In 2001, Julie Herrlinger moved into her 60-acre forest refuge along Deer Creek. Nearly as soon as she finished unpacking, the first call she made was to her local watershed organization, Friends of Deer Creek, looking for opportunities to volunteer. With easy access to the creek Julie wanted to know whether the water was safe for her young children to play in and 24 years later Julie remains a stalwart volunteer with the organization now known as Sierra Streams Institute.
From hammering in willow stakes at lightning speed at the Beale Dry Creek restoration site to facing the elements – cold, rain, snow, and sweltering summer heat – to monitor water quality, Julie just might be a keystone species in the Sierra Streams Institute ecosystem.
If you ask Julie where she likes to hang out on the creek, she’ll likely tell you anywhere upstream or downstream of her home sanctuary is ideal. This is especially true during the hot summer months when Julie invites friends and family to walk along the creek taking photos and soaking in the magical scenery of Deer Creek together! Outside of volunteering with SSI, Julie also spends a few hours every day around her property taking care of the land. She’s particularly fond of using her power tools to take down dead branches and reduce the prevalence of invasive species like scotch broom.
In addition to her passion for the land, water, flora, and fauna of Nevada County, Julie is an artist. She started her Etsy shop, EarthGiftsCreations, after her kids graduated and moved out. Her shop began with hand-thrown clay plates, but she soon discovered her passion for painting people’s beloved furry-friends onto mugs and plates. Julie paints 2-3 cats or dogs a day, sometimes even more, and helps folks commemorate their beloved pets forever.
SSI is grateful to Julie for her continued commitment to the health of the Deer Creek watershed and our staff always appreciate her levity and cheerful demeanor during even the most challenging monitoring days!