Tuleyome Book Recommendations 2022

Nate Lillge • November 9, 2021

   December 2022

Otherlands: A Journey Through Earth's Extinct Worlds


by Thomas Halliday

November 2022

Yoshi and the Ocean: A Sea Turtle's Incredible Journey Home


by Lindsay Moore


In 1997, a loggerhead turtle was rescued after enduring injury to its shell. She was given the name Yoshi by her rescuer and taken to the Two Oceans Aquarium in Cape Town, South Africa where she spent 20 years being rehabilitated until finally scientists felt confident she could return to the sea. With the use of a tracking device, scientists were able to monitor Yoshi's remarkable journey home after so many years. Lindsay Moore's beautiful telling of this story through watercolor pictures and poetic, informative text is inspiring for kids and adults alike

This Contested Land


by McKenzie Long


McKenzie Long discusses thirteen national monuments, including Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, and the stories, controversies, and passions of each.

October 2022

The California Field Atlas


by Obi Kaufmann


Obi Kaufmann has spent years exploring the backcountry of California, striving to understand the state's many ecosystems. Through the pages of The California Field Atlas, Obi explains the wonders of the Golden State with poetic prose and colorful illustrations.

August 31, 2022

Resource Wars: The New Landscape of Global Conflict


by Michael T. Klare


International security expert Michael T. Klare argues that in the early decades of the new millennium, wars will be fought not over ideology but over access to dwindling supplies of precious natural commodities.

July 20, 2022

The Cold Canyon Fire Journals


by Robin Lee Carlson


This is Robin's first book and it details the impacts of fire on Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve - one of the area's most popular hiking spots.

June 22, 2022

The Davis Farmers Market Cookbook


by Ann M. Evans


Ann Evans is the co-founder of the Davis Farmers Market. The book includes recipes for year-round cooking from market offerings and provides information about some of the vendors

May 25, 2022

Pacific Coast Tree Finder: A Pocket Manual for Identifying Pacific Coast Trees


by Tom Watts


A handy book that easily fits in your pocket. Don't know what tree you're looking at? You will with this easy to follow, step-by-step guide!

April 27, 2022

Oaks of California


by Bruce M. Pavlik, Pamela C. Muick, Sharon G. Johnson, and Marjorie Popper


"The first book ever devoted to the state's native oaks..." This is a wonderful, detailed book about the diversity of oaks, human history with the trees, and their importance to wildlife.

March 30, 2022

The Cougar Conundrum: Sharing the World with a Successful Predator


by Mark Elbroch


Mark Elbroch, mountain lion biologist, discusses whether mountain lions are a threat to humans and domestic animals and their need for protection as they are forced to the edge of their habitat. This book provides information and advice for this wildlife modern wildlife challenge.


March 2, 2022

Gertrude's Oaks: The History & Legacy of Woodland's Urban Forest


by David L. Wilkinson


Woodland was founded as a small in the middle of a valley oak grove and given it's name by Gertrude Swain Freeman - whose husband founded the town. More information about David Wilkinson's book is available here. David will be signing books on Friday March 6 at 6 pm at Local Inspirations, 524 Main Street, Woodland.


February 2, 2022

The Nature of Oaks: The Rich Ecology of Our Most Essential Native Trees


by Douglas W. Tallamy


Oaks are very distinctive and full of stories. This book highlights the seasonal cycles of the trees and the connections they have with other living organisms - from woodpeckers to caterpillars. It also provides information about what species of oak is the best to plant in your area.


January 5, 2022

America's National Monuments: the Politics of Preservation


by Hal Rothman


Rothman investigates the history of national monuments, and follows the evolution of federal preservation which has saved many natural, cultural, and arhaeologically significant sites. In the twentieth century, national monuments tended to be behind the national park system. Laws, policies, personalities, and rivalries all affected efforts to preserve these important locations.


December 10, 2021

Sibley Birds West: Field Guide to Birds of Western North America


by David Allen Sibley


This is a comprehensive guide to birds in the western United States. Over 700 bird species found west of the Rocky Mountains are included with illustrations and maps. This is a great resource for beginner and expert birders. This comes in handy when trying to identify the millions of birds migrating through the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region right now!



November 10, 2021

Our National Monuments: America's Hidden Gems


by QT Luong


Yes, we recommended this book a couple of weeks ago but we are excited to have been included in this wonderful book. QT Luong has assembled many wonderful pictures from 27 national monuments, including Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument! The book was published yesterday, November 9! Head to the website to get your own copy!


October 27, 2021

Our National Monuments: America's Hidden Gems


by QT Luong


This book showcases 27 national monuments - including Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument - with beautiful photographs and highlights the importance, significance, and wonder of the monuments. The author hiked and camped in the 22 land-based national monuments that were subject to the 2017 executive order questioning the designation of 27 national monuments. The book includes maps, descriptions of the author's explorations and highlights of the monuments. The book, set to be published November 2, is now available for pre-order via QT Luong's blog and Amazon.



September 29, 2021

The Largest Avian Radiation


by Jon Fjeldsa, Les Christidis, and Per G.P. Ericson (Editors)


This book explains how DNA has been used to complete a tree of life for the 6,200 perching bird species, which are 60% of all birds. It discusses how the asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs had less of an impact on the southern hemisphere and therefore, the perching birds we see today can be traced back to that hemisphere.

by Robin Wall Kimmerer


GatheringMoss is a beautifully written mix of science and personal reflection that invites readers to explore and learn from the elegantly simple lives of mosses. Robin Wall Kimmerer shares a series of linked personal essays that lead readers to an understanding of how mosses live and how their lives are intertwined with the lives of countless other beings, as well as what these fascinating organisms have to teach us.

