WMRC Lecture Series: Why is Alpine gold (Hulsea algida) sticky? Insects trapped in glandular trichomes of a showy high alpine aster.
2025-02-25 18:00 - 19:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Private: Online
Zoe Wood, UC Davis PhD student, and 2024 WMRC Mini-Grant recipient will be discussing her research on the glandular alpine plant Hulsea algida. This event is free & open to the public. Registration is required, please visit the provided URL. This talk will be recorded & posted to our YouTube channel at a later date.

WMRC Lecture Series: GLORIA in the Whites, 20 years of long-term alpine plant community monitoring with community scientists.
2025-03-06 18:00 - 19:30 | Private: Online
Presented by the following GLORIA GB members: Brian Smithers, Jim Bishop, Jan Nachlinger, Seema Shelth, and Kaleb Goff.
GLORIA Great Basin is a non-profit organization, supporting an international mission to assess global changes in composition and distribution of alpine flora in a changing climate. They collect, manage, and disseminate the data for field sites in the Great Basin and Sierran regions of the Western US, performing these tasks in coordination with citizen scientists, research institutions, federal agencies, and the broader GLORIA community.GLORIA GB has been partnering with WMRC AND stationing themselves out of the Crooked Creek Station for over 20 years. Join us as several members discuss their work with GLORIA. This event is free & open to the public. It will be hosted on Zoom, recorded, and posted to our YouTube Channel.
To learn more about GLORIA Great Basin visit https://www.gloriagreatbasin.org/
Read about them in the Journal of the California Native Plant Society.

WMRC Lecture Series:100 Years of Piper v Big Pine-The Alice Piper Story with Sage Romero
2025-03-13 18:00 - 19:30 | Private: Owens Valley Station, 3000 E Line St., Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
Join Big Pine Paiute tribal member and Akamya Cultural Group Director Sage Romero as he discusses the legacy of Alice Piper and the Piper v Big Pine case that set the precedent for Brown v Board of Education.
PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION BELOW FOR THE LOCATION. This event is free and open to the public. This talk will not be broadcasted live but will be recorded and posted to our YouTube channel at a later date.

WMRC Lecture Series: Insect population ecology in the Sierra Nevada- a 40 year perspective with Dr. Nathan Rank
2025-03-18 18:00 - 19:30 | Private: Owens Valley Station, 3000 E Line St., Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
The willow leaf beetle Chrysomela aeneicollis lives at high altitude in the South-central Sierra Nevada, from near Mount Whitney to Yosemite. This California insect has been the focus of studies of ‘Evolution in Action’ since the 1980s, when Dr. John Smiley (former WMRC station manager) and then graduate student Nathan Rank conducted experiments examining relationships between beetles, willow host plants where adults and larvae feed, and the insect enemies that prey upon the beetles.
Dr. Nathan Rank, now a professor at Sonoma State University, and his colleague Dr. Elizabeth Dahlhoff, Santa Clara University, currently study how willow leaf beetles tolerate and survive exposure to environmental extremes. Throughout the years, Dahlhoff and Rank have led a team of mostly undergraduate researchers (over 140 to date) in this project. This is the longest running study at WMRC, which began in 1984.
At this talk Dr. Rank will be discussing the 40 year span of his research.
PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION BELOW FOR THE LOCATION. This event is free and open to the public. This talk will not be broadcasted live but will be recorded and posted to our YouTube channel at a later date.

WMRC Lecture Series: Getting chased up the mountain- life at high elevation in the face of environmental change with Dr. Elizabeth Dahlhoff
2025-03-20 18:00 - 19:30 | Private: Owens Valley Station, 3000 E Line St., Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
Elizabeth Dahlhoff, Professor of Biology at Santa Clara University and colleague of Nathan Rank, will discuss her long-term research on examining physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms by which animals respond to environmental change. Her research specifically focuses on that of the willow leaf beetle that dwells in the high Sierra Nevada.
PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION BELOW FOR THE LOCATION. This event is free and open to the public. This talk will not be broadcasted live but will be recorded and posted to our YouTube channel at a later date.

