June 27, 2001
Press Contact:
Jeff
Darlington, Office Director
Mono Lake Committee
(760) 647-6595
www.monolake.org
For Immediate Release
Mono Lake Committee offers Native Plant Workshop as a part of Annual Restoration Days, Labor Day Weekend, 2001
The Mono Lake Committee, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and restoration of Mono Lake, is hosting its annual “Restoration Days” over Labor Day Weekend, August 31 – September 2, 2001. Included in Restoration Days is a “Native Plant Workshop” and non-native plant removal in the field.
Located in the spectacular Eastern Sierra just east of Yosemite National Park near Lee Vining, CA, Mono Lake provides vital riparian, lakeshore and aquatic habitat for millions of migratory and nesting birds.
Since 1941, however, the lake’s level has dropped significantly as a result of water diversions to the City of Los Angeles. These diversions have damaged the Mono Basin ecosystem, including the native plants that sustain the local food chain.
The process of curtailing excessive water diversions to Los Angeles and restoring the health of Mono Lake has been championed by the Mono Lake Committee (MLC), and Restoration Days is an annual event celebrating these historic and continuing efforts. For over twenty years the MLC has been working to protect Mono Lake from excessive water diversions, to heal the damage done to the lake and it’s tributary streams, and to educate the public about wise water use and the incredible diversity of our natural environment.
“Restoration Days is an opportunity for people to witness and participate first-hand in the restoration of the Mono Basin,” said Heidi Hopkins, MLC Eastern Sierra Policy Director. “Mono Lake is a prime example of how the principles of human-aided restoration and adaptive management can work to restore natural environments.”
This year, Restoration Days will focus on the ecologic health of the riparian corridors of Rush Creek and Lee Vining Creek, vital parts of the Mono Basin ecosystem.
On Saturday, September 1, the Mono Lake Committee will host a hands-on “Native Plant Workshop.” This workshop will be led by MLC staff and experts in the field, and will feature the unique plants of the Mono Basin. Interactive discussion will focus on the damage done by water diversions and the invasion of non-native plant species. Participants will see native plants on film and be able to touch them in a herbarium collected by MLC staff . A slide show will document the restoration of native plants along the riparian corridors of Rush and Lee Vining creeks. Like all events at Restoration Days, it is free and open to the public.
To follow up the workshop, on Sunday, September 2, scientists and Committee staff will enlist the help of the public in removing tamarisk from the Rush Creek delta. Tamarisk is an invasive, non-native plant that is impeding the natural restoration of riparian areas at Mono Lake.
Also referred to as salt cedar, tamarisk is a woody, deciduous tree or shrub with numerous, small, 5-petaled, pink flowers and feathery bright green leaves. It may sound harmless enough, but this Eurasian exotic plant, introduced in the early 1800s as an ornamental used for erosion control, has become a nightmare for restoration efforts across the West. Since its introduction, tamarisk has quickly spread into natural wetlands and riparian areas where it tends to form dense thickets along streams—displacing native trees such as cottonwood and willow. Its life history characteristics are what make it so successful and so difficult to manage.
“We invite the public to come help us restore the Mono Basin ecosystem and have some fun over Labor Day weekend,” said Hopkins.
Other events during Restoration Days include a Garden Reception at the MLC Information Center & Bookstore in Lee Vining on Friday, August 31. At the reception, MLC Co-Executive Director Geoff McQuilkin will deliver the 2001 “State of the Lake” address – a slide presentation and report that summarizes the social, ecological and economic health of Mono Lake.
On Saturday, Lucy Parker, a descendant of the Yosemite Miwok, Mono Lake Kutzadika’a and Pomo peoples, will offer a Kutzadika’a blessing for Mono Lake at the annual Rehydration Ceremony on Saturday afternoon. Creek walks, lakeshore tours, and canoe trips will also be offered throughout the weekend. Other activities for children and families include bird watching, swimming, and storytelling and s’mores by a campfire Saturday night!
For more information or a complete schedule of events, phone the Mono Lake Committee at (760) 647-6595, or check out the Restoration Days Web page.
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This press release may be downloaded from www.monolake.org/press
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