Mammoth Lakes, Calif., May 12, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As visitation to our most pristine natural landscapes continues to grow, survey after survey has shown one thing to be increasingly (and delightfully) clear: by-and-large, today’s traveler wants to be part of the solution.
The community of Mammoth Lakes is showing visitors how, with programs and experiences that put guests in a position to make a positive impact while enjoying the incredible natural beauty that is the area’s claim to fame. From multi-day back-country trips to river floats with a mission of cleaning up, Mammoth Lakes is hoping to make it both rewarding and enjoyable for visitors to be part of the solution.
“When we talk about environmental stewardship in mountain destinations, too often the conversation is about visitors being the problem. With some basic planning and communication, we feel strongly that our visitors are actually the solution,“ said John Urdi, Mammoth Lakes Tourism’s Executive Director. “We hear every day from folks who want to help. These programs are about showing them how, and doing it in a way that’s fun and enjoyable.”
2022 Eastern Sierra Volunteer Opportunities:
- Friends of the Inyo Immersive Backcountry Volunteer Projects: Want to spend a week camping in a beautiful place doing important work with fun people? Every year, Friends of the Inyo partners with the Sierra National Forest or the Inyo National Forest to take volunteers into the wilderness to maintain trails and restore campsites and lake shores.
- Kids Fishing Festival: Held on Saturday, July 30 at the SnowCreek ponds in Mammoth Lakes, this popular event is free for kids 14 and under and will run from 8am to 1pm. Rods and reels are provided. This fun, educational, hands-on day aims to help our youngest stewards of the land learn about the importance of taking care of our ecosystem. Fisheries staff from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), the Eastern Sierra Game Warden, and fishing guides will be present to lend a hand while teaching the children about California’s trout fisheries. Every child will receive their own California Fishing Passport and fish identification book.
- Citizens Wildfire Education Academy: Organized by the Eastern Sierra Council of Governments, this program consists of seven monthly virtual sessions for the public to learn about wildfire and how to prepare for it. It is aimed at reducing the anxiety around wildfire and responding to the multitude of questions that residents and visitors have about this topic. The 60–90-minute sessions will be held the third Monday of each month at 6 pm, beginning April 18.
- Camp Like a Pro/Dispersed Camping Map and App: For visitors looking to venture beyond established campgrounds and try their hand at dispersed camping, the Eastern Sierra Dispersed Camping Collaborative has created an interactive map and app to educate campers on how to safely and responsibly enjoy their dispersed camping experience.
- Face Lift Project: On October 1 Mammoth Lakes Tourism will continue its Face Lift: an Act Local program started in 2020. The Face Lift will bring together ~40 different agencies to help with the largest trash clean up in the Eastern Sierra. Last year over 6,100 pounds of trash were collected. In 2022 the goal will be to bring this program back larger and better than ever.
- Friends of the Inyo Trail Ambassador Program: The Friends of the Inyo Trail Ambassador program educates trail users on how to best recreate responsibly, through interpretive talks and hikes and by engaging the public in volunteer public lands stewardship events.
- Trashy Thursdays: This summer, help keep our backyard beautiful by volunteering to pick up trash. Every Thursday evening from 4 - 6 pm meet local Trail Hosts in the Mammoth Lakes region at a new location to help clean up trash. Trash pickers, bags and gloves provided.
- Defensible Space and Community Clean up: Grab a bag and help clean up the Town of Mammoth Lakes. In partnership with Mammoth Disposal, Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce, and Volunteer Eastern Sierra (VES) the first Defensible Space and Community Clean-Up event is scheduled on May 13 & 14.
Check visitmammoth.com for more information and to get started booking a Mammoth Lakes vacation.
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