P.O.

Box 2008, Wawona, CA 95389 December, 2021

Wawona Ranger Update

Chad Andrews ~ Wawona District Ranger

It is hard to believe, but we will soon pass the one-year mark since the Mono Wind storm. For some it
is still fresh in our minds, but as clean up and repairs are completed or continue, we are seeing our
community become whole again. I want to again extend my thanks and appreciation to everyone, in-
cluding the tireless hours worked by NPS Roads, Utilities, Fire, and Law Enforcement staff. As you
may know, we hope to see the last chapter in this event come to fruition this coming summer as crews
clean up remaining trees and debris in the community, thanks to a fuels reduction grant secured by the
Mariposa County Resource Conservation District (see November Wawona News thread for further in-
formation).
With the continued warm weather, yard clean up may be on your mind. If you intend to burn debris this
winter, you are not required to obtain a burn permit (until roughly May 2022), but it must be a county
permissible burn day. Call 209-966-1200 to find out if it is a burn day. In addition, you must also no-
tify Park Dispatch that you will be burning (call 209-379-1992). Please make sure you burn safely and
responsibly. Residents may also continue to take debris to the woodlot burn pile. On a related note,
many landowners have been asking about fuels reduction on NPS land adjacent to their own in order to
maintain their 100' defensible space. An updated process for private landowners within the park is be-
ing finalized and will be published soon. Please do not do any work on NPS lands until this document
is published and you are able to obtain the authorization.
There is good news for this Winter. Badger Pass Ski Area will operate as normal for the '21/'22 season!
COVID protection measures will be implemented, but full operation is expected. The snow play area
created last year around the sled hill to the east of the Nordic Center will be discontinued. Now, we just
need everyone to do their snow dances so we can ski!
Finally, a winter safety reminder. Please slow down! In both sunny and snowy weather, speeding can
result in accidents and injuries. We don't want to see any of our residents end up having a bad day. And
sadly, over 20 bears were hit by speeding vehicles in the park this year, several of them in our district.
Remember, even though the weather is still warm, it will eventually snow, creating more hazardous
driving conditions. Now is the time to make sure your vehicle is supplied with winter essentials, in-
cluding tire chains. TIP: Practicing installing your tire chains in dry weather will give you more confi-
dence and save you time when you have to install them during a storm. And you want to know ahead
of time that the chains you have do in fact fit your tires. If you would like a tutorial or tips on how to
install your chains, feel free to come by the Ranger Office and ask a ranger.
Please call the Wawona Ranger Office at 209-375-9520 if you have questions or have anything to re-
port.
 Yosemite Field Station
Dr. Breezy Jackson ~ Director

At Yosemite Field Station, we are grateful for research, education, and public service that enhances our
understanding and wise stewardship of the Earth. This autumn, we welcomed Dr. Keith Jinsub Kim, a
Fullbright Fellow from South Korea. Dr. Kim is working on a photography project documenting human
impacts to nature within National Parks in the United States including Yosemite. You can see Dr. Kim's
work at https://jinsubkim.com/leave-no-trace/. In addition, four artists traveled to the field station to
collaborate on a project to explore forests in Oregon and California that burned in the wildfires of 2020,
connect with scientists regarding climate change and the causes of the fires, and create artworks in re-
sponse to the conflagrations. The participating artists are Susan Lowdermilk, a Eugene, Oregon-based
book artist, printmaker and educator; Andie Thrams, a Sierra Nevada-based book artist and painter; and
Peter and Donna Thomas, book artists and hand papermakers from Santa Cruz, California. Both indi-
vidual and collaborative works will result in a series of art exhibitions and public lectures in Oregon and
California and a conference presentation at the Codex International Book Fair Symposium in Berkeley,
California. We also welcomed back the first class from University of California, Merced since the be-
ginning of the pandemic. Students from the Environmental Writing course led by Dr. Thomas Hothem
spent a weekend honing their observation and nature writing skills in Wawona and Yosemite Valley.
Quoting fire historian Stephen Pyne, "science can inform, but not decide". Therefore, practitioners of
the arts and humanities are important translators of science within our cultural values.

National Park Service and US Geologic Survey staff displaced by the Castle Complex fires in Sequoia
National Park were housed at Yosemite Field Station this fall and they worked together with Yosemite
National Park staff to conduct a complete census of all giant sequoia trees in the Mariposa Grove. The
Marmot Society also returned to retrieve water samples from giant sequoia trees which they will use to
determine why trees located in dryer sites seems to be faring better during the drought than trees in wet-
ter sites, and Nate Foote from Colorado State University is continuing his work to describe the life his-
tory traits of giant sequoia bark beetles.

