Connecting biological and cultural diversity
This is a question that hardworking, dedicated tribal staff throughout California and many other regions are living every day. The ongoing efforts of my friends and colleagues Julian Lang in Karuk territory, Loren Bommelyn in Tolowa Dee-Ni, Nakia Zavalla in Samala[Chumash], and Jennifer Malone for the Wukchumni, are accompanied by hundreds of other people in […]
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Wildfires are a permanent part of the landscape. Climate change – and a host of “positive” ecological feedback loops (a positive loop is one that is self-reinforcing; a negative loop indicates reactions that move in the opposite direction) – mean that things will only get worse, not better, unless we enact radical changes. We have […]
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This Spring, before the heatwaves began scorching our lands out West, my girlfriend Toni and I toured some of the outstanding scenery of Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and California. We had a little over a week, and so we aimed the van towards Zion and Bryce National Parks, the Valley of Fire, and Death Valley. We […]
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Why America’s oldest lake is in so much trouble Recently during a lunchtime conversation with a well-read, well-traveled friend, I mentioned Clear Lake. “Where’s that?” she asked. “California’s largest lake?” I responded, doing a quick calculation of how much contextual information I needed to share. “It’s in Lake County, a few hours from here. I […]
Read MoreA primer on why we need more good fire. This week, another piece on the importance of indigenous fire knowledge and techniques went live online. I’m thrilled, because after working on this article for weeks, it appeared in Slate, a news magazine that usually carries more popular culture pieces. Even more exciting: the preponderance of […]
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JEANINE PFEIFFER 