Volunteers key to visitor experience

More than 40 volunteers helped visitors enjoy their experience at Mono Lake this season by guiding tours, roving and answering questions at the lakeshore, helping out at the Scenic Area Visitor Center, staffing special events, assisting research scientists and removing invasive plants. Now in its eighth season, the Mono Lake Volunteer Program is more important than ever, as agency budgets shrink.

“The volunteers are making it possible to maintain a high quality experience for our visitors to Mono Lake. Funding from our non-profit partners, the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association, the Mono Lake Committee and the Bodie Foundation, allows us to provide training and support to our growing group of volunteers. Participants are locals, second home owners, and people from farther away that love the Mono Basin. We have volunteers from Santa Barbara, Reno, Fallon and Dana Point,” said Janet Carle, Volunteer Coordinator. “More than 1,800 hours were donated this season by our volunteers on education and stewardship in the Mono Basin. This is a huge contribution to our local economy and to visitors from around the world. We couldn’t provide a great visitor experience without them.” –Press Release