Project goal: Offer free public presentations featuring writers, researchers, artists and adventurers, to spark learning and dynamic conversation.

Part of the flyer for the 2020 Parsons Memorial Lodge Summer Series - Virtual Celebration, featuring a picture of the lodge.

Why this work matters: This long-running educational series, traditionally held in Tuolumne Meadows, offers an opportunity for park staff, volunteers and visitors to explore topics rooted not only in Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada, but also in global conversations about science, conservation and our connections to the natural world.

Usually, this annual summer series of free weekend presentations takes place at the historic Parsons Memorial Lodge, which was built by the Sierra Club in 1915 and is one of the oldest rustic stone structures in a national park. Due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the summer series is moving online for the 2020 season. Click here to download the 2020 schedule, and catch recordings of the presentations on the Yosemite National Park Facebook page and on our website!

The presentations feature perspectives and expertise from a variety of fields, and all honor the lodge’s founding purpose as a vibrant gathering place to share powerful ideas. Past presenters have included renowned writers, musicians, scientists, park rangers, poets and historians, among many others. Whether focused on Yosemite ecology and geology, the Sierra Nevada’s human history, or nature-based poetry and essays, these presentations and readings help inspire a deeper appreciation for the park and our planet.

How your support helps: Your gifts support a popular Yosemite program that creates opportunities to learn about public lands, stewardship values and our relationship to the natural world.

Partnering with Yosemite National Park.

Karen Amstutz

Supervisory Park Ranger, Yosemite National Park

Project Notes

"This series brings fresh and diverse ideas from scientists, artists and scholars to life in Yosemite National Park. It provides an opportunity for visitors of all ages to enjoy free, high-level public discourse in a distinctive space."