Yosemite Field Station helped host two workshops this fall. Our California Naturalist workshop held in
October boasted some of the best guest speakers we've ever had including Yosemite National Park sci-
entists, bat researchers from Humboldt State University, ranchers from Soquel Meadow, representatives
from the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California, and more. The UC California Naturalist
Program is designed to introduce Californians to the wonders of our unique ecology, engage the public
in study and stewardship of California’s natural communities, and increase community and ecosystem
resilience. Contact the field station director at bjackson10@ucmerced.edu if you would like to receive
information about future California Naturalist events. We also hosted a Parks In Focus Train the Trainer
workshop for NPS, Nature Bridge, UC Merced, and Yosemite Conservancy educators to be able to fa-
cilitate Parks In Focus programs. The Stewart L. Udall Parks in Focus® program connects middle
school youth to nature through photography, environmental education, outdoor recreation, and creative
expression. You can learn more at https://yosemite.org/projects/parks-in-focus-2021/.

Finally, this fall we launched the Swarth-Fogel Undergraduate Research Scholarship which provides
funding for UC Merced students to conduct research at any of the UC Merced Natural Reserve Sites
including Yosemite Field Station. This award was made possible by a generous endowment made by
retired UC Merced scientists Dr. Chris Swarth and Dr. Marilyn Fogel. To find out more about support-
ing Yosemite Field Station and UC Merced Natural Reserve System visit this website: https://
nrs.ucmerced.edu/support

We hope you have a magical winter. Let it snow!

 WAPPOA Happenings: Fall 2021

We have had a very busy Fall. We had to cancel our in-person General Meeting on October 9, due to COVID re-
strictions, but we had a very successful zoom meeting with over 50 participants. Highlights from that meeting are:

Cicely Muldoon, Park Superintendent, talked about lifting the Park entry reservation system beginning October
1, 2021. She also talked about the golf course repairs and renovation now that the wastewater treatment plant up-
grade is almost finished. She said the course will be playable by next Spring. Badger Pass will open this winter
(COVID restrictions permitting), and after it closes, the Glacier Point Road will completely shut down for major
repairs and reconstruction. That will go on until early 2023. The Yosemite Conservancy is doing the repairs on the
boardwalks and restrooms in the Grove that were damaged in the Mono wind storm in January. The Grove will be
open next Spring and will have shuttle Service (again, COVID permitting).

Chad Andrews is our new Wawona District Ranger, replacing Eric Scott, who retired in August.

Kelly Singer, Deputy Fire Management Officer said the burn piles will be open this Fall and they are planning
on prescribed burns in the Valley, Crane Flat and the Studhorse unit.

Melinda Barrett, from the Mariposa Resource Conservation District worked with WAPPOA’s support on a grant
to reduce biofuel in the Wawona area. The work will begin next summer, removing dead logs and debris from
homeowner’s lots. They will also do the NPS lots. Arborists will be coming to Wawona this Fall and Winter to
assess each property and what needs to be done there. Homeowners must fill out a “Right of Entry” form and re-
turn it to her, before the arborists can come onto their lot. Trish Peterson has a copy of the form, so you can email
her for it (WAPPOAT1@gmail.com). It can be emailed or sent by mail to Melinda Barrett’s office (the email and
address are on the form). These forms will also be available in the Wawona Bassett Memorial Library.

Adam Ramsey, our history and interpretation Ranger, couldn’t be at the meeting, but Cheryl Kanaan
(WAPPOA President) talked about the official opening of the Chinese Laundry on October 1 st. Also, the Pioneer
History Center will be renamed next Spring to the Yosemite History Center.

Board Member Change Our longtime Board member and treasurer, Roger Soulanille, has retired. Beki Simon
will be taking his place. Beki was on the Board several years ago, and we’re happy to have her back!

Wawona School: Since the meeting, WAPPOA Board members have been working closely with the school, help-
ing with fundraising . The school needs a new fire alarm system and a new roof. They did an auction and items for
sale the weekend of the WAPPOA meeting, and another one over Thanksgiving weekend. They also have a Go
Fund Me page at https://gofund.me/9348340e. They hope to have another auction/fundraiser on the weekend of
the next WAPPOA General meeting (April 9, 2022)

One of our Board members walked the golf course with Garrett Chun, one of the NPS officials associated
with the wastewater treatment plant update. They talked about the effects of the construction of the effluent field
from the treatment plant on the 7th fairway, and the irrigation and construction disturbances on other fairways and
greens. They hope to have some more input on the plan to make to course playable again.

