Yosemite Conservancy Newsletter | April 2022

Photo © Trish McCubbin

Recent News from Yosemite

• In mid-March, Yosemite Fire Management completed 55 acres of prescribed burning in Yosemite Valley and burned 37 piles in the Mariposa Grove. These fires are an important part of maintaining a healthy ecosystem, and fire crews monitor their progress. To learn more about fire management in Yosemite, check out this article, which was originally featured in our Autumn/Winter 2021 donor magazine.
   
• A brief return to winter brought 8 inches of new snow to Tuolumne Meadows in the final days of March, but the April 1 snow surveys showed that snowpack is at 41% of average for this time of year in both the Merced and Tuolumne river basins. Snow accumulated during the very wet months of October and December, but has since been slowly melting during the record-dry months of early 2022. To learn more about donor-funded research to help mitigate the effects of a changing climate, visit us here.
   
• On April 4, Happy Isles Art and Nature Center reopened for the 2022 season! Join our art team for a casual half-day class or a luxurious art retreat – check out the full schedule of classes here.
   
• We’re hiring a Human Resources Administrator to be based in our San Francisco office. We’re also hiring TWO unique & fun seasonal jobs working with our popular Yosemite Bike Share program: Bike Share Coordinator and Bike Share Attendant. Apply now or pass these opportunities along!

Photo © Carolyn Botell

Celebrating Earth Month & Yosemite's Zero Landfill Initiative

In honor of Earth month, we’ve got an update on the Zero Landfill Initiative, which began in 2015 through a partnership with Yosemite Conservancy donors, Yosemite Hospitality, and NatureBridge, who are working to divert 80% of park waste to recycling or composting facilities instead of the Mariposa County Landfill. Since the project began, the park has:

• Launched a Food Waste Diversion Pilot in August 2021, collecting food waste in Yosemite Hospitality kitchens and Yosemite residential areas. (We’ve already diverted 54.7 tons of waste!)
• Worked with Yosemite Hospitality to offer refillable, reusable, one-pound propane containers in park stores.
• Collected and sorted over 12,000 single use propane cylinders for recycling in 2021 alone.
• Installed new trash and recycling receptacles to replace and add collection capacity to the park's bin and dumpster infrastructure.

Watch this video to learn more about the Zero Landfill Initiative in Yosemite. Then, check out our upcoming zero waste / Leave No Trace trainer backpacking trip in June led by lead naturalist Cory Goehring and zero landfill & sustainability coordinator Tina Moseley!

This project is made possible in part by a grant from the National Park Foundation through the generous support of Subaru of America, Inc and the National Parks Conservation Association.

Photo © Ann & Robb Simpson 

Yosemite Peregrines: A Story Of Hope

What is faster than a race car, can see a meal up to a mile away, and is exquisitely engineered for a vertical lifestyle?

The peregrine falcon, falco peregrinus! 
 
The peregrine falcon was once extirpated from much of its native range, including Yosemite where it disappeared for decades, leading to its listing as an endangered species in the early 1970s. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Yosemite climbers, University of California Santa Cruz Predatory Bird Research Group, and NPS biologists, with generous funding from Yosemite Conservancy donors, the story of Yosemite’s peregrine falcon is one of hope. Watch our latest video to learn more.

Photo © Sandra Callan

Yosemite License Plates

Support Yosemite on the go! Join more than 40,000 California motorists by requesting a Yosemite specialty license plate. It’s an easy and fun way to display your favorite park and meet other Yosemite enthusiasts. Best of all, it's just one of several additional ways you can support the Conservancy! $20 per purchase supports the Conservancy’s work to protect and preserve the park for future generations.

Photo © Yosemite Conservancy/Elizabeth Morales-Denney

Science and Nature Books

Spring has sprung! The helpful drawings and fun facts in the Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada and the National Audubon Society’s Field Guide to California apply well beyond the park boundary and can inspire you and your family to get outside. Want a fun challenge? Collect all three of our beautifully-illustrated field cards and see if you can spot every species on the list by the end of the summer season.

Want the chance to see your shots featured here?
It’s easy! Share Yosemite photos with us on Flickr, and tag your best shot with #yosemiteconnect. Winners will be featured online and in our monthly newsletter.