Amargosa Fall 2020 Newsletter
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www.amargosaconservancy.org CONSERVANCY CONNECTION Fall 2020 1 LETTER FROM THE BOARD Conservancy Connections ust last October some of you pandemic. Thus the Board has MEMBERSHIP 6 Jattended our third “Meet the elected to concentrate on programs Amargosa” event at Tecopa Hot of advocacy and education, to (re)Introducing Ourselves Springs. By all accounts, the support continued study and WHO WE ARE weekend was successful with preservation of groundwater and Working toward a sustainable engaging presentations on geology spring flows that maintain the Letter from the Amargosa Conservancy Executivefuture for the Director Amargosa River and desert plants and short region’s unique plant and animal life, and Basin through science, excursions to Tecopa marshes, China and to implement the Amargosa Wild stewardship and education. Ranch and geology outcrops. and Scenic River designation. Since then, the Amargosa Three articles in this issue elcome to the inaugural issueBOA ofRD OF DIRECTORS Conservancy has undergone describe projects involving or Chris Roholt • President changes in focus and organizational supported by the Amargosa structure. We have news to Conservancy. Naomi Fraga • Treasurer STAFF Conservancy Connection, our newly share with those interested in the The first article on Nopah W Bill Neill • Secretary Amargosa Basin and its resources. Range botany is by Carolyn Mills, Jane Gillam, John Hiatt, redesigned and revamped newsletter! Tanya Henderson is leaving the whose thesis advisor is Amargosa Patrick Donnelly Ashley Lee, Abby Mattson Amargosa Conservancy after five Conservancy Board member years of dedicated service, most Dr. Naomi Fraga, Director of Executive Director ADVISORS recently as our Executive Director. Conservation Programs at California Holly Alpert BEFinding a newOURS Executive Director Botanic Garden in Claremont. Tanya Henderson Bill Christian is a difficult task for any small The second article is a Q&A Dear Friends, Andy Zdon organization, but the remoteness of discussion with Susan Sorrells about Stewardship Program Manager the Amargosa region makes this task the recent translocation of Amargosa more complicated. So the Amargosa voles to upgraded marsh habitat at Julie Vargo I’m pleased to introduce myself as Patrick Donnelly, Executive Director Conservancy will continue, in the Shoshone. Susan Sorrells is owner of Amargosa Conservancy and resident of Shoshone, California. I’ve been a short term, as an all-volunteer of Shoshone and co-founder of the Finance and Outreach Coordinator desert rat for years, and have a background in habitat restoration and federal organization without paid staff. This Amargosa Conservancy. will provide time to be strategic The third article illustrates the land use policy. My two little dogs and I love tromping around the muddy Becauseabout our next steps, after having You science behindLove our new priority the of Amargosa Basin banks of the Amargosa in the beautiful Shoshone Wetlands each morning; successfully completed several protecting groundwater resources. BOARD OF DIRECTORS and each month I make a pilgrimage to the top of Eagle Mountain, a nearby large projects under Tanya and Julie Research by expert hydrologist and craggy limestone peak. Vargo’s leadership. We intend to Amargosa Conservancy advisor Andy SINCERE THANKS hire a new Executive Director once Zdon has documented reductions of Holly Alpert Over the past year, I’ve been privileged to be part of a renaissance at we identify…...And a clear path toYou carry out Can’tgroundwater andSpell spring flows LOVEdue the Amargosa Conservancy. The chief driver of this revivalWe has thank been Tanya the Henderson and Julie future projects. to upstream pumping in Nevada. President amazing people involved. Our Board of Directors has expandedVargo for to 5 yearsinclude of dedicated nine service. For the past five years, the Holly Alpert, past Board President, remarkable individuals- retired land managers, water policyThey experts, are creative invasive problem-solvers who Amargosa Conservancy’s focus successfullyWithout secured a substantial VOLE brought the organization into the 21st has been stewardship projects, grant award which largely funded David Lamfrom species eradicators, social justice activists, and devoted communitycentury by establishing members a system of including: Andy’s work. Vice President just to name a few. Their direction and vision have allowedonline our communicationsstaff to create and records. • China Ranch trail and trailhead To keep you informed of issues and implement new programming which is transforming theAs Financial conservation Director, Julie established improvements and actions in the Amargosa Basin, • Habitat restoration for