January 2021 Bulletin

Happy New Year from all of us here at Alpine Watershed Group!

We hope you and your loved ones were able to ring in 2021 warmly, happily, and safely.

2020 In Review

As we bid good riddance to 2020, we also look back with gratitude on all we were able to accomplish as a watershed group and community in a year with so many challenges. Here are a few highlights with links to learn more:

Continuation of our ongoing monitoring program, including collection of samples to better understand harmful algal blooms in Alpine County
Installation of Grover meadow interpretive signs
Completion of the Hope Valley Restoration and Aquatic Habitat Enhancement Project (see construction timelapse video below!)

To all of our volunteers, sponsors, advisors, partners, and engaged community members: THANK YOU! We look forward to another year of working with you. Keep reading for information on how to stay engaged with the work going on in your watersheds!

Hope Valley Restoration and Aquatic Habitat Enhancement Project—Timelapse

Footage by Watershed Program Manager Mo Loden

Upcoming Meeting

Please join us for the next virtual bimonthly

Alpine Watershed Group meeting!

What's Next? Discussion on Looking Forward

Tuesday, January 12, 5:30 p.m.

We will be using Zoom, so you can tune in from either your computer or your phone.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

We are dedicating our next watershed group meeting to hearing your thoughts. Do you have ideas for projects you would like to see happen in your watershed? Are there aspects of your watershed that are unhealthy, inaccessible, or degraded? We want your ideas!

To kick off the meeting, we will be watching a short film about ranching and river conservation in the face of our changing climate, seeing folks creatively dealing with watershed issues similar to some we experience here in Alpine County. Following this, we will have a discussion aimed at determining community priorities, gathering project ideas, and figuring out which voices are missing at the (virtual) table.

Another way we are seeking feedback and ideas is through the AWG Watershed Project Ideas survey. If you have not had the time to answer this short (≈5-10-minute) questionnaire, please do so now.

We hope to see you there!

For more information, contact Ky at (530) 694-2327 or awg.ky.osguthorpe@gmail.com.

Make Rivers Your Resolution

The welcoming in of a new year is a great time to reflect on lessons learned and to set goals for the future. Here are a few things we've learned about rivers:

Spending time around water can make you "happier, healthier, and more connected," at least according to California biologist Wallace J. Nichols.
Staying hydrated is key to good mental and physical health, and 2/3 of drinking water in the US comes from rivers.
Rivers are great for tourism-based economies, raking in $646 billion from recreators in the US every year according to the Outdoor Industry Association.

Make rivers part of your plans for 2021: recreate in and around them (socially distanced, of course!), stay informed and involved with what is going on in your watershed, and consider donating to your local watershed group!

DONATE NOW

Hope is the Thing with Feathers

Kimra McAfee, Executive Director

I love words that pack a big punch. “Hope” is one of those words for me. My soul just kind of does a little flutter, probably because every time the word goes through my head or I see it, the rest of Emily Dickinson’s poem flies into my head.

If you want to kick off the new year by taking an optimistic dive into the environmental challenges we face, I highly recommend Courtney White’s Grass, Soil, Hope: A Journey through Carbon Country. The storytelling writing style makes scientific concepts easily digestible. It’s engaging, thought-provoking, and inspiring. I found myself reflecting deeply on other great words like abundance, coexistence, and resilience. Climate change, hunger, and environmental degradation are hard to feel empowered about as a single person. But meeting ranchers, farmers, gardeners, conservationists, and others who are making great strides really got me to thinking. I love being part of a watershed group. I relished the countless hours I spent pulling invasive nonnatives last year around my home. Professionally and personally, both parts of my life are meaningful. And I—we—can so easily do more, locally and globally.

Until next time!

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

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