Do you live in the Sierra Foothills? Do you love our beautiful watershed–the Yuba and Bear rivers and all of the wonderful tributaries that flow out of the mountains in Nevada County? Do you want to participate in conserving, restoring and educating people about our watershed? Sierra Streams Institute is […]
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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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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 >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 >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 […]
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Robin and Cicely are sisters who have been volunteering for SSI since 2013. They have been involved in almost all of SSI’s volunteer opportunities–from water quality monitoring to the bug lab to restoration. Robin first began volunteering with SSI’s macroinvertebrate lab, and you can still find her there almost every […]
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AmeriCorps week is a celebration of all things AmeriCorps — from the programs and organizations that make this national service initiative possible in thousands of locations to the members who have pledged to “Get Things Done” since the program’s inception in 1994. SSI has hosted AmeriCorps since 2007 through Sierra […]
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Amidst a growing risk of wildfires in our area, many community members and land managers have recently focused on the need for fuels reduction projects to compensate for over one hundred years of fire suppression policies in California. But what does fuels reduction actually look like in practice? Had you […]
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Meet Hailey Wilson! Hailey Wilson is an enthusiastic ten-year old with a deep passion for laughter and learning. I thought it was so important to highlight Hailey in this series because she’s downright inspiring. She’s full of silliness, energy and a love of the natural world that is contagious. We […]
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Meet Mary Grim! I grew up in West Virginia with a dad that took me fishing a lot. As a kid, I was fascinated with fish and loved playing in streams, looking under rocks and catching crayfish. I went to school at West Virginia University where I studied biology and […]
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AmeriCorps Week 2019 (March 10-16, 2019) is a celebration of all things AmeriCorps – from the programs and organizations that make this national service initiative possible in thousands of locations, to the members who have pledged to “Get Things Done” since the program’s inception in 1994. During this year’s AmeriCorps […]
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Each summer, Sierra Streams hosts about four interns for the summer field season. Interns can expect to monitor wildlife, monitor water quality, collect benthic macro invertebrates (BMI), collect algae samples, process samples and more! Days are spent crawling in the most beautiful streams in Nevada County collecting data that informs […]
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Our AmeriCorps River Scientist, Anna Shampain, is one of the luckiest staff members here at Sierra Streams because her work takes her out in the field quite often. Thankfully, she comes back to the office to share photos and tales so we can all […]
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Want to learn more about your local watersheds? Which one do you live in? Where does your water come from? Where does it go? Who do you share it with? How can you contribute to your watershed’s health?
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A summer internship with Sierra Streams meant more to Jenny Hakala then just gaining experience in the field; it was an opportunity to explore the hidden corners of her home, Nevada County, and all of the beauty. After graduating from Nevada Union in 2013, Jenny started general education courses at […]
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After four months as a Field Technician with us, Becca has officially entered her new role as our Citizen Science and Outreach Coordinator! In her new role, she will be working hard to develop our Environmental Center, coordinate with volunteers and be the smiling face at outreach events. Becca spent […]
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In the spring, Lang and Indra Waters can be found crawling around creeks looking for Sierra Newts during their mating season. This father-son duo has made a family tradition of exploring their surroundings, learning about all of the woodland critters around them. On hiking and camping trips, Lang’s father infected […]
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Samantha Vigil is always on the go! She loves to try new things and is always looking for activities to try. This is certainly clear when you look at her accomplishments. As she pursues her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies at Sacramento State, she works as a scientific aid for the […]
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