yosemite valley

A Visit to Yosemite National Park in September 2021. What Can You Expect?

  By CSERC Executive Director John Buckley       More than two weeks before the date I planned to visit Yosemite National Park, I carefully worked through the Recreation.gov website to purchase a day-use reservation ticket.  Each reservation is valid for three days, which as it turned out was helpful for me.  I ended […]

house on fire

Climate Change, Wildfires, Forest Management, and Drought

This link below accesses an August 11th Calaveras Public Access TV interview done with CSERC director John Buckley about the pressing topics of climate change, devastating wildfires, forest management, drought impacts, and potential solutions to these significant conservation problems. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckYU_OoWwBs&list=PLos23xECbda86QA3LeaQh8768IbnyiI5d&index=1 

prescribed burn

Why We Need to Fight Fire with Fire

California has 20 million acres that need fuel reduction – like tree thinning and prescribed burning. California State and the Forest Service have pledged to treat 1 million acres a year by 2025, but last year they did less than ? of that. Fire managers are often unable to plan and implement prescribed burns because […]

prescribed fire

“Good Fire” could help control catastrophes

More ‘good fire’ could help California control future catastrophes Wildfire is inevitable. But prescribed burning—careful, intentionally set fire—could help manage the risks. BY ALEJANDRA BORUNDA PUBLISHED JULY 27, 2021 www.nationalgeographic.com   GEORGETOWN, CALIFORNIA Rob York walks calmly through the quiet pines deep in California’s Sierra Nevada foothills, trailing a mix of kerosene and gas from a […]

post prescribed fire

Lessons Learned in Montana Relevant To Our Region

This short video shows how prescribed fire is being strategically applied in conifer forests in Montana.  The lower elevation conifer forests there are very similar to the conditions of low and mid-elevation forests here in the Northern Yosemite region.  Carefully managed fire can be an important tool here, as well.  CHECK OUT THIS EXCELLENT VIDEO: […]

yosemite valley

Know Before You Go…… Info for Your Summer Trip to Yosemite

     As you probably know by now, a trip to Yosemite National Park is not the same as it was in 2019, or even 2020. Covid has changed the way the Park operates. It’s important to be up to date about when you can and can’t go, what facilities are and are not open, […]

Wildlife and Landscape Photo Winners Selected!

*Top 20 photos from the contest are linked at the bottom of this page.            After evaluating 220 photo entries, the staff of the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center (CSERC) in Twain Harte selected winning photos in the Center’s 2021 Photo Contest.  Two adult award-winners were chosen in the Wildlife category […]