Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

Virtual tours connect remote students to Mono Lake

Sunrise light on a grove of tufa towers emerging from the water of Mono Lake with soft green and dusty-red wild grasses in the foreground, Canada geese in the shallow water with reflections of the rocky towers, and desert hills in the distance.

The Mono Lake story is part of the fourth grade curriculum for many students across the United States. Students read about the natural and cultural history of the Mono Basin, including information on brine shrimp, alkali flies, and water diversions.

Fourth grade students at Montalvin Manor K-8 in San Pedro, California tune into a South Tufa tour at Mono Lake. Photo courtesy of Beth Levine.

Ideally, every concept of curriculum should be reinforced by a field trip, but our remote lake can be difficult to access by everyone, at least physically. To bring Mono Lake to more students the Mono Lake Committee has been able to give two “virtual tours” in the past year. Students connect with Committee staff at South Tufa using a video-chat program and are actually able to see brine shrimp, birds, tufa towers, and the beautiful lake itself. Students ask questions and engage with staff in real time.

We are happy to be able to share the Mono Lake story further than before! If you have any questions or are interested in a virtual tour, please contact me by email or at (760) 647-6595.