WMRC Lecture Series: The Cambrian Explosion in the Inyo-White Mountains
2025-04-10 18:00 - 19:30 | Private: Owens Valley Station, 3000 E Line St., Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
Bill Krebs, UCLA & WMRC alumna will be presenting on the Cambrian fossil history of the White Mountains.
The Cambrian Explosion was a seminal event in the history of life on Earth.
It occurred ~ 541 mya at the beginning of the Cambrian Period and is characterized by the first appearance of abundant mineralized invertebrates, burrows, a negative δC13 excursion, the extinction of most Precambrian metazoans, and disappearance of widespread microbial mats and stromatolites. Phyla of all modern marine invertebrates appeared during the Cambrian Explosion as well as the ecological relationships that now exist between them. Evidence for this event in the White Mtns. consists of stromatolites, sedimentary textures indicative of microbial mats, fossils of mineralized marine invertebrates, and trace fossils (e.g., burrows). In Bishop, it’s a short drive to the distant past and strange old world.
PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION BELOW FOR THE LOCATION. This event is free and open to the public. This talk will not be broadcasted live but will be recorded and posted to our YouTube channel at a later date.

Fieldtrip (FULL): Cambrian Fossils in the White Mountains
2025-04-11 09:00 - 16:00
PLEASE READ THE FULL DETAILS:
REGISTRATION IS FULL. To be waitlisted please email wmrcinfo@ucla.edu. There is no guarantee for openings. A suggested donation of $20 per person is strongly recommended. Our email admin will discuss donation options. There is a fifteen-person participant cap for this trip.
Bill Krebs will be leading a 4×4 and hiking field trip to the White Mountains to see Cambrian Explosion fossil deposits. 4X4 vehicles are required. To reduce vehicle impacts please carpool or request a ride with WMRC. A caravan will meet at Owens Valley Station at 9 a.m. and return around 4:00 p.m. The group is expected to hike 4-5 miles of moderate terrain. Please wear hiking boots and appropriate apparel. Bring water, snacks, and a sack lunch.

WMRC Lecture Series: The Evolution of North American Wild Sheep based on Skull Shape & Mitochondrial DNA.
2025-04-17 18:00 - 19:30 | Private: Owens Valley Station, 3000 E Line St., Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
Presented by John D. Wehausen, Ph.D., retired WMRC research scientist. The Owens Valley is unique in having different subspecies of bighorn sheep on each side. This talk will put our local bighorn sheep into a much larger context of the evolution of all wild sheep in North America, including when different forms appeared. It will trace the history of research on that evolution based on analyses of skull morphometric and mitochondrial DNA data and apparent conflicts between those different data sets.
PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION BELOW FOR THE LOCATION. This event is free and open to the public. This talk will not be broadcasted live but will be recorded and posted to our YouTube channel at a later date.

Art & Science in Nature: Plein Air Painting Weekend at Crooked Creek
2025-06-14 13:00 - 2025-06-15 14:00 | Private: Crooked Creek Reserve, United States
Mono Arts Council (MAC) & WMRC are partnering to offer a weekend of plein air painting in celebration of WMRC’s 75th anniversary.
Saturday, June 14th, 1 p.m.-4 p.m. AND Sunday, June 15th, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.
at UC WMRC’s Crooked Creek Reserve in the White Mountains, CA

Watercolor supplies will be provided
Open to all skill levels, an instructional session is included (MAC artists are Jenny Kane & Annemarie Hall)
Participants can participate in either or both workshops
Cost $50/session, Optional Room & Board $100/participant
For more information, contact Gaylene at wmrcinfo@ucla.edu (760)873-4344 OR Brooke at brooke@monoarts.org (760) 709-1856

To register, visit:
Saturday Class
Sunday Class
Whole Weekend

Science in Nature Art Show
2025-08-07 18:00 - 2025-08-25 17:00 | Inyo Arts Council, 150 Willow St., Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
UC White Mountain Research Center (WMRC) is celebrating 75 years of scientific achievement and education in the Eastern Sierra region. In following a tradition of intertwining art and beauty as a form of science, WMRC, in collaboration with the Inyo Council of the Arts (IAC), is extending an invitation to local artists to submit work for its community celebration and fundraiser on October 19th, 2025.
The deadline for submissions is July 15, 2025. A select number of works will be displayed at the IAC gallery, 150 Willow St., Bishop, CA, during the month of August and auctioned off on Sunday, October 19th, 2025 (see OVS Community Open House).
An opening reception for select pieces will be held on Thursday, August 7th, from 6 to 8 P.M. at the IAC gallery. The show runs from August 7th to the 25th.
100% of the proceeds will go to UC White Mountain Research Center. Funds will continue to support community outreach activities and operations.
Participants are strongly encouraged to attend this event.
Entry packet: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:us:9fc6eaad-f66a-4364-9bb8-053a0e47c405

