Nevada Conservation Corps Receives a Visit
The Great Basin Institute’s (GBI) Nevada Conservation Corps (NCC) recently had the privilege of hosting Mark Lloyd, Chief of Staff for AmeriCorps, and Alicia Blood from Nevada Volunteers. NCC engages participants in hands-on conservation work that addresses critical environmental challenges while building leadership and workforce skills, with AmeriCorps support playing a significant role in these […]
Vehicular Safety Training, Lessons from a Proverbial Pencil Pusher
By Marc Oxoby I didn’t crash and I didn’t wreck anything. In truth, there was little chance of either of these things happening under the watchful eye of GBI’s fleet management specialist, Nathan Brown-Silveira, who recently invited GBI staff to participate in a hands-on off-road driver’s training. This event, which started at the Rosewood Nature […]
Unmapped Sagebrush: A Six-Acre Discovery
In Lava Beds National Monument, GBI has been supporting a post-fire restoration effort in the wake of two wildfires that burned 97% of the monument, reducing native plant species and creating an opening for highly flammable invasive plants to prosper. The exciting discovery of a previously unmapped sagebrush refuge by GBI’s Ash Terry and Amber […]
Tortoise Trailblazing: Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Here at GBI, we manage one of the most expansive and prominent Desert Tortoise Monitoring and Habitat Research programs across the Mojave Desert. In partnership with agencies like the Bureau Land Management (BLM), U.S Fish and Wildlife Services (USFWS), and Clark County, GBI fields Americorps Technicians, Wildlife Technicians, and Desert Tortoise Field Supervisors to conduct […]
Harnessing Data for a Healthier Forest Future
Across the Eldorado National Forest (ENF), GBI`s Forestry Stewardship Contracting team is partnering with the Healthy Eldorado Landscape Partnership (HELP), Calfire, and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy to quietly transform how forest restoration and management take shape. The ENF, and the larger Sierra Nevada landscape, faces pressing threats including rising risk of severe wildfire, drought stress, […]
Yosemite Conservancy Cultural Demonstrator
Carter Bailon has been filling an important role as a cultural demonstrator at Yosemite National Park, and by his count, the museum has had some 35,852 visitors while he has been stationed there. “Of those,” he tells us, “about 11,965 were contacts who either asked questions, watched my demonstration or I’ve spoken to. I’ve had […]
Bighorn Sheep and Water Development Management in Desert National Wildlife Refuge
What is a “guzzler?” The answer to that question depends on context, of course, but if you’re working on big horn sheep management in Desert National Wildlife Refuge (DNWR) the word refers to modified springs and natural catchment areas or rainwater catchment systems intended to restore water access in landscape Working alongside the U.S. Fish […]
Surveying Death Valley’s Hidden History
Fieldwork in remote desert environments requires more than endurance. It depends on coordination, technical expertise, and a clear purpose. Through partnerships with the National Park Service and GBI support cultural resource work in places like Death Valley National Park, where crews help document and protect historic and precontact sites spread across vast and often inaccessible […]
Remembering James
We are deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of James Arriola. James was a valued member of the GBI community whose kindness, dedication and unwavering belief in others left a lasting impact on the CRS program where he worked, and on everyone fortunate enough to work with him. As shared by Karen […]
Rebuilding Desert Landscapes: Joshua Tree National Park
From October 2024 through September 2025, Joshua Tree National Park advanced comprehensive burned area rehabilitation restoration and proactive plant material production efforts. This effort was to focus on strengthening the park’s resilience after wildfire, particularly, the Elk Trail (2022) and Geology Tour (2023) fires, and to grow plant materials to be on hand to respond […]