Visions of the Past: First Discoveries
June 7–8, 2008
Terri Geissinger
$140 per person / $125 for members

The Mono Basin is filled with curious monuments to a bustling past. Take a journey back in time and discover the fascinating history behind the Mono Basin and the rich Bodie Hills. The past will come alive as you hear stories of the discoverers, the prospectors, and the families who settled here and made the Mono Basin their home. Visit Dogtown, Monoville, Bodie, Mono Mills, stage coach routes, railroads, gold mines, and the disappearing town of West Portal. Before fishing and tourism there was mining—from gold to water—and this seminar will focus on the people, the sites, and the stories that persisted long after the gold was gone. Terri Geissinger is a Bodie State Historic Park Interpreter and Guide. She is active in the Mono Basin Historical Society, and has a talent for making history come alive.

This seminar begins at 8:00 am on Saturday, June 7 and ends by 3:00 pm on Sunday, June 8. Click here to see a full itinerary.

South Shore Kayak
June 8, 2008
Stuart Wilkinson
& Mono Lake Committee staff
$90 per person / $80 for members
limited to 12 participants

Late spring reveals snow-capped mountains towering over a glassy Mono Lake—a great time to kayak! Join Stuart Wilkinson and a Mono Lake Committee staff member for a guided naturalist expedition along Mono’s south shore. This natural history kayak tour will cover a wide variety of topics relating to this unusual Great Basin lake, such as geology, ecology, history, and politics. Expect to see underwater tufa towers, birds, brine shrimp, and lake-bottom springs. Some kayak experience is helpful, but not necessary; kayaks and safety equipment are provided. This seminar is being offered for the 12^th year in a row, and is highly rated by past participants. Space is limited in this popular seminar, so register early!

This seminar meets at 8:30 am at Navy Beach and ends by 1:30 pm. Click here to see a full itinerary.

Kayaking Mono Lake's peaceful waters.
Photo by Elin Ljung.

Great Basin Wildflowers
June 14–15, 2008
Mark Bagley
$140 per person / $125 for members

Despite its proximity to the Sierra Nevada mountains, the Mono Basin itself lies in the arid Great Basin desert. This field seminar will focus on plants in the Great Basin sagebrush scrub, unique pumice flat habitats, piñon-juniper woodland, Jeffrey pine forest, and wetland habitats found in the lower elevations of the Basin. During short walks in the different desert habitats, we will identify wildflowers, trees, and shrubs; observe plant communities; and see and discuss plants’ relationships with their environment. This seminar is for beginners as well as for dedicated wildflower enthusiasts. Mark Bagley is an independent botanical consultant in the Eastern Sierra and Mojave Desert and a long-time trip leader for the local chapter of the California Native Plant Society. He has lived in the Owens Valley for the past 22 years and has taught plant and natural history seminars for the Mono Lake Committee since 1988.

This seminar begins at 8:00 am on Saturday, June 14, and will end by 5:00 pm on Sunday, June 15. Click here to see a full itinerary.

The Art of Wildflower Macrophotography
June 27–29, 2008
David Gubernick
$250 per person / $225 for members
limited to 8 participants

Learn to take creative and beautiful close-up images, further develop your artistic vision, and enhance your photographic skills in the warm and supportive learning environment of this workshop for beginning to advanced amateur photographers. The weekend will emphasize the artistry of macrophotography and the technical means to render such images; this is not a course in botanical identification. Classroom instruction, demonstrations, and individual coaching in the field will help take your photography to the next level. Evenings will be spent discussing and providing feedback on participants’ fieldwork as well as prior work. David J. Gubernick, Ph.D., is an internationally and nationally published and award-winning nature photographer and workshop leader. He provides fine art prints and stock images for the advertising, corporate, editorial, and home décor markets. His first photography book, Wildflowers of Monterey County, has been a best-seller, garnering rave reviews. He is currently working on several other photography books.

This seminar meets at 7:00 pm on Friday, June 27 and ends by 5:00 pm on Sunday, June 29. Click here for a full itinerary.

Prickly poppy. Photo courtesy of David Gubernick.

Fly fishing along upper Rush Creek. Photo by Elin Ljung.

Fly Fishing in the Mono Basin
July 11–13, 2008
Pete Pumphrey & Roberta Lagomarsini
$165 per person / $150 for members

Learn the basics of fly fishing in the Mono Basin’s beautiful landscape! This introductory seminar will begin by covering the equipment involved, the varieties of flies and their uses, and basic casting technique. The class will then move to one of the Basin’s many streams to consider trout habitat and habits, characteristics of a healthy stream environment, reading the water, fly presentation, and catch and release. On Sunday the class will move to another streamside location to work on refining the techniques from the day before. There will be time spent at high altitude (over 9,000 feet above sea level), and most of Saturday and Sunday will be spent on foot. Equipment is available for those who are not already engaged in the sport. Peter Pumphrey and Roberta Lagomarsini are guides licensed by the State of California and have been teaching basic fly fishing for over ten years. They will de-mystify fly fishing and provide a relaxed atmosphere in which to begin what can be a lifelong adventure in the outdoors.