Owens Valley Station Open House
2025-10-19 12:00 - 16:00 | Private: Owens Valley Station, 3000 E Line St., Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
Join us for a community celebration to close out the year of festivities at the Owens Valley Station in Bishop, CA. We will be offering a free BBQ lunch, live music, activities for kids, a fundraiser art auction, and a lecture from archivist Daniel Prichet about the early history of WMRS(C).
Schedule of events
12:00 P.M.- 3:00 P.M. :

Research Facility Tour
Art Show & Silent Auction
Live Music by Annie Barrett & David Cicoletti
Free lunch

3:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M. :

FREE Lecture with WMRC Historian Daniel Prichett

UC WMRC Lecture Series: "Hawk Watch" film screening
2026-03-19 18:00 - 20:00 | Private: Owens Valley Station, 3000 E Line St., Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
Join UC WMRC for a special screening of the documentary “Hawk Watch,” a 45-minute film that showcases the annual Swainson’s hawk 6,000+ mile migration and the dedicated efforts of citizen scientists who monitor it in Borrego Springs, CA.
Following the film, Hal Batzloff, a long-time volunteer and raptor biologist of NGO Bloom Research, will discuss raptor conservation efforts in the Eastern Sierra. Q & A to follow.
A suggested donation of $10 is highly encouraged. This event is open to the public.
Watch the trailer HERE.

UC WMRC Lecture Series: Exploring Antarctica with Microscope and Camera
2026-03-24 18:00 - 19:30 | Private: Owens Valley Station, 3000 E Line St., Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
Bill Krebs, UCLA & WMRC alum, will be presenting “Exploring Antarctica with Microscope and Camera, 1971-1973 Seasonal Dynamics of Coastal Phytoplankton (Diatom) Growth and Its Preservation in Sediments.” Bill will discuss the seasonal dynamics of diatoms and how past changes in Antarctic climate and oceanography can be recognized through diatom sedimentation.
An abstract of Bill’s work can be read HERE.
PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION BELOW FOR THE LOCATION. This event is free and open to the public. Outside food or pets are not allowed. This talk will not be broadcast live but will be recorded and uploaded to our YouTube channel at a later date.

Sierra Earth Day 2026
2026-04-12 10:00 - 15:00 | Bishop City Park, 688 North Main St., Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
UC WMRC will have a booth at Sierra Earth Day. Come and say “hi”.

Bishop Paiute Tribe's Earth Day & Spring Market
2026-04-19 10:30 - 15:00 | Owens Valley Paiute-Shoshone Cultural Center, 2300 West Line St., Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
WMRC will have a booth at this event, too. Come say “hi” and learn about what we do.
To learn more, visit the Bishop Paiute Tribe’s Environmental Facebook page.

UC WMRC Lecture Series: The Mine in the Sky
2026-04-21 18:00 - 19:30 | Private: Online
Joe Kurtak will be discussing his recently reprinted book, “Mine in the Sky: The History of California’s Pine Creek Tungsten Mine and the People Who Were Part of It.”Joe’s work examines the geology, history, economic impact, and the community involved with the Pine Creek Tungsten Mine in Pine Creek Canyon.
This talk will be presented online via Zoom. Registration on Zoom is required (see website URL below).
This talk will be recorded and uploaded to WMRC’s YouTube channel.

UC WMRC Lecture Series: Eastern Sierra avalanches- REDUX A brief history of the active avalanche paths in Inyo and Mono Counties
2026-04-23 18:00 - 19:30 | Private: Owens Valley Station, 3000 E Line St., Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
Due to technical difficulties encountered at the original lecture, we are offering another opportunity for Sue to share her research.
Local avalanche forecaster Sue Burak will be giving a brief history of the active avalanche paths in Inyo and Mono County that impact roads and residential areas. Topics covered will include how far an avalanche runs and a discussion of avalanche runout estimates used in operational forecasting.
PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION BELOW FOR THE LOCATION. This event is free and open to the public. Outside food or pets are not allowed. This talk will not be broadcast live but will be recorded and uploaded to our YouTube channel at a later date.