RECENT ARTICLES

By Nate Lillge October 2, 2025
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!
By Geoff Benn October 2, 2025
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.
By Bryan Pride October 2, 2025
Thank you to everyone who submitted comments on the proposed rescission of the Roadless Rule and the USDA reorganization. We've cycled through several comment periods over the recent months, including the current open comment period for the rescission of the Public Lands Rule . Your voices joined half a million people who participated in the Roadless Rule comment period with 99% of comments supporting protection of our forest by keeping them roadless. This level of engagement shows the administration that we the people are paying attention. But our work isn’t done. Even though we defeated Senator Lee’s amendment to sell off public lands in the Big Beautiful Bill, the administration is still pursuing that same goal through a more coordinated attack. The mass firing of federal employees, efforts to rescind the Roadless Rule , the Public Lands Rule , and the proposed reorganization of USDA create the conditions necessary for unprecedented extraction from and eventual sale of our public lands. What we're witnessing isn't a series of isolated policy changes, it's a coordinated strategy with the "Big Beautiful Bill" connecting each attack on our public lands. The Strategy The sale of public lands started with DOGE’s mass firing of thousands of experienced Forest Service rangers, BLM land managers, and National Park employees, dedicated public servants who had built expertise from boots-on-the-ground field work to policy development roles. The loss of these public servants also means the elimination of institutional knowledge of what sustainable land management looks like in practice. The administration then moved to make these cuts permanent by closing and selling federal office buildings. The Ukiah BLM office , which manages the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument was initially threatened with closure but was eventually removed from the list. Removing the land managers was only one part of the plan. The Big Beautiful Bill passed through Congress with devastating budgetary cuts and protocol mandates for public lands and national forests. The bill, now signed into law, mandates destructive logging quotas : 250 million board feet annually from National Forests and 20 million board feet from BLM lands, with annual quota increases through 2034. The bill also requires agencies to award 20-year logging contracts to private companies, locking in extraction commitments through 2046. Logging levels this high haven't been seen since the 1900s. While the Big Beautiful Bill is now law, agencies cannot implement these logging and extraction mandates unless existing protective regulations, the Roadless Rule and the Public Lands Rule, are rescinded. These rules prevent the Big Beautiful Bill’s quotas from being implemented, which strongly suggests why the administration is moving to eliminate them. The Roadless Rule has coexisted with national forest logging for 25 years. The Rule protects 58.5 million acres of sensitive forest by preventing new road construction in designated roadless areas, while allowing logging to continue in areas with existing roads. However, the mandatory extraction quotas in the Big Beautiful Bill require access to previously untouched, sensitive areas. Meeting these dramatically increased quotas means building roads through currently protected roadless areas. Rescinding the Roadless Rule is a prerequisite for implementing the Big Beautiful Bill’s mandates. The Public Lands Rule recognizes conservation as a legitimate form of multiple use alongside grazing, mining, logging and recreation. The Public Lands Rule hasn’t stopped these uses, it requires that these activities be managed sustainably to protect long-term land health. However, the mandatory extraction minimum in the Big Beautiful Bill prioritizes meeting quotas over sustainable management. Rescinding the Public Lands Rule removes the requirement to balance extraction with conservation, making it possible to prioritize extraction regardless of long-term impacts on public lands. The USDA reorganization completes the strategy by eliminating local expertise, moving California’s forest management out of state. With no local forester position to resist unsustainable quotas or provide expertise about our unique ecosystems, implementation of new extraction protocols becomes inevitable. The sequence reveals the coordination: eliminate the people who understand sustainable management, pass legislation mandating unprecedented extraction, then remove the regulatory barriers that would prevent implementation. Why This Matters Now The Big Beautiful Bill's extraction mandates are already law, but they cannot be implemented while protective rules remain in place. These rules alone make it nearly impossible for the administration to enforce the newly set and unprecedented logging quotas. The protective rules that would prevent devastating extraction practices are under attack. Without these regulatory protections, the already-passed mandates will transform our public lands in ways that may be irreversible. Help speak for our public lands and take action to protect conservation by signing on to Tuleyome’s petition opposing the rescission of the Public Lands Rule, and/or submit comments directly on the Federal Register , you have until November 10th. For more information on how to participate in the public comment process or other advocacy opportunities, contact Bryan Pride Breaking News: Federal Government Shutdown The federal government shut down at 12:01 AM on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. National Parks and public lands will remain open to the public, though each location will vary in the number of staff present. USFS and BLM will have reduced staff at both field offices and regional offices. Some staff will be furloughed, while others may be working without pay. Offices such as the Bureau of Reclamation have the ability to run and operate Lake Berryessa activities for at least two weeks due to their access to discretionary funds, this is not a reality for all agencies. It is fire season. The Department of Interior and Department of Agriculture both released contingency plans for the lapse in federal funding. Both plans state that personnel directly related to wildfire response will largely be exempt from furloughs. The DOI's plan said National Park Service employees involved in fire suppression or fire monitoring activities will not be furloughed. USDA's plan said that employees who respond to and prepare for wildland fires will not be furloughed. Furloughs will still affect employees who are red-carded, or have wildland fire incident qualifications, but whose wildfire duties are secondary to their primary duties . During the government shutdown, some services may not be available or will be delayed. With reduced ranger presence on public lands, take extra precautions: don't hike alone, let someone know your plans, and be sure to pack out what you pack in.