Sierra Nevada Conservation Efforts. From the saving of the Yellow Legged Toad to the reintroduction of Big horn Sheep or Beaver, Sierra Rec Magazine brings you the latest on Conservation efforts in the Sierra Nevada.
Few experiences in the Sierra Nevada are as powerful as stumbling across an old cabin tucked into the forest and wondering who built it, who lived there, and what life looked like in these mountains long before modern trails and recreation. This summer, outdoor enthusiasts have a rare opportunity to do more than simply admire … Read more
A Trail-Tested Story from the Emigrant Wilderness There’s a version of the Sierra most people never see. It’s not the polished version—the one we photograph at sunrise or chase across trail maps and bucket lists. It’s older than that. Harder. Quieter. And if you’re not paying attention, you’ll walk right past it. We were standing … Read more
There’s something special about the old cabins hidden throughout the Sierra Nevada. The hand-hewn logs. The stories buried in the walls. The reminder that generations before us survived in places many of us now only visit for adventure. This summer, volunteers have a chance to help preserve one of the Sierra’s oldest surviving log structures. … Read more
From the shores of Lake Tahoe to Sierra lakes across the region, the work of Clean Up The Lake continues to evolve—and this latest release feels like an important next step for all of us who spend time on the water. Over the years, we’ve followed and supported their efforts to protect Sierra waters through … Read more
2025 projects repaired 30+ trails, recruited 400+ volunteers MISSOULA, Mont. – Building off of the success of 2025’s Trail Revival Projects which repaired 30+ trials, recruited 400+ volunteers, and donated more than $50,000 to offroad clubs and groups across the country – onX Offroad today announced that it is searching for applicants for 2026 Trail Revival Projects.. … Read more
By Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Magazine Lake Tahoe is often described as impossibly clear, impossibly blue, and impossibly pristine. But beneath the surface — far beyond what swimmers, paddlers, and boaters ever see — another story is unfolding. In the latest episode of the Sierra Rec Now Podcast , I sat down with Jenny … Read more
Clean Up The Lake sets out on their second lap of Lake Tahoe – “The 72 Mile Deep Clean” Tahoe City, CA (December 11, 2025) – Clean Up The Lake (CUTL) , the Tahoe nonprofit known for its environmental dive team, SCUBA cleanups, and completing the 72-mile cleanup of Lake Tahoe at depths of 0–25 feet … Read more
Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation Gains Ownership of Critical Watershed Lands Near Yosemite Behind Yosemite’s iconic waterfalls and granite monoliths lies a quieter force shaping life in the Sierra — water. And in the southern gateway to the park, Henness Ridge plays a critical role in delivering that water to the Wild & Scenic South Fork … Read more
By Sierra Rec Magazine Staff Oakland-based hydration innovator HydraPak is putting hard data behind what trail and ultra runners have known for years: carrying your own cup or flask is the future of endurance events. A groundbreaking study commissioned by HydraPak and led by crowd dynamics expert Marcel Altenburg analyzed the 2024 and 2025 La … Read more
Clean Up The Lake’s inspiring documentary series What Lies Unseen has returned with a brand-new chapter—and this time, the spotlight is on two Sierra reservoirs just outside of Truckee. Episode 4, released August 16, 2025, takes viewers beneath the surface of Boca and Stampede Reservoirs, where the team conducted its first-ever pilot research project in … Read more
By Charlie Pankey, Sierra Rec Magazine Today I had the privilege of attending my first-ever Lake Tahoe Summit—an annual convergence of leadership, community, and environmental vision held at the historic Valhalla Estate on the South Shore. The setting was unmistakably Tahoe: sun glinting off the lake, crisp alpine air, and towering pines shadowing the crowd. … Read more
Demolition Begins This Summer to Restore a Critical Wetland and Protect Lake Clarity By Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Magazine – July 2025 Conservation Issue On a warm summer morning in South Lake Tahoe, a long-awaited restoration story begins—not on a trail or mountain peak, but in the demolition of a building that many locals … Read more
(StatePoint) As the sun sets over a forest stream, a beaver family gets to work. For millions of years, these large rodents with bright orange teeth and a flat paddle-shaped tail have been reshaping landscapes by craftily constructing dams that slow flowing water, creating ponds where they build their lodge homes. Chomping through the night, … Read more
Enhancement) Builds Wildfire Resilience and Community Strength Plumas County, CA — California’s forests and communities are facing historic challenges — and a network of dedicated partners is rising to meet them.The Sierra Institute for Community and Environment’s Sierra to California All Lands Enhancement (SCALE) project is a statewide forum uniting local collaborative groups, Tribes, state … Read more
By Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Now PodcastListen now on YouTube , Spotify, or Apple Podcasts Last week I sat down for what turned out to be one of the most inspiring interviews I’ve done in a long time—right from the heart of Taylorsville, CA, with Jonathan Kusel and Ariana Bernstein from the Sierra Institute … Read more
Fifty Volunteers, One Shared Passion, and a Trail Worth Saving By Charlie Pankey | Sierra Rec Magazine, July 2025 Conservation Issue This past weekend, beneath the granite cliffs of Lover’s Leap, the air buzzed with the sound of hammers striking stone, trail tools scraping earth, and voices lifted in laughter and grit. I had the … Read more
