Nature and You Lectures – Biodiversity, MOB, and Birds!
Geoff Benn • April 4, 2025
Since our last newsletter, we’ve hosted two Nature and You lectures. The first, in February, featured Tuleyome’s own volunteer Board Member Dr. Glen Holstein, who spoke on California Biodiversity – you can view the recording here.
The second, in March, was given by Tracy Cline and Julia Clickard, of the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center (CLERC). They presented on a range of hands-on restoration and monitoring projects led by CLERC and then discussed Mediterranean Oak Borer, a new insect pest that is threatening trees in our region. You can view the recording here.
Our April Nature and You lecture will take place via Zoom at 7pm on April 24th and will feature local author Aaron Haiman, who will discuss his new book “Birds of the California Delta”. You can learn more and register to receive the link on our events page – we hope you’ll join us!
If you have any questions about the Nature and You lecture series or have a suggestion for a speaker or topic, please contact Geoff Benn at gbenn@tuleyome.org.
RECENT ARTICLES
It’s been a decade since the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument was designated in 2015, and just last year we celebrated the expansion of the Monument to include Molok Luyuk. Now we’re in an exciting new phase: working alongside our community to shape how this incredible landscape will be protected for generations to come. Throughout 2025, Tuleyome has been collaborating with the Bureau of Land Management to submit detailed information about the many “objects of interest” that make our National Monument so special, from unique soils, to native plants, breathtaking geology and the rich cultural heritage of the indigenous people who have called this plan home for thousands of years. This information will help BLM develop the Monument’s resource management plan. But we’re not stopping there. We’re doing something that reflects the very best of what public lands protection can be: we’re creating a Community Alternative Management Plan (CAMP). What makes the CAMP different? The Berryessa Snow Mountain coalition brings together people who know the landscape intimately: climate scientists, geologists, botanists, hydrologists, recreationists, conservationists, community members and representatives from tribal nations. These aren’t just experts, they’re our neighbors, the people who hike these trails, study these ecosystems, and carry forward traditional knowledge passed down through generations. By bringing diverse expertise and perspectives to the table, we’re creating a management plan that is inclusive, and reflective of what the Monument means to all of us. The CAMP follows models like the Bears Ears National Monument and the Mojave Trails National Monument , where community-driven planning has shown that the best way to protect public lands is to partner with the people who care and know the landscapes the best. This is a co-stewardship in action, a real commitment to ensuring that local experts and tribal knowledge shape how we care for these lands. Once complete, we will present the CAMP to BLM to help inform their final Monument management plan. It is one of the many ways Tuleyome is making sure that those of us who visit, recreate, live near and hold cultural connections to the Monument have our voices heard in the decisions that affect these places we love. The work continues and we’re grateful to be doing it alongside a community that cares as deeply about Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument as we do. Want to get involved or learn more? Contact Bryan Pride, bpride@tuleyome.org , Tuleyome’s Policy Director
Tuleyome was excited to be back in the field at Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve. Volunteers installed a Chronolog station that will help monitor restoration efforts on the Blue Ridge Trail. This station - a post next to the trail that encourages hikers to take a photo - will help UC Reserve System document the changes at the site without large amounts of resources and time dedicated to monitoring. You can be a part of restoration efforts by taking a photo at the station. Thanks to our volunteers who joined us! Photos from the day are available on Flickr . Check out our website for more chances to help Tuleyome maintain trails! More information about Chronolog can be found on their website . There are currently two cameras at Stebbins - one monitoring big leaf maples and this one on the Blue Ridge Trail . Head to Stebbins and be a part of the restoration efforts!
Interns Diego, Ellen, and Rithika on the Rotary Pavilion at the Preserve Tuleyome is excited to welcome three new Horticultural Interns for Fall 2025! This is our second year offering this internship, where we pair college students with mentors at Woodland Regional Park Preserve to assist with projects including invasive plant removal, native plantings, and native species monitoring. This year’s cohort includes three UC Davis Environmental Science and Management majors – senior Diego Barraza and sophomores Ellen Jenkins and Rithika Warrier. They will be mentored by longtime Preserve volunteers Jennifer Hogan and Teri Barry. Over the course of the Fall Quarter, the interns will join volunteer crews for work days at the Preserve, providing opportunities for both skill development and networking. The Preserve, which opened to the public in May 2025, is a restored former landfill site that was developed into nature preserve to provide outdoor education opportunities and to protect the rare and endangered plants found on the site. The Preserve is a collaborative effort by the City of Woodland, Tuleyome, Yolo Habitat Conservancy, Rotary clubs, and other local organizations and volunteers. If you have any questions about the internship program or Tuleyome’s work at the Preserve, please contact Geoff Benn at gbenn@tuleyome.org.