This seminar meets at 6:00 pm on Friday, July 11 and ends by 1:00 pm on Sunday, July 13. Click here to see a full itinerary.

The Art of Wildflower Macrophotography
July 18–20, 2008
David Gubernick
$250 per person / $225 for members
limited to 8 participants

Learn to take creative and beautiful close-up images, further develop your artistic vision, and enhance your photographic skills in the warm and supportive learning environment of this workshop for beginning to advanced amateur photographers. The weekend will emphasize the artistry of macrophotography and the technical means to render such images; this is not a course in botanical identification. Classroom instruction, demonstrations, and individual coaching in the field will help take your photography to the next level. Evenings will be spent discussing and providing feedback on participants’ fieldwork as well as prior work. David J. Gubernick, Ph.D., is an internationally and nationally published and award-winning nature photographer and workshop leader. He provides fine art prints and stock images for the advertising, corporate, editorial, and home décor markets. His first photography book, Wildflowers of Monterey County, has been a best-seller, garnering rave reviews. He is currently working on several other photography books.

This seminar begins at 7:00 pm on Friday, July 18 and ends by 5:00 pm on Sunday, July 20. Click here to see a full itinerary.

Yellow-headed Blackbird. Photo courtesy of Ben Winger.

Summer Birds of the Mono Basin
July 25–27, 2008
David Wimpfheimer
$150 per person / $135 for members

This field seminar will concentrate on the identification and ecology of birds that breed in the Mono Basin and others that stop at Mono Lake during the summer. In sagebrush meadows and riparian and montane forests, the class will explore a number of sites intensively, mixing short leisurely walks with periods of observation and natural history discussion—taking time to learn about birds by watching them closely. Woodpeckers, corvids, flycatchers, warblers, and other passerines display varied behaviors, but a major focus will be Mono Lake and other special wetlands. These are unique areas for Wilson’s Phalaropes, White-faced Ibis, and other waterbirds. David Wimpfheimer has been educating and interpreting birds and the natural history of California for over 20 years, and has a strong connection to Mono Lake. His seasoned focus and knowledge will make for an enjoyable and educational outing!

This seminar begins at 7:30 pm on Friday, July 25 and ends at 3:00 pm on Sunday, July 27. Click here to see a full itinerary.

Capturing the Sageland
in Pastel
July 26–27, 2008
Ane Carla Rovetta
$165 per person / $145 for members
limited to 12 participants

The sparkling light and radiant skies of the Mono Basin are pure inspiration. Add a set of brilliant pastel chalks and your own unique imagination, and you have an incredible weekend of color exploration and art. Landscape painter Ane Carla Rovetta is known for her realistic depiction of our golden western lands. She will guide students through a value system she modeled after Ansel Adams’ work that will help organize the overwhelming hues of the summer terrain. Using materials she has carefully selected, the group will paint on location to create impressions of this majestic basin. Each participant will go home with at least one small finished painting and several sketches, color studies, and value experiments that will fuel future artistic endeavors. All materials are provided by the instructor. This is the Committee’s newest seminar, so sign up quickly to reserve your spot!

This seminar begins at 8:00 am on Saturday, July 26 and ends at 4:00 pm on Sunday, July 27. Click here to see a full itinerary.

Male blue copper butterfly. Photo by Elin Ljung.

Introduction to High Country Plants & Habitats
August 8–10, 2008
Ann Howald
$150 per person / $135 for members

This class will explore the mosaic of habitats found in the Eastern Sierra high country—flower-filled meadows fed by meandering streams, sagebrush-covered slopes, lodgepole pine forests, subalpine lakes bordered by willows, and flowery rock gardens. Sight identification of common trees, shrubs, and wildflowers will be emphasized, as well as the many ways that plants, birds, insects, and other wildlife interact in high country habitats. Any chance encounters with wildlife will lead to impromptu talks about Clark’s Nutcracker, long-tailed weasel, Yosemite toad, pika, Caspian Tern, and other critters that may cross our path. The class begins Friday evening with a slideshow preview of the habitats and some of the plants and wildlife likely to be seen during field trips. Saturday and Sunday walks will be at 9,000- to 10,000-foot elevations, over moderate terrain, and are fairly slow-paced. Ann Howald is a consulting botanist who has taught plant classes in the Eastern Sierra for many years.

