Mullein: The Most Controversial Weed In The West This tall, grey green plant grows abundantly throughout the American West and is readily recognized by its fuzzy foliage, attractive yellow flowers, and upright, spike-like habit. Native to Eurasia and northern Africa, mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is controversial amongst plant people, being lauded […]
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What do all of these items have in common? They go straight to the trash after a single use in most laboratories. Because we work with chemicals and need things to be very clean, we can’t re-use most lab supplies. But it’s hard to generate so much waste when we […]
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The Sierra Streams Institute Education Program is gearing up for a busy fall. Despite losing significant federal funding in the spring and the swirling uncertainty, outdoor educational resources and opportunities remain a top priority. Here is a quick update from SSI’s Education Department: Educational programming will begin at the Beale […]
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Hello! My name is Katelyn Mae Nisbit. I am 20 years old and a senior at Sacramento State, aiming for a major in Environmental Science, and was a field crew member for SSI this summer. My favorite colors are green and pink. Growing up in a small kind-of-rural town, there […]
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Written by Monica Nova, Restoration Ecologist It’s about time to spotlight our Restoration Program! Often seen as the folks at SSI that are either out in the field or in a potentially mysterious state of scientific inquiry, partner collaboration, and project implementation, it’s easy for this keystone program to fly […]
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Hedge Parsley (Torilis arvensis) Written by Alex Lerch Have you ever taken a walk off the beaten path in the Sierra Foothills and found your shoe laces, socks, and maybe even your pants with plant seeds that stick like Velcro? If you have, then Hedge Parsley (Torilis arvensis) needs no […]
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Written by Jessica Herrmann We’re well known for our river monitoring of Deer Creek and Bear River, but this year we’ve been busy. I am REAL busy expanding our monitoring sites all over Northern California through the Delta Project. During the summers of 2025 and 2026, SSI is collecting both […]
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Did you know that Sierra Streams Institute offers water quality tests and testing packages? Whether it’s straight from your well or that pond out back where your dogs (or kids, or you) love to muck around, SSI offers a number of water quality tests that can be helpful for understanding what’s in your water.
Read More >Sierra Streams Institute is happy to introduce Ryan DeMasters and Cassiopiea Pryor as our Summer Field Crew Leads! Ryan and Cassi have been busy leading teams all over the Northern Sierra to collect data on the health of our streams and rivers. Ryan grew up in Wilton, CA and is currently […]
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Nevada City is abuzz with the news that Little Deer Creek in Pioneer Park has E. coli levels above the EPA threshold for safe water. While this news can feel alarming and lead to uncertainty, we’re here to help you understand what the current Public Notice means and to provide […]
Read More >Written by Quinn Tamo, SSI intern “I consider myself creative before anything else.” – Madeleine Kemp, volunteer with SSI Madeleine is a summer intern here at Sierra Streams Institute (SSI) and a valuable one at that. Her passion was mostly for art, agriculture, and science when entering community college. An […]
Read More >In the Spring it is hard not to be bombarded by the vast blooming yellow flowers of Scotch Broom. Whether you love or hate the sight, these species of invasive plants are problematic to wildfire prone areas like Nevada County. So let’s take a deep dive into the problem with […]
Read More >Sierra Streams Institute is expanding our office and taking over the entire second floor of our building. We are really excited to move into this space as it has gotten a little tight in our current office. We are looking for some furniture donations to help outfit our new space. […]
Read More >My name is Lucas. I am a sophomore in high school and an intern in the BMI lab at Sierra Streams Institute, and my goal in life is to try my best to be a good human who helps others. My favorite colors are green and yellow, because they remind […]
Read More >The Summer Solstice is an astronomical event during which the Sun reaches its maximum Northern exposure in the Northern hemisphere (i.e. this is the farthest North the sun gets all year!). The Solstice typically happens on June 20th or 21st every year, and has been celebrated for centuries by cultures […]
Read More >Credit for writing: Chris Cade Sierra Streams Institute welcomes people from all walks of life, and some return not only to the landscape, but to a deeper part of themselves. Missa is one of those volunteers, someone who brings not only scientific experience and skill, but also a burning passion […]
Read More >Sierra Streams Institute (SSI) opens the doors to anyone and everyone. We strive to create a space where anybody can participate in our community science programs, to allow locals to actively do science within their watershed, and exchange knowledge and ideas with staff and other volunteers. Volunteers are core to […]
Read More >Welcome back to Meet the SSI Monitoring Sites. In the third iteration of this series, we’ll look at a few sites in tandem. While each of these locations has its own unique characteristics, they share one thing in common – Meet the tributaries of Deer Creek! A tributary is a […]
Read More >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 […]
Read More >Welcome back to Part Two of our “Meet the SSI Monitoring Sites” series! While Sierra Stream Institute’s historic roots are in the Deer Creek watershed, in 2016 we expanded to include monitoring, restoration, and research in the Bear River watershed. SSI volunteers monitor 10 sites in the watershed as part […]
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