Toxic Smoke Plumes Spread Across the World

As large wildfires spread across the West, smoke plumes often rise high into the atmosphere, sending toxic air far from the fire’s origin. As you look out your window you may still be seeing the thick blanket of smoke that has covered California from coastal cities to the Sierra Nevada; but the smoke doesn’t stop […]

CSERC Welcomes New Environmental Associate, Caitlyn Rich

The Sierra Nevada has always been home to me, as I was born and raised here. Growing up here I was introduced to the outdoors at a very young age. Since I can remember, my dad would take me out into the forest on what I would at times refer to as “death marches”. As […]

What turned California forests into a tinderbox? Fire suppression, paradoxically

Valerie Trouet — THE GUARDIAN – US EDITION It’s time to embrace ‘good fires’ and end the misguided policy of total suppression of all wildfires ‘We have a lot to learn from indigenous people, who have centuries of “good fire” expertise.’ Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images Mon 14 Sep 2020 12.50 EDT Last modified on Tuesday 15 […]

CSERC’s 2020 Fall Newsletter is Here!

In this newsletter, we highlight some plans or project proposals that have potential to affect key areas or broad portions of the region. Learn more about why CSERC supports the SERAL Project, and read about local regional updates. CSERC continues to work on a wide range of conservation issues – prioritizing protection for water, wildlife, […]

Introducing CSERC’s New Program Director, Sara Husby

I am a total city girl at heart, as I was born and raised in Chicago.  Growing up in the city, my outdoor experiences are very different than those who grew up surrounded by the beautiful landscapes that I now protect. The closest thing to mountains were the downtown skyscrapers. To see a cactus, I […]

MORE TIPS ON WHETHER TO VISIT YOSEMITE THIS SUMMER

CSERC’s latest Director’s Report explains that Yosemite Park is now being managed with a Day-Use Reservation system that aims to keep visitation to roughly 50% of normal in order to reduce crowding and the spread of COVID-19. What does that mean for you if you reserve your online day-use pass and want to choose where […]

Latest update: USFWS proposes to “list” the Sierra Nevada red fox

After years of scientific studies, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in January formally proposed to list the Sierra Nevada “Distinct Population Segment” of the Sierra Nevada red fox (SNRF) as threatened or endangered.  For CSERC, that is very good news. Put most simply, the Sierra Nevada population of the rare fox is on the […]

Barred Owls Invade the Sierra Nevada

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Conservation:       60-Second Science Barred Owls Invade the Sierra Nevada (link here for article at Scientific American) By Christopher Intagliata on January 24, 2020   Christopher Intagliata reports: By listening to the sounds of the forest, biologists were able to identify an invasion of barred owls in spotted owl habitat. Full Transcript The barred […]