Warm evenings, crickets' song

ESIA has announced its lineup of Evening Campfire Programs this summer and fall at several campgrounds throughout the Inyo and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests. These events are free and open to campground guests and the surrounding community: You do not have to stay at the campground to attend.

This year’s presentations primarily focus on Eastern Sierra wildlife, including bighorn sheep, bears, mountain lions, birds, pikas, and animal adaptations. Naturalists are all qualified ESIA staff and almost two-thirds of the presentations will be given by ESIA’s Executive Director, Jeff Gabriel, a certified interpretive trainer/guide accredited through the National Association for Interpretation.

Events start at 6:30 pm. See the schedule below to find a campground near you.

The Annual Eastern Sierra History Conference seeks to enhance awareness, enrich knowledge, and generate recognition of the diverse and complex heritage of the Sierra Nevada region. Tickets are available now. Secure your spot today!

Burn Scars, edited by Char Miller, a Board member of the Eastern Sierra Interpretative Association, probes the enduring efforts to suppress fire, beginning with the Spanish invasion of California in the eighteenth century through the US Forest Service’s relentless nationwide campaign in the twentieth century. In recent years, suppression has come under increasing scrutiny as a contributing factor to our current era of megafires. The volume begins and ends with contributions from Indigenous practitioners discussing the long history and resurgent practice of cultural burning as part of traditional land stewardship. 

Burn Scars, which Oregon State University Press will publish in October, will be the subject of Miller’s talk at the 9^th Annual Eastern Sierra History Conference.

This year’s 7th Annual Eastern Sierra Book Festival was a great way to reach out to the community with ESIA’s wide book selection of favorite Eastern

Sierra topics and information about our programs.  



Traffic at our booth was brisk, and the panel discussion on the popular children’s book, The Pupfish Hero: [Biologist Phil Pister] Who Found Bravery and Buckets...and Saved a Species, published by ESIA, was well received. The panel included participation from ESIA Executive Director Jeff Gabriel (holding microphone in the right photo); Joe Reidhead, our publishing partner; and Susan Greenleaf, the book’s illustrator. Our thanks to festival organizer and author, Jennifer Critterden (standing, facilitating the panel), other participating authors and publishing industry professionals, and the Mammoth Museum at Hayden Cabin, which provided a lovely setting for the event.  

To browse our selection of Eastern Sierra book titles and souvenirs so that you can own a piece of the #SierraForever, please visit our webstore.  

Latino Conservation Week is a nationwide initiative of the advocacy organization, Hispanic Access Foundation, and was created 11 years ago to support the Latino community getting into the outdoors and participating in activities to protect our natural resources.

Bishop’s combined Hispanic Heritage Month/Latino Conservation Week event will take place behind City Hall, and it will be huge, featuring live music from internationally renowned Colombian cumbia group La Sonora Dinamita, dancing, food and drink vendors, community resources, and more! ESIA is playing a leading role in organizing this event and will be there! Stay tuned for more information in the coming weeks and get ready to join us!  

Organizers are the City of Bishop and Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association, with assistance from the Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau and the L.A. Department of Water and Power, and confirmed participation from the following community organizations: Cerro Coso Community College, AltaOne Federal Credit Union, Friends of the Inyo, and Whitebark Institute. We are anticipating participation from many other groups that want to celebrate our thriving Hispanic community. 

SAVE THE DATE! Earth Gives Day is a dedicated event designed to boost support and amplify the impact of 501(c)(3) environmental and climate organizations. By becoming an Earth Giver, you support dedicated teams who make a lasting impact to protect our planet. ESIA will be participating In Earth Gives Day, fundraising to meet our many needs with your help. Your contribution makes a difference.

Did you know that only 2% of giving goes to environmental organizations? YOU can help change that!

The online giving portal, EarthGives.org, will go live on Friday, September 6th until Earth Gives Day! on October 1st. More information will follow in the September newsletter, our website, and social media.

We recently had the pleasure of welcoming Louis Medina to the team, as our new Outreach Director!

Lou has worked in the nonprofit sector for almost two decades in L.A., Bakersfield, and Bishop. He is ESIA's first-ever English-Spanish bilingual Outreach Director and has extensive knowledge and experience with cross-cultural relations, media relations, website management, grant writing, and online fundraising.

"We are very excited that Louis will be joining our team. ESIA has a long history in the Eastern Sierra and Louis will help us continue our mission of education and interpretation well into the future through community outreach." - Jeff Gabriel, Executive Director.

Fire Restrictions are now in effect. Campfires are only permitted in established campgrounds such as Tuttle Creek. If you are camping in Inyo National Forest, a California Campfire Permit is required for fires in established campgrounds. There are NO fires in dispersed campsite rock rings, and no shooting live ammunition. Camp stoves are permitted. This protects natural resources and provides for public safety.

Campfire Stories: Volume II and Card Game

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