Marty Cerles (WAPPOA Vice President) and a Board committee are working on getting a website for WAP-
POA. We eventually would like to have all member information, mailings, email blasts, billing of dues, and ar-
chived meeting minutes, community newsletters and historical materials, as well as photos on this site.

Hope to see you all on April 9, 2022!!

 The Redwoods in Yosemite
Peggy Hutchinson ~ Senior Accountant

Have you heard about the Exposing Muybridge documentary? We highly recommend this story
as the movie is a named finalist for the The Library of Congress Lavine/ Ken Burns Prize for
Film. At The Redwoods we are also very excited to be a supporter of the documentary. Ead-
weard Muybridge is best known for his photographic motion studies, which eventually led to the
development of cinema technology. Between 1867 and 1878, Muybridge also earned a sterling
reputation as a talented and fearless landscape photographer, his work spanning a vast geo-
graphic area stretching from Alaska to Central America, Utah to Yosemite, San Francisco and
parts in between. To see this amazing story and learn about the connection to Yosemite National
Park, we invite you to view the movie as a part of America's Largest Documentary Festival in
NYC happening now through November 28 online. Special thanks to Director of Photography
Marc Schaffer for sharing his talent and inviting us to join this historic journey. Here you can
find the streaming link and please feel free to message us for a discount code (limited number of
discounts, so please hurry if interested): https://www.docnyc.net/film/ exposing-muybridge/

Yosemite History Center Updates

Wawona Interpretation Supervisor: Adam Ramsey

Chinese Laundry: The Yosemite History Center (YHC) in Wawona is proud to reopen the Chinese Laundry
building in Spring, 2022. In late April, the recently restored building will reopen to the public for the summer
season. Inside the building are exhibits highlighting the important contributions of Chinese immigrants in the de-
velopment of Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada.

Army Exhibit: Recently completed exhibits in the YHC's Acting Superintendent's Office will also reopen in late
April. This historic building features exhibits detailing the contributions of the US Army when they administered
Yosemite National Park in our early years. The exhibits explain the roles of soldiers, including African American
Buffalo Soldiers, and the importance of Wawona's Camp AE Wood as Yosemite's Army headquarters.

New Signs: Further exhibit work will be carried out in the Chinese Laundry and elsewhere in the YHC. New
outdoor interpretive signs will be installed throughout the YHC. We're replacing old signs and installing new ones
in places they're currently lacking. The historical focus will be on the people who made Yosemite what it is today.
Orientation signs will also be installed throughout the YHC and Wawona Store area to help visitors find their way
around Wawona and the park.

Summer 2022 Programs: Wawona Interpretation is preparing for next summer. Hopefully by then, the pandemic
will be at the point where we can once again host summer barn dances, our blacksmith demonstrations, our stage-
coach rides, ranger walks in the Mariposa Grove, and our Old Fashioned Independence Day festivities. I hope to
see you all around Wawona and the Mariposa Grove in 2022!

Important Web Site:

Check out local events and news on the
Wawona News website: www.wawonanews.com
 YWECS has been busy this Fall!
Stacy Boydstun ~ Teacher

Thanks to the Wawona Community for the great

support for our Thanksgiving Bazaar! We raised
around $8,000.00 and checks are still coming in
everyday. We have a few more irons in the fire for
Winter, Spring, and early Summer events to keep
up the momentum on the Raise the Roof effort for
our school. We are really putting the pedal to the
medal to have a new roof over the kids’ heads
before Winter 2022! If we have enough funds in
the Roof Account by June, we believe we can
move forward with the project in Summer 2022.

Yosemite Wawona Elementary Charter School students made the decorations and on December 1, traveled to
Oakhurst to decorate the Wawona tree in the line of mountain school trees on the corner of Hwy. 41 and Road
426.
 Winter Operations
in the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias

While the Mariposa Grove parking lot will be open all winter, weather providing, there might
be days during or after storms that it’s closed until the plows can catch up. The ADA road up
to the Lower Grove Plaza will not be open to public vehicles. All trails in the grove remain
open in the winter for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. When closed to cars during win-
ter, the Mariposa Grove Road is open to hikers, snowshoers, and skiers.
All roads within the park are subject to chain control or temporary closures due to hazardous
driving conditions. All motorists should carry tire chains, even if their car is equipped with four
-wheel drive. Tire chains may be required at any time based on conditions.