This seminar begins at 6:45 pm on Friday, August 8 and ends at 3:00 pm on Sunday, August 10. Click here to see a full itinerary.

DWP's water management facilities are scattered all over the Mono Basin. Photo by Greg Reis.

Los Angeles Aqueduct Tour
August 9, 2008
Greg Reis
$90 per person / $80 for members

The Mono Basin extension of the Los Angeles Aqueduct began exporting water 350 miles south to the City of LA in 1941. Join Mono Lake Committee Information Specialist Greg Reis for an investigation of the north end of the aqueduct system. Visit all the major aqueduct facilities in the Mono Basin, and learn about the aqueduct’s effects on Mono Lake, its tributary streams, the Upper Owens River, and land management in the area. The group will also discuss the history of water diversions, the effort to save Mono Lake, and where habitat restoration is headed in the future. Greg is the perfect guide for unraveling the Mono Basin’s complex and fascinating plumbing—he has over a dozen years of experience in Mono Basin hydrology and restoration and keeps close track of Mono Basin water management.

This seminar goes from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm. Greg will be leading another one-day seminar the next day that compliments this seminar well. Click here to see a full itinerary.

Mono Basin Restoration
August 10, 2008
Greg Reis
$90 per person / $80 for members

Get your hands in the dirt learning about ecosystem restoration! “Restoration” is a fuzzy word that has different meanings to different people. Instructor Greg Reis will explain what restoration means in the Mono Basin and discuss how different philosophies have resulted in the various projects that have been implemented over time. See the effects of restoration projects as well as areas that still need to be restored during a driving and walking tour of the Mono Basin—with Greg’s knowledge to fill in the history at each site. The afternoon will be spent helping with a current revegetation project by watering recent pine plantings. Greg is the perfect guide for unraveling the Mono Basin’s complex and fascinating restoration story—he has over a dozen years of experience in Mono Basin hydrology and restoration.

This seminar goes from 8:00 am until 4:00 pm. Greg will be leading another one-day seminar the previous day that compliments this seminar well. Click here to see a full itinerary.

Miwok-Paiute Basketry
August 15–17, 2008
Lucy & Julia Parker
$185 per person / $170 for members
$80 materials fee
primitive group campsite included (no pets please)

During this three-day seminar, participants will prepare materials and create a Miwok-Paiute burden basket out of California red bud, tule, and willow. Burden baskets were used for gathering pinenuts and acorns. This seminar is designed for weavers of all levels, beginning through advanced. You are encouraged (but not required) to camp with the group, and evenings will be spent around the campfire with traditional songs and stories. Lucy Parker is a descendent of the Yosemite Miwok, Mono Lake Kutzadika^a, and Kayasha Pomo Peoples. She learned traditional handiwork from her mother Julia, a master basket weaver. Julia Parker has dedicated her life to learning and teaching basketry as well as continuing the traditions of her people. She is one of the famous basket weavers of California, and the only weaver still practicing who was taught by women who wove in the early 20^th century.

This seminar begins at 9:00 am on Friday, August 15 and ends in the early afternoon on Sunday, August 17. Click here to see a full itinerary.

Canada Geese migrate south in front of Mt. Ritter and Banner Peak. Photo by Elin Ljung.

Fall Bird Migration
August 23–24, 2008
Dave Shuford
$140 per person / $125 for members

The east slope of the Sierra Nevada is a major migration route for birds traveling from northern nesting areas to warm southern habitats. As a result, early autumn is the time of year to see the greatest diversity of land birds, shorebirds, and water birds in the Mono Basin and on Crowley Lake reservoir. Dave Shuford has been a staff biologist at PRBO Conservation Science for 20 years. He has conducted numerous surveys and research projects in the Mono Basin and beyond and is well acquainted with where to find birds in the Eastern Sierra. This is one of our most popular field seminars, so register early!

This seminar begins at 7:00 am on Saturday, August 23 and ends by 4:00 pm on Sunday, August 24. Click here to see a full itinerary.

Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep at the Sierra crest. Photo by Bartshé Miller.

Living on the Edge: Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep in the Mono Basin
September 6–7, 2008
John Wehausen
$165 per person / $150 for members

The US Fish & Wildlife Service listed the Sierra bighorn sheep as Federally Endangered in 2000. This field seminar will involve discussions of the fascinating biology of these animals, their relationship with other mammals (including mountain lions and humans), and the conservation of these animals in the field. Past participants saw bighorn six out of the last seven years—while there is a very good chance of seeing Sierra bighorn sheep in the wild during this seminar, there is no guarantee. John Wehausen is a research scientist at White Mountain Research Station in Bishop who has been investigating various aspects of the Sierra bighorn and working for their conservation since 1974. In the late 1970s he initiated the restoration program that brought bighorn back to the Mono Basin. Some of the proceeds from this seminar will benefit the Sierra Nevada Bighorn Sheep Foundation.

