Watershed Sculpture

Daniel and Mary are the artists we are talking to about our restoration project's fish barriers. Here's a look at some of their work in Nevada.

Watch video here

The Kokanee are spawning!

Despite the low water year, you can see these fascinating fish schooling this week at Taylor Creek on Lake Tahoe, or probably in Sagehen Creek, though Stampede Reservoir is so low that you'll have to walk a long way downstream.

Enhancing the Value and Sustainability of Field Stations and Marine Laboratories in the 21st Century

The National Academy of Sciences has produced a new report on "Enhancing the Value and Sustainability of Field Stations and Marine Laboratories in the 21st Century".

Our friend Mark Stromberg, former Director of the UC Berkeley Hastings Reserve, was a member of the committee that produced this report. Many of the report's ideas came from the recent OBFS document, Field Stations and Marine Laboratories of the Future: A Strategic Vision, but Mark tells us that Sagehen's programs and entrepreneurial approach were very influential, as well.

The NAS report emphasizes the need for field stations to continue to provide opportunities for engagement, citizen science, and other public service activities, as well as increased networking and cyber-infrastructure.

Invisible Barn Kickstarter video

Invisible Barn is an artwork designed by New York firm stpmj. We are planning to build it at Sagehen in Spring, 2015. Why?

More info about Invisible Barn here.

California Naturalist wildlife sightings

The Sagehen California Naturalist courses have had some fantastic wildlife sightings this week!

While doing iNaturalist training, Kaitlin saw and photographed a family of Long-tailed weasels. It's rare to see these guys. More photos on iNaturalist.

Then the class caught a bear on Mike's camera trap during the Wildlife Field Session.




But wait, there's more! Black-backed woodpeckers are nesting right in the station. That's a big life-list sighting for birders.

View more observations from Sagehen Creek Basin Biota Documentation Project on iNaturalist.org »

Wolverine update!

An update on the Sagehen Wolverine. Here's a video from the SPI wildlife biologist who tracks him in the Tahoe National Forest.

You can also read the recent article in Discover Magazine.

Harrison's Break Ground on 50-year Art Project at Sagehen.

Updated video, 1/7/14: Sagehen environmental artists Helen and Newton Harrison have broken ground on the vegetation manipulation for their 50-year artwork at Sagehen! Here's an aerial video shot by Austin Hall, with some explanatory text by the Harrisons:



The Harrisons also have a new exhibit at Feldman Gallery in New York. More info.

Wilma the Pig

September 1, 2012: Helen and Newton Harrison, the international artists working at Sagehen on a piece for the Nevada Museum of Art, revisited their Pasture piece from the 1970's for the "Ends of the Earth" exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art , Los Angeles (MOCA).

But this time, they got to include the pig they'd always envisioned!

The video includes discussion of the piece that brings a little insight into the Harrison's broader work themes.

Jeff's orientation talk for Sagehen visitors.

A visitor recorded Jeff's orientation talk...

Unusual bear cub release

In addition to the pair of cubs we reintroduced in January this year, two more cubs moved to Sagehen this week.

This time was a little unusual. Instead of placing drugged cubs into a hibernation den under the snow as we have in the past, we just opened the trailer and let them out. Watch the video to learn more about why.

Here are some photos of the release.

Bear cub reintroduction

Last week, California Fish and Wildlife reintroduced a pair of bear cubs into the wild here at Sagehen. KGO-TV covered the event. Here are the three segments aired about the wildlife rehabilitation process:


Story #1.



Story #2.



Story #3.

Earthwatch caterpillars

Learn about Dr. Lee Dyer's Earthwatch caterpillar-climate change project at Sagehen that brings high school students into the field to help the University of Nevada at Reno scientists with their research.

Project sponsored by the Durfee Foundation.

Welcome to the Truckee

Here's a video we made in 2007, introducing the Truckee River Watershed Council. Sagehen partners with TRWC for many projects.

As part of their orientation, Jeff shows this video to all station visitors to demonstrate Sagehen's collaborative philosophy.

ARC Program Wins National Award

Katie Zanto, founder of Sagehen's Adventure-Risk-Challenge program, won L.L. Bean's 2011 Outdoor Heroes contest. Here is her contest video explaining the genesis of the program.

Jeff introduces Sagehen to the Aldo Leopold Foundation

Jeff presents to OBFS

Last week, we attended the annual meeting of the Organization of Biological Field Stations held in Bodega Bay, CA where our A.R.C. Program received the Human Diversity award.

Here's a video of Jeff's presentation to the attendees on the topic of "Adapting to a Changing Mission". It explains the overarching philosophy of decision-making at Sagehen since our arrival 10 years ago.

"The Leopold Family Legacy at Sagehen Creek Field Station".

Sagehen recently began working with the Aldo Leopold Foundation to promote the Leopold legacy. This week, we are hosting a number of screenings of their new documentary, "Green Fire".

Why? What is the connection between Aldo Leopold and Sagehen Creek Field Station? Why is the Leopold legacy important?

We created this short documentary to explain.



Here's a passionate review of the video from Sagehen alum, Dwayne Spencer:

"This video captures so much of what's influenced my life it almost makes me cry. Aldo Leopold, father of Wildlife Biology and Wisconsin icon (if you have never read Sand County Almanac, rectify that); Starker Leopold, his son, who brought me to Berkeley to study martens at Sagehen Creek, Dale McCollough, who served on my thesis committee.... Nearly all the people in this video are close, personal friends: Roger Harris, Marty Raphael, Dan Airola, Pete Stine, Jeff Brown.... All the places are friends too: the "fish house," the meadows, Sagehen Creek, Independence Lake, Starkers "lean-to"....

You might all not relate, but if you are at all interested in biology, history, or family... this is good. I'm very proud and happy that my sons know most of these people and places too... They've even helped the famous fisheries biologist Peter Moyle with the long-term sampling of Sagehen Creek that is chronicled herein."

Baby squirrels

What's cuter than a pail full of baby squirrels? Nothing I can think of.

Jeremy found a nest in the air filter while servicing the snowcat today. Not too uncommon. But this time, there were four noses looking up at him.

We had to move the little varmints, so I shot this video while we were at it.

We put them in a bucket and the mother moved them to new digs this afternoon when things quieted down.

Thanks to Per Johan and Frank Ritcey for additional wildlife footage.

Dual Projections

Environmental artists Helen Mayer Harrison and Newton Harrison were commissioned by the Center for Art + Environment, at the Nevada Museum of Art, to create Sierra Nevada: An Adaptation which proposes a series of long-term ecological responses to temperature increases in the Sierra Nevada. This visualization was created in collaboration with the Desert Research Institute (DRI), in Reno, Nevada, to demonstrate possible outcomes of differing forest management strategies - in this case for Independence Lake.

Learn more about the Harrison's potential project at Sagehen, in partnership with the Nevada Art Museum's Center for Art and the Environment, at Sagehen News.

Sagehen ants on National Geographic TV

We provided stock footage of Sagehen's slave-making ants for National Geographic's "When Aliens Attack!".

This segment about official protocol when encountering space aliens reminds me a lot of the brouhaha after the accidental discovery of the California wolverine by Sagehen researchers.

Much like in the program, Sagehen researcher Bill Zielinsky was presented with an official Forest Service plan for the encounter (which he himself had prepared many years before for just this eventuality, never really thinking it would happen, of course).