This post was written by Anna Boyes, 2018 Mono Lake Intern.
Originally from San Antonio, Texas, volunteer Joy Costello has found home in the Mono Basin. She moved to Bridgeport in 2013 and discovered Mono Lake soon after: “Mono Lake was one of the coolest things. I knew I wanted to be around it more and learn more about it.”
One of her favorite early memories of the lake is when she saw a nest of Great Horned Owls on a canoe tour. She enjoys watching all the animals at the lake, especially the California Gulls eating the alkali flies. As a lover of animals and the environment, becoming a Mono Lake Volunteer was a natural next step for Joy.
She saw a flyer for an invasive removal event in 2014, and hasn’t looked back since. She regularly participates in invasive removal events, and provides roving visitor support. When she’s not working at the Carson Peak Inn, she enjoys exploring June Lake through hiking (accompanied by her leash-trained cat), biking, and snowboarding. She also loves to cook and spend time with her two cats. One of her cats inspired her hand-drawn tattoo—just one of her many multimedia art projects.
When I asked why she volunteers, Joy responded, “Of all the free things around here, this is one of the coolest to do. Every time I volunteer I meet really cool people who are out here volunteering all the time because they care. People are so passionate about this stuff. Giving back to the community is really important, and I always learn something new.”
If you want to learn something new and meet some cool people, consider volunteering! You can also support the Mono Lake Committee by becoming a member.