UC WMRC Lecture Series: High-elevation white pines of the Eastern Sierra: a tale of forest health, fire, and snow
2026-04-30 18:00 - 19:30 | Private: Owens Valley Station, 3000 E Line St., Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
Michèle Slaton, USFS Inyo National Forest, will be discussing noteworthy high-elevation white pine forest trends, agents of change, and opportunities for management aimed at conservation. This talk is based on the recent WMRC Symposium paper that she coauthored, titled “High-elevation white pines of the Eastern Sierra: a tale of forest health, fire, and snow.”
PLEASE SEE THE INFORMATION BELOW FOR THE LOCATION. This event is free and open to the public. Outside food or pets are not allowed. This talk will not be broadcast live but will be recorded and uploaded to our YouTube channel at a later date.

CNPS Bristlecone Chapter Native Plant Sale
2026-08-15 09:00 - 11:00 | Private: Owens Valley Station, 3000 E Line St., Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
The Fall plant sale is held the third week in August at the White Mountain Research Center, 3000 E. Line St., Bishop. Current members get to shop an hour early, starting at 8 am. The sale is open to the general public at 9. The sale ends at 11.
An availability list of plants can be viewed HERE.
Prices:

Seed Packets
$3.00

Tree Pots
$6.00

Cactus Pot
$6.00

Gallons
$9.00

Tall Tree Pots
$11.00

5-Gallon Pots
$26.00

10-Gallon Pots
$36.00

Barcroft Station Open Gate Day
2026-09-13 06:30 - 19:30 | Private: Barcroft Station, CA, 93514, United States
The gate will open at approximately 6:30 AM and close at about 7:30 PM. Hikers will be allowed to park at the Barcroft Station and hike from there to the summit of White Mountain Peak. Parking is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Vehicles, dirt bikes, and OHVs will not be allowed past Barcroft Station, no exceptions; mountain bikes are permitted.
Portable toilets will be available outside the station for public use. The Barcroft Station will NOT be opened to the public. We would like to ask that you do not enter any closed buildings at the station, and please follow any parking restrictions. This is a popular event, and wait times for access past the gate may be long. Access will vary depending on open parking spaces at the station. Staff and volunteers will be working the gate and parking areas.
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
**ALTITUDE SICKNESS WARNING ‐ Barcroft Station is located at 12,470 feet in elevation. Discomfort and altitude sickness
can happen to anyone regardless of age or physical condition. The best way to alleviate AMS is to descend in altitude. If you question your reaction to high‐altitude environments,
please consult your physician before attempting to drive to the Barcroft Station to climb White Mountain Peak. The total hike distance round trip is 10 miles.
**VEHICLES- we strongly recommend AWD or 4×4 vehicles with all-terrain tires. Rocks on the road are known to pop tires; we are not responsible for assisting with vehicle repairs or wear/damage sustained to your vehicle.
**WEATHER can change at any time without warning, bringing in dangerous thunderstorms, wind, and snow accumulation. Please be observant of this for your own safety. Be sure to bring plenty of water and snacks with you, and be prepared with proper clothing attire.

Paint Mono County with Mono Arts Council
2026-09-22 14:00 - 2026-09-23 16:00
Join Mono Arts Council (MAC) for their Second Annual Plein Air Painting Competition & Arts Program, September 30th to October 4th, right here in the breathtaking Eastern Sierra.
Artists from across the country will paint on location for three inspiring days, capturing fall colors, mountain vistas, charming towns, and cafés.
Highlights include:
A juried Art Exhibit & Reception: September 25th, 6:30–9 PM at the MAC Gallery & Community Arts Center
Registration deadline: inquire at MAC
Scholarships available for Mono County artists
Explore the White Mountain Research Center’s changing shadow and light and experience ‘once in a lifetime’ access to a pristine alpine location. Join award-winning local Artist Randall Smith to learn essential tips on designing plein air compositions using soft pastels. The workshop is Tuesday, September 22nd, through Wednesday, September 23rd. For more information and to register, visit: https://monoarts.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/monoarts/event.jsp?event=4543&
You don’t need to be registered for Paint Mono County to participate in the workshops! If you don’t have time to participate in the competition, don’t feel ready to compete but want to learn more about plein-air painting, or want to spend a night at the White Mountain Research Center with a group of like-minded people, these workshops are for you.