🎙 New Episode of Sierra Rec Now Podcast If you’ve ever hiked a scenic trail near Truckee and paused to take in the views of meadows, lakes, or peaks, there’s a good chance the Truckee Donner Land Trust (TDLT) had something to do with it. In our latest Sierra Rec Now Podcast , I sat … Read more
Arbor Day Celebration with the Dixie Fire Canopy Project – April 26, 2025 When the Dixie Fire tore through Plumas County in 2021, it left behind more than blackened forest. It leveled entire communities, including the historic town of Greenville, and changed the lives of thousands. But in the Sierra, people live close to the … Read more
New Film Series by Clean Up The Lake Reveals More Than Just Pollution—It Uncovers History, Danger, and a Fight for the Future of Our Freshwater Truckee & South Lake Tahoe Premieres This Weekend | YouTube Launch Sunday, March 9 The lakes of the Sierra Nevada hold more than just stunning reflections of towering peaks and … Read more
An Exclusive conversation with the Feather River Land Trust on this new prized destination The Sierra Valley is one of the Sierra Nevada’s best-kept secrets—a vast, breathtaking landscape teeming with wildlife, rich in cultural history, and vital to the Feather River watershed. And now, thanks to the Feather River Land Trust (FRLT) and its partners, … Read more
Clean Up the Lake Group Collects Over 14’000 LBS of litter from Donner Lake Donner Lake, CA (February 3, 2025) – After months of dedicated effort, the Donner Lake Deep Cleaning Project has made incredible progress in removing submerged litter, surveying for aquatic invasive species (AIS), and restoring the lake’s underwater ecosystem at some of it’s … Read more
Bridging Texas Innovation and Sierra Sustainability Sustainable energy is rising to the forefront of global priorities, driven by the pressing realities of climate change and environmental degradation. With traditional energy sources like coal and oil significantly contributing to carbon emissions, the shift toward cleaner, more sustainable solutions is essential. Across the nation, initiatives such as … Read more
Eagles of the Sierra Nevada Each winter, as the Sierra Nevada mountains don their snow-covered blanket of fun, a magnificent phenomenon occurs in the valleys and foothills of the Eastern Sierra. Bald and Golden eagles descend from their high-altitude habitats to the lowlands of the eastern Sierra, including the beautiful wide-open Carson Valley, drawn by … Read more
Preserving the Sierra Nevada One Step at a Time For over 30 years, the Sierra Nevada Alliance has been at the forefront of protecting and conserving the majestic Sierra Nevada region. Now, through an inspiring collaboration with Pacific Crest Trail hiker and filmmaker Riordan Cicciu, the Alliance is reaching new heights of awareness and support. … Read more
Underwater divers restoring popular Tahoe-adjacent lake with stewardship funding from Travel North Tahoe Nevada INCLINE VILLAGE, NEV. (OCTOBER 30, 2024) – Travel North Tahoe Nevada (TNTNV) partnered with Tahoe-based nonprofit Clean Up The Lake (CUTL) for an extensive cleanup of Marlette Lake on October 24-25, 2024. With halloween just around the corner tomorrow, we thought we would lead off with … Read more
Department of Interior Investment to Bolster Recreation and Conservation in Nevada and California’s Lake Tahoe Basin Lake Tahoe – The Department of the Interior has announced a landmark $375 million investment for 36 projects across Nevada and the California side of the Lake Tahoe Basin. This funding, derived from land sales in the Las Vegas … Read more
The Truckee River, a historical lifeline for Nevada’s native fish, is seeing a groundbreaking project that promises to restore habitats and aid the recovery of two species central to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe’s cultural heritage: the Lahontan cutthroat trout and Cui-ui sucker . For decades, these fish populations have been affected by water infrastructure … Read more
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chair of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) announced the Senate passage of their bipartisan, bicameral legislation to extend the authorization of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act through 2034. The bill would allow the continuation … Read more
Bishop, Calif., June 12, 2024— Inyo National Forest in partnership with Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association (ESIA), are premiering a new short film, The Sierra Nevada: Adapting to our Changing Climate on Thursday, June 27 at Mountain Rambler Brewery. Mountain Rambler Brewery is located at 186 South Main Street, Bishop, CA. The event, organized by ESIA, will … Read more
State and Tahoe Partners Celebrate Opportunity to Acquire Environmentally Sensitive Land to Protect Habitat and Water Quality and Restore the River and Floodplain South Lake Tahoe, Calif.—March 19, 2024—The California Tahoe Conservancy joins with its funding partners—the California Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB), Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Tahoe … Read more
ARNOLD, Calif.— California State Parks today announced that the two monarch giant sequoias known as “The Orphans” at Calaveras Big Trees State Park are alive and no longer stand alone. The sequoias were damaged during a prescribed burn in the park’s North Grove area last fall. Several scientists visited The Orphans on Thursday, October 5, and observed … Read more
A Signs of Hope in the Sierra Nevada – The Impact of a Natural Architect Sierra Nevada – The American or North American Beaver is such a fascinating creature. Its long history in American culture has been complex as well as tragic. As a passionate outdoor explorer in the Sierra Nevada, I can think of … Read more
The Fish Springs Wild Horse Herd Now Has Sanctuary of Hassle Free Living An inside look at a local conservation effort to give wild horses and wildlife a hassle free zone in the mountain Carson Valley NV, – While I spend a reasonable amount of time traveling the Sierra Nevada and exploring new places and … Read more
