails and breaking up and removing a concrete pad.
We were also able to sponsor a summer long citizen science phenology monitoring project. Six volunteers helped out by visiting the Postpile and recording their observations to inform park managers about ecological trends.
Park ecologist Monica Buhler gives volunteers information about the plants they’ll be surveying.
Volunteers getting up close while observing a cottonwood tree with National Park ecologist Monica Buhler.