The Mono Lake Committee rocks

I must start here with an apology for the tongue-in-cheek pun that is the title of this Mono-logue post, which is actually an update on the Mono Lake Committee’s Information Center & Bookstore storefront improvement project. I’m afraid that from my vantage point sitting in the corner of the building closest to the storefront construction project, it simply cannot be avoided. The warm spring combined with the daily activity happening within arms-reach and earshot of my desk chair means that our door opens out onto all the action.

One of the neatest things so far has been the installation of six large boulders around which the front steps are being built. The rocks were carefully drawn into the architects’ plans, so we’ve been excited about them the whole time, but actually making them happen has been unexpectedly cool.

One thing about the rocks is that they come from the Mono Basin, specifically from the Simis property just north of the lake—a particularly notable spot in one of the favorite tales in Mono Lake Committee history. John Hart wrote in Storm Over Mono, “One night, staring into a campfire at the Simis Ranch, the Ecological Study group realized they were on the hook. Their study done, they decided, they could not walk away. They would have to do something to prevent the losses they saw coming. They would have to make an attempt to save Mono Lake.”

Working with Joel Ellis and Kristie Nelson, caretakers of the Simis property, and keeping in mind the conservation management plan for the ranch, our team carefully plucked boulders from a surplus pile from past ranch projects. I think Education Director Bartshe Miller described the process the best when he said, “it was as if the machines were Emperor Penguins cradling precious cargo on their feet as they moved the rocks.”

The largest rock in the bunch weighs in at an estimated 6 tons, or 5,400 kilograms. That, combined with their decidedly natural shapes made maneuvering the boulders within the tight storefront space and to building codes, a formidable task.

As machines labored, dust flew, and the construction crew negotiated the rocks into place, something exciting happened: the storefront improvements began to really take shape. Up to now there was a set of plans and a torn-up swath of dirt—but with the rocks nestled into place, it started to look really interesting.

Call me crazy, but the rocks have different personalities, and seem to lend a distinctive flair to the project. Plus, they’ve made the rounds in the talk of the town with locals, members, and visitors watching the action with curious wonder.

Membership Coordinator Ellen King likes to tell her story of being a Mono Lake Committee member, “Each year I looked forward to when I could bound up the stairs into the Committee to check on the status of my favorite lake.” When the project is complete people can literally touch a piece of Mono Lake Committee history as they walk the steps to the front door.

So, this is exactly what this project is all about. These storefront improvements are made possible by a generous bequest from the late Grace de Laet—fun-loving fundraiser, bird lover, and fervent Mono Lake advocate. If anyone knew Grace, they knew of her contagious excitement about Mono Lake and its wildlife. Her legacy lives on even in the smallest (or in this case, actually quite large) details of the construction. In fact, knowing Grace, I feel fairly certain that the words “the Mono Lake Committee rocks” must have been spoken by Grace on more than one occasion.

And there’s more to come. You can keep an eye on the action on the remodel cam, and stay tuned here on The Mono-logue.