This winter has certainly been one for the memory books, but what about the record books? With all of the rain we’ve received over the last few weeks, multiple questions have been coming up. Just how big is this storm compared to prior wet years? Is this a “drought buster”? What […]
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This summer, Sierra Streams Institute board member Dave Herbst worked with SSI staff, volunteers and recent graduates from UC Santa Cruz to pilot a project characterizing aquatic invertebrate biodiversity of streams throughout the Sierra Nevada, including the Yuba River. This work builds on our long-term citizen monitoring program, our partnership […]
Read More >Please join us on November 11 at the Nevada City Odd Fellows Hall, 212 Spring Street, Nevada City CA to chat about local environmental issues and have a snack! We will have a number of silent auction items to bid on, a perfect way to stock up on early holiday […]
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Summer sampling by the numbers: Summer Water Quality Summary: Between June and August, we collected water quality data from 12 sites in the Deer Creek watershed and 10 sites in the Bear River watershed. Learn more about our water quality parameters below! Oxygen is necessary for all forms of life. […]
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This past school year, Sierra Streams Institute had the joy of venturing into our local forests with over 300 3rd-5th grade students in Nevada County. The mission? Promote students’ environmental science agency, spark curiosity and increase interest in land stewardship through placed-based investigations into forest health. The program, Our Forests, […]
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The signs are related to bacteria levels. Every summer in the creeks, as the temperature increases and water flow decreases, we see an increase in bacteria at many of our monitoring sites. Some amount of bacteria is always present in creek water, but less water in the creek concentrates any […]
Read More >Sierra Streams Institute is excited to undertake a new restoration project to supplement, improve and maintain salmonid habitat along a portion of Dry Creek within Beale Air Force Base located near Spenceville Wildlife Area. This is an exciting new project for SSI because all programs have an opportunity to work […]
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Over the last twenty years, Sierra Streams Institute’s water quality monitoring program has used citizen science to assess the health of the Deer Creek Watershed and engage community members in their local ecosystems. Historically, dedicated volunteers conducted monthly monitoring along eighteen sites spread strategically throughout the watershed. Volunteers measure pH, […]
Read More >The “snowmageddon” storm of December 2021 was one to remember. Just ask the trees. Some lost branches. Some were bent over—sometimes seemingly permanently—by the weight of the snow. Many many more were uprooted, leading to the power and transportation issues we lived with for days or weeks after the storm. […]
Read More >The California Naturalist Program seeks to foster a committed group of volunteer naturalists and citizen scientists trained and ready to take an active role in natural resource conservation, education, and restoration. The California Naturalist course will introduce you to the wonders of our local ecology and engage you in the […]
Read More >Life of the Bottom-Feeders in the Shallows and Deeps of Streams Are you interested in learning more about the insects who inhabit our waterways? Join Sierra Streams Institute with guest speaker Dave Herbst on Tuesday March 1st at 6 PM for our latest Virtual Science Speaker Talk. Dave has been […]
Read More >When: January 8, from 10AM- 12PM, rain delay date January 9 Where: Pioneer Park Picnic Area (See map below) Questions or for more information contact Emma Walker, River Scientist, emma@sierrastreamsinstitute.org We are looking for more volunteer monitors specifically for the Bear River. Learn more about our Bear River Monitoring Here. […]
Read More >Background and History: The Bear River, flowing from its headwaters to the confluence with the Feather River, spans 73 miles. Its waters are heavily managed through dams and diversions. Though it is one of the more degraded watersheds in the area, the Bear River is one of the least monitored. […]
Read More >Sierra Streams Institute’s water quality monitoring program is not only our longest-running program but the beginning of our non-profit story! We started when a group of concerned community members began monitoring the creek’s water quality during the construction of the Pine St. bridge over Deer Creek. We now have over […]
Read More >Dear Friends, Community Members, and Nevada County Family, I write to you with excitement, gratitude, and humility with an announcement (in case you haven’t heard): We’re back, and we’re more excited than ever to work with YOU. As we approach the new year, we here at Sierra Streams Institute are […]
Read More >Saturday, October 23, 3-6PM More than one year after losing our office and laboratory to the Jones Bar Fire, Sierra Streams Institute (SSI) has a new place to call “home” again. We want to show you how we rose from those ashes. So, we invite you to come to celebrate […]
Read More >Youth-focused Community and Citizen Science in Nevada County What makes a forest healthy? Are our local forests healthy? Those are the questions that 3rd-5th graders from around the area are attempting to answer with the help of Sierra Stream’s Institute’s education team. Students will be working throughout the year to […]
Read More >As we reach the first anniversary of the Jones Fire, there is a lot to reflect on both the landscape and organization. Much like a forest is renewed by low severity while simultaneously being forever changed by high severity fire, by losing our office to the blaze, we were given […]
Read More >Our heart goes out to all in our community who were affected by the River Fire. This fast-moving fire took the community by surprise, and we are grateful to all the firefighters and community members who helped defend our communities. Unfortunately, there was still an immense loss. We want to […]
Read More >I was lucky enough to spend my youth exploring the Sierra Nevada along with all of the National Parks and natural areas of the West. Through these explorations, I learned, fairly early on, the unique and powerful beautify and ecological power of the Sierra Nevada. After years of hiking and […]
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