This seminar begins at 8:00 am on Saturday, September 6 and ends by 5:00 pm on Sunday, September 7. Please be aware that this seminar involves very strenuous hiking at the 10,000-foot elevation and above. Click here to see a full itinerary.

Mono Basin Landscape:
A Trek Through Time
September 13–14, 2008
Angela Jayko
$150 per person / $135 for members

The Mono Basin is a dramatic landscape with both eye-catching views and subtle nuances that remind even casual observers of changes brought on by the long passage of time. This seminar will concern the Mono Basin’s recent geologic history east of the Sierra Nevada crest. There are many well-known geomorphic features beloved by all in this region, land forms that tell tall tales about both the paleoclimate and the neotectonics (the active crustal processes at the surface of the earth). During the seminar we’ll select several prominent landscape features on which to focus our discussion about the processes and the evolution of the area. Angela Jayko is a geologist based at the White Mountain Research Station who has worked in the Eastern Sierra region between Death Valley and Mono Basin for several years. She has worked on a variety of projects that concern the history of the Owens River System and local basin evolution, and she is a member of the Mono Basin Science Council.

This seminar will begin at 8:00 am on Saturday, September 13 and end by 5:00 pm on Sunday, September 14. Click here to see a full itinerary.

Visions of the Past:
Bodie, Masonic, & Aurora
September 20–21, 2008
Terri Geissinger
$130 per person / $115 for members

This guided tour is for folks who love history, enjoy the outdoors, and think miles of dirt roads can be lots of fun. In the beautiful Bodie Hills, all within 20 miles, lie three ghost towns. Their stories are filled with pioneer families, prospectors, muleskinners, heroes, and gunslingers. As you tour the town and the cemetery of Bodie, once the second-largest city in California, you will hear the fascinating stories of those who lived here and the ones who never left. Today Bodie is the largest unrestored ghost town in the west with over 170 buildings remaining. Next visit the rock cabins and foundations of Masonic, where nearly 500 people resided in a beautiful canyon, mining gold with great hope and eventually producing $600,000. The last stop is Aurora, once a bustling town of 8,000 souls in the 1860s, which now rests forever in peace amongst the sagebrush and piñon pine. Your guide Terri Geissinger is a Bodie State Historic Park Interpreter and Guide. She is active in the Mono Basin Historical Society, and has a talent for making history come alive.

This seminar begins at 8:00 am on Saturday, September 20 and ends by 4:00 pm on Sunday, September 21. Click here to see a full itinerary.

Inside the general store at Bodie. Photo courtesy of Rick Knepp.

Mono-Bodie Fall Photography
October 3–5, 2008
Richard Knepp
$275 per person / $255 for members

Autumn in the Mono Basin is one of the greatest photographic experiences in the country. Spectacular foliage and skies combine with exceptional light, presenting ample subject matter for photographers in both color and black and white. And, for the fifth year, the class will spend Saturday at Bodie, inside some of the buildings—a very special treat! Join accomplished photographer Richard Knepp to explore varied shoreline locations at sunrise and sunset, fall color in nearby canyons, and the old ghost town of Bodie. Beyond his photographic expertise, Rick is intimately familiar with the Eastern Sierra and Mono Lake locale. Photographers of all levels are welcome; a fully adjustable camera of any size or format is suggested. This photographic seminar is offered for the 14^th year in a row, with the Bodie adventure continued for 2008!

This seminar begins at 2:00 pm on Friday, October 3 and ends by noon on Sunday, October 5. Click here to see a full itinerary.

Capturing Autumn on Canvas: Fall Painting in the Mono Basin
October 10–12, 2008
John Hewitt
$160 per person / $145 for members

The golden aspens, drying grasses, and bright blue skies of fall in the Mono Basin provide a myriad of opportunities for artists to capture the season on canvas. This weekend seminar will explore some of the best fall color locations around Mono Lake, and is designed for beginning through advanced painters who work with watercolors, oils, pastels, or acrylics. The class will spend Saturday painting in the field at locations like Lee Vining Canyon, Lundy Canyon, and County Park, with John offering technique tips and critiques of each individual’s work. The group will share work in the evening and convene on Sunday morning for more fieldwork. Instructor John Hewitt is a nationally-acclaimed watercolorist and former Lee Vining resident who has taught classes and workshops for over 20 years in locations as far afield as the Italian Alps. John is a signature member of many watercolor societies, but he welcomes any medium in his classes.

This seminar begins at 7:00 pm on Friday, October 10 and ends by 3:00 pm on Sunday, October 12. Click here to see a full itinerary.