Amargosa we have updated our website and community in the Amargosa Basin. an annual budget and financial Danny Nielsen plan; improved membership record VoleVoles and SW need Willow bulrush.Flycatcher are working to increase outreach We’ve also recently added two staff members: Tanya keeping;Henderson taught andherself design layout • Pupfish Restoration need of OHV clean designated water. via socialbe media, on the email ground and doing restoration Treasurer Julie Vargo. Tanya comes to us with a background in habitatto produce restoration pamphlets and and media trail with interpretative signage presentations.work, but since you can’t be here Membership Levels community engagement. She is spearheading our many stewardshipproducts. As stewardship projects manager • GroundwaterAnd we monitoring need you!and It is everynatural day,to be youapprehensive can support our Nancy Good and then Executive Director, Tanya construction of deep monitor about fundamental changes in our and supervising our interns who are getting the work done.guided Julie and is assistedrevamping contractors, Withwells our stewardship projects organization;efforts but financially. we look forward and streamlining our financial and membership systems, ensuringinterns and volunteers;the efficient instructed underwayThese and and similar results projects coming were to opportunitiesHelp and us challengesto continue of our many on- Secretary o use of our resources and keeping us in close touch with theand people organized who the Board make of Directors throughfunded byfrom various our grants advocacy ably work, wethe nextthe-ground year. We hope projects, that as a and represent $35 Member our work possible - you, our members! on responsibilities for fundraising and areadministered proud to nowby Tanya launch and Julie our Springfriend ofour the desert Amargosa community Basin and at the local, John Hiatt Vargo. Stewardship projects require the Amargosa Conservancy, you will strategic planning; and much more. o $75 Friend of the Vole Our work is fundamentally grounded in two things: theWe incredible are grateful for their contributions Membershiphiring seasonal Appeal! work crews which is share thosestate, feelings and national and continue levels to through Bill Neill ecosystems of the Amargosa Basin and Eastern Mojave and wish both the best for the future. furtherWe are complicated calling on by YOUthe current to show supportadvocacy. our efforts. M Desert, and the community of people that live in or your support for the work that we do. o $150 Conservation Hero Chris Roholt just love these special areas. We are thankful Your membership tells us that you to you for your interest in our work, and believe in what we do. You too want THANK YOU FOR YOUR o $500 Conservancy Guarantor Diane Lopez Hughes encourage you to get involved. to advocate for the Amargosa Basin SUPPORT! Come for a visit, volunteer at a and Eastern Mojave. You want to o or donate monthly Jane Gillam stewardship event, sign a petition, or just spread the word about our work. Join us. ADVISORS CONNECT WITH US You can mail us your donation Sincerely, using the enclosed form to: Greg James AmargosaCons PO Box 63 Bill Christian amargosaconservancy Shoshone, CA 92384 Andy Zdon Patrick Donnelly Or contribute through our website: Patrick Donnelly [email protected] Executive Director www.amargosaconservancy.org/ www.amargosaconservancy.org support BOTANICAL HIGHLIGHT 2 RARE PLANT TREASURES Photo by Carolyn Mills By Carolyn Mills OF THE NOPAH RANGE the vascular plants of the Nopah Rare plants are especially important he next time you are driving Range, which is located in the Mojave because they are inherently more Tbetween Shoshone and Pahrump Desert along the border of California vulnerable to threats like extinction. in the Amargosa Basin, take a minute and Nevada in southeastern Inyo Their numbers are small, their ranges to look up at the beautiful mountain County, California, on southern Paiute are restricted, and they can be range that rises dramatically on the ancestral homelands. Few botanists very particular about what kinds of east side of highway 178, and the have visited to document the plants substrates they grow in. The Nopah striking contrast between the black and there, so the diversity of plants Range is made up of carbonate white lines that streak its western face. that grow in the heart of the Nopah substrates, such as limestone and These mountains are the Nopah Range, Range, away from the roadsides and dolomite, which were formed under and they are my beloved home away highways that border it, have long the ancient seas that used to cover from home. Their rocky peaks may been a mystery. The floristic inventory the region. Carbonate mountain look barren to the casual observer, but I am working on will result