| Ivory-billed Woodpeckers in
Yosemite? |
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Of course not!
But the park is home to an array of woodpeckers, several of
which are highly sought by birdwatchers. If you're interested
in seeing some of them, why don't you join us for the 2nd
Annual Yosemite Birding Festival that's coming up June 3
to 5?
Last year participants sighted a Pileated Woodpecker
(pictured here) and several more that included Northern
Flicker, Acorn Woodpecker, White-headed Woodpecker, Hairy
Woodpecker, and Red-breasted Sapsucker.
We'll have lots of walks, field trips, and programs about
Sierra Nevada birds - but we can pretty much guarantee you
won't see the Ivory-billed.
The regular fee for the birding festival is $130, but with
their 15% discount, YA members can enroll for only $110.50!
P.S. If you somehow missed the news about the discovery of
a living Ivory-billed Woodpecker in Arkansas, click here.
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| Bighorn Sheep Film a Big Hit at Spring
Forum! |
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If you were unable to join us for our annual Spring Forum
last month, you missed out on a memorable showing of an
award-winning film by Frank Green. Entitled Counting
Sheep - Restoring the Sierra Nevada Bighorn, the
motion picture is the story of two remarkable men.
One is an oboe- playing mountain man turned consummate
scientist. The other is a mountain lion tracker of skill and
instinct -- a modern-day frontiersman. They are unlikely
allies!
Because the last few native bighorn sheep are fighting for
survival, wildlife officials have been forced to take
extraordinary measures to protect them. It makes for
compelling viewing.
The DVD form of the film normally sells for $24.95, but
it's available to our members for only $21.21 with their
15% discount.
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| Got Your "Yosemite" Quarters Yet? They're Going
Fast |
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The new "Yosemite Commemorative Edition" of the 2005
California State Quarter is all the rage. When we
announced the new package that includes two uncirculated
quarters (one from each mint), we received over 600 orders for
nearly 1,500 quarter sets!
This beautiful Yosemite keepsake, designed by Michael
Osborne Design of San Francisco, presents the quarters in a
colorful tri-fold holder that includes interesting quarter
facts as well as Yosemite paintings by Chris Jorgensen.
YA members receive a 15% discount on the Yosemite
Quarters package. It normally retails for $5.95, but our
members can buy it now for only $5.06!
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| Is Water in the Sierra Safe to
Drink? |
|
A long-time backpacker in the Sierra, Dr. Robert W. Derlet,
Professor of Medicine at the School of Medicine at U.C. Davis
(assisted by Kemal Ger of the Department of Environmental
Science at Davis) decided to utilize his knowledge of
infectious diseases, microbiology, and ecology to study lakes
and streams throughout the Sierra.
He posed questions like: Is the water fit to drink without
filtering or adding iodine tablets? What actually is in the
water?
The result of his work was an article entitled High
Sierra Water: What is in the H20? that appeared in the
Sierra Nature Notes section of this web site.
Is it safe to drink the water or should you be worried each
time you take a sip?
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New Projects in Park Increase
Accessibility |
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Remodel projects at both Lower Yosemite Falls and the
Yosemite Valley Visitor Center are proving to be a real boon
for visitors with limited mobility.
The new falls approach features a gently graded path that's
wide enough for a wheelchair or motorized scooter and allows
disabled access.
At the same time, the completed remodel of the visitor
center boasts a more welcoming design, including more room to
chat with rangers at the information counter or fill out
wilderness permit applications, and an attractive,
well-stocked bookstore.
Jeanne Cooper of the San Francisco Chronicle details
a trip to these newly- improved park features with
mobility-impaired companions in a recent article. Check it out
in the Yosemite Association web site "Newsroom." (Photo by
Bethany Gediman.) To read more about Yosemite Falls
and Visitor Center projects....
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