Natural History of the Eastern Sierra
There are few places in the world where evidence of the natural history of a region is more obvious and interesting than in the Eastern Sierra. The forces that have shaped our world have produced an astonishing assortment of observable characteristics that give us insight into the creation of this part of our planet. These distinctive features present an opportunity to view, firsthand, the results of these forces.
Aspects of nature that seem improbable and unexpected are wondrous and beautiful. Elements of geography and topography that appear inconsistent and disrupted have logical explanations. Everything here has happened for a reason and we are witness to the wonder of nature.
The Eastern Sierra is a vast and unspoiled region that offers exceptional opportunity for recreation and discovery. Whether you are trekking along the John Muir Trail or wandering among the ancient Great Basin Bristlecone pines (the oldest living beings on our planet) or watching the Milky Way arc brilliantly across the sky on a dark moonless night, there’s a story there that goes back to the dawn of history.
The rocks tell stories of the upheavals of the earth, and the valley shows where the Earth’s crust has stretched and dropped while the mountains rose to shelter it from storms. Tiny fish and wild bighorn sheep, a million-year-old lake and the planet’s oldest living things, all endemic to this region, survive, protected by their stewards, so that we can learn about our past and perhaps secure our future.