Spring Equinox, Lengthening of Days

You won't want to miss this! Join us for screenings of this year's No Mans Land Film Festival in Bishop and Mammoth Lakes.

Presented by ESIA, join us for a memorable evening highlighting the stories of women in the outdoors. These events are Bishop Climbing Ranger Fundraisers. All proceeds go to support the program. Purchase pre-sale tickets below!

We have another tracking workshop to offer you! ESIA is teaming up with Eastern Sierra Land Trust to host these workshops again! 

Join professional wildlife tracker and mountain lion researcher Phil Johnston for a day in the desert learning to read the stories of wild animals through tracking. Phil has over a decade of experience teaching tracking and is certified as a Senior Tracker through Tracker Certification North America. Come learn to identify the tracks and signs of the many charismatic creatures living in the Eastern Sierra. 

The location will be in the Bishop area. The exact meeting location will be emailed the Friday before the workshop. This workshop will be from 9 am to 3 pm. You will be on your feet for the entire time, often walking over uneven terrain. Spaces can fill up quickly! Click below to register.

If you have questions, reach out to [email protected]

This Winter Wildlands Alliance education program provides an opportunity for fifth-graders to hop outside and learn firsthand about their watershed. Kids strap on snowshoes, dig pits, study snow crystals, and play in the snow to make a personal connection with the snowpack and the water they drink daily.

Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association and Friends of Inyo work together in Bishop and Mammoth Lakes, combining a classroom visit with a day in the snow.

This program is nationwide, working with 35,000 students at 70 locations. To support SnowSchool, click below to donate and select “SnowSchool Fund”.

If you are in the Eastern Sierra and want SnowSchool brought to your classroom, contact [email protected]. Additionally, we are seeking donations of gently used snow boots, snow pants, gloves, jackets, and other winter attire.

The Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association is looking for summer seasonal retail associates at the White Mountain Visitor Center, Eastern Sierra Visitor Center, Schulman Grove Visitor Center, and Mono Basin Visitor Center.

These are entry-level seasonal positions. Ideal candidates possess a passion for the Eastern Sierra, enjoy talking to people, and have an interest in learning more about our region. Submit a cover letter and resume to [email protected]

Recap and Looking Forward

Our final Free Guided Snowshoe Walk in Mammoth Lakes was on February 29th. Thank you to everyone who joined in on these adventures! From the crunching of snow beneath our snowshoes to the breathtaking silence that occurs in winter forests, each walk was a unique experience. Stay tuned for summer interpretive walks, talks, and more that will start back up in a couple of months. These programs occur up and down the Eastern Sierra, are free of charge, and everyone is welcome.

The Volcanic Tablelands

767,000 years ago, the Long Valley Caldera violently erupted. The explosion from this event was beyond our comprehension. 125 cubic miles of hot ash rocketed sky high into the atmosphere leaving behind a crater 20 miles long, 10 miles wide, and over a mile deep. Life for miles in every direction was completely annihilated and the ancient rivers and canyons of the former landscape were forever changed. Ash was blown far and wide. Debris from the eruption has been found as far as Kansas and Nebraska! Over time, the hot ash from the eruption cooled and hardened leaving behind the incredible features in the Bishop Tuff we love. Life slowly returned to reclaim the valley, and the Owen's River carved out a Gorge hundreds of feet deep. 

The tablelands are a unique, biologically rich, and fragile ecosystem because they are where two different floristic provinces (areas of similar plant life) overlap. The Great Basin Floristic Province and the Northern Mojave Floristic Provinces come together right here in Bishop. The boulders and canyons where we climb offer some of the best opportunities to observe the fascinating life that inhabits the area! 

A deep human history spanning many thousands of years is also present here. The Volcanic Tablelands are the ancestral lands of the Nüümü (Paiute) and Newe (Shoshone) peoples. many of the places we climb at are significant cultural areas to indigenous folks that still live and steward the land today. The Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center in town is an amazing place to learn more about the Payahüünadü (Bishop) land!

Next time you visit Bishop, take time to appreciate the life and long human history of this valley. Help us take care of this spectacular place!

To learn more, we highly recommend the book Geology Underfoot in Death Valley and Eastern California

Valley of Giants

Featured Product | edited by Bishop resident, Lauren DeLaunay Miller