For updated 24-hour road and weather conditions for Yosemite National Park, please call 209-
372-0200 (press 1,1).

TRAFFIC ALERT – WINTER CONDITIONS

Chain Requirements
Winter conditions now exist in Yosemite National Park. Drivers must be able to install
their own chains on the proper wheel axle. Chain installation charts can be obtained at
the following website: http://www.dot.ca.gov/cttravel/winter.html
Chain Requirements:
Autos & Pickups with Snow Tires OK (R1): Chains or tractions devices are required
on the drive axle of all vehicles without snow tires (M/S, M+S, MS, or Mud and
Snow stamp on sidewall AND a minimum of 6/32” tread depth). Additionally,
all vehicles over 6000 pounds unladen weight must install chains. If a 4WD ve-
hicle is between 6000 and 6500 pounds unladen weight, it does not need to in-
stall chains but it does need to activate 4WD.
4WD with Snow Tires OK (R2): Chains or traction devices are required on all vehi-
cles except 4WD/AWD vehicles under 6500 pounds unladen weight with snow
tires.

Glacier Point Road

The Glacier Point Road will be closed to all traffic in 2022 to rehabilitate and improve the road. The
only access to the Glacier Point Road will be via the Four Mile, Panorama, and Pohono Trails, all of
which are strenuous hikes.

Seasonal Snow Plow Operator for Wawona: Job Opening

 Maintenance Worker I/II-Roads, Extra Help Only (EHO),

 Mariposa, CA Public Works Department: Maintenance/Driver

 Extra-Help (Part-time) Seasonal - $18.99 - $20.78 Hourly

 Friends of the Bassett Memorial Library in Wawona

NEWSLETTER
PO Box 2008, Wawona, CA 95389 December, 2021

To request items at the

Wawona Bassett Memorial Library,
visit https://sjvls.ent.sirsi.net/client/en_US/mzhq/? (The San Joaquin Val-
ley Library System: Valley Cat) and log in using your library card num-
ber and pin number. Don't know your pin? It may be the last four digits of
your phone number. Call the library (209-375-6510) to get it. You can then
search for items and request them by clicking ‘place hold’. Once your
items have been delivered to the library you will be notified by either
phone or email. To make an appointment to pick your items up, the librar-
ian will call you when your items are available for curbside pickup. Call
the library during open hours if you have any questions. 209-375-6510

Friends of the August ~ November

Library Board of Directors 2021
Memorial Donations
Members include Kathie Heringer, Pierce
Loberg, Colleen Murray, Kathy Sanders,
Pat Sischo, Carol Saulsbury, Michelle
Stauffer, and Jennifer Wuchner. We are
always looking for new board members
who are available to help with our Friends
projects. Just check the space on the
membership form if you are interested in
participating on the Wawona Friends of
the Library board.
Donald R. Shewfelt
Marian Woessner

Wawona Friends of the Library Membership Year

April 1 ~ March 31
 Wawona Community Newsletter
P.O. Box 2008
Wawona, CA 95389

2021MEMBERSHIP: WAWONA FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

Please print information for mailing list: April 1 ~ March 31

Name_____________________________________________________ Phone___________________

Address_________________________________________ City_____________________Zip________
Membership Categories: Email Address_______________________
___Individual $ 5.00 ___Gold Friend $15.00
___Family $ 10.00 ___Gold Panner $25.00
___Business $ 50.00 ___Gold Miner $50.00
___Life $ 100.00 ___Gold Strike $75.00
___Golden Patron $ 500.00 ___Wawona Fund Booster Unlimited
Additional Contributions: (Include address for acknowledgement)

$_____Memorial for (Name)_________________________________________________________________________

$_____Gift in honor of (Name)________________________________________________________________________

$_____Extra Hours Donation_________________________________________________________________________

I am interested in assisting with the following:

___Membership ___Telephoning ___Volunteering in library
___Serving on the Board of Directors ___Fundraising ___Book Sale
___Help at Special Events ___Newsletter ___Other

Make checks payable to:

WAWONA FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY ALL DUES AND DONATIONS ARE

P.O. Box 2008 TAX DEDUCTIBLE.
WAWONA, CA 95389