April 2020 Bulletin

Alpine Watershed Group works to preserve and enhance the natural system functions in Alpine County's watersheds for future generations through collaboration, education, and proactively implementing stewardship projects.

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COVID-19 Update on AWG Programs

In response to current social-distancing and stay-at-home protocols set to help minimize the rate of COVID-19 spread, we won't be hosting our usual community events in the upcoming months. Instead, we will host our meetings virtually, and we will offer environmental stewardship activities that you can do in your homes and backyards. We hope that while we dream of the days that we can all come together again, we also reflect on the value of healthy ecosystems, as they may create a sanctuary for uplifting our mental and physical health during this time of uncertainty.

For COVID-19 information and updates in Alpine County, click here
to view Dr. Johnson's Public Health Briefs.

Bi-monthly Meeting - Save the Date!

Climate Sensitivities of Montane Meadows

Mountain meadows offer an abundance of ecosystem services to our communities, yet they are highly vulnerable to climate change. At our May webinar meeting, Dr. Christine Albano will present on the results from a study analyzing the effects of climate variability on ecological and hydrological aspects of meadows in the Sierra Nevada.

Join us for our first online AWG meeting! We will host it video-conference style using Webex.com, so you can tune in from either your computer or your phone.

Please register in advance to receive the information needed to access the meeting.

What: Webinar
When: Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Time: 5:30 p.m.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

For more information or if you have questions,
please contact Mo at awg.mo.loden@gmail.com

Wander Your Watershed
Species Spotlight:
Sierra Nevada Red Fox

The Sierra Nevada red fox (Vulpes vulpes necator) received a lot of attention this winter when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed to add it to the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife under the Endangered Species Act. While it is a subspecies of the more commonly known red fox (Vulpes vulpes), the Sierra Nevada red fox (SNRF) is particularly unique, rare, and difficult to study. For those of us who aren’t wildlife experts, this may have come as a surprise, as foxes maintain international notoriety and are perhaps one of the most iconic wilderness mammals in the northern hemisphere.

Click here for full article...

It’s Not Goodbye, It's See You Later

I regret to announce that I’ve made the decision to leave Alpine Watershed Group. While my tenure was short, I am grateful to the people I’ve met and will cherish the experiences we’ve had together. This organization taught me a lot about how a small collective, with the support of their community, can achieve so much in protecting our headwaters. It was very difficult for me to make this decision, but it's not goodbye. I hope to still pop in from time to time to attend meetings and to volunteer with you in the future.

Take care and miligi gabigi (see you later),

-Helen Fillmore

Faith Valley Meadow

Restoration Design Review

Webinar

Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Time: 9 a.m.-11 a.m.

American Rivers has been working in collaboration with Alpine Watershed Group, the U.S. Forest Service, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to develop restoration designs for Faith Valley Meadow. On Tuesday, April 21, American Rivers will host a webinar to review draft technical design plans for the project.

For more information, please contact Julie Fair at jfair@americanrivers.org. Resources for this project can be accessed and downloaded by clicking here. Please refer to the "Technical Design" folder for the most up-to-date designs.

Earth Day 2020

April 22, 2020, marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. While we won't be able to host our usual work day for Earth Day, we want to encourage everyone to find ways to celebrate!

Here are a couple examples of things you can do close to home:

Clean-up on walks: Take a bag and gloves with you on your next walk, and pick up trash that you come across.

Bee happy gardening: Tend to pollinator-friendly plants in your garden (native bees like native plants the best). Supply fresh water in shallow dishes for pollinators to drink from. Eliminate (or reduce) pesticide use in your garden.

Environmental education at home: Add environmental science and education curriculum to your stay-at-home activities for your kids. Click here for resources from the National Environmental Education Foundation.

Community Events and Announcements

Virtual Wild and Scenic Film Festival
April 22 at 8:00 a.m.-May 1 at 11:30 p.m.
For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

Alpine County Spring Clean-up (Postponed Indefinitely)
For more information, call Alpine County Community Development at (530) 694-2140.

March 2020 River Monitoring Highlights

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Until next time!

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PO Box 296 │ 50 Diamond Valley Road
Markleeville, CA | 96120 United States

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