Yosemite Ranger Notes

RSS

About This Blog

Ranger-naturalists have been interpreting the natural and cultural resources of Yosemite for park visitors for nearly a century. In this blog, some of Yosemite's park rangers share recent observations from around Yosemite.

All posts are shown below, or you can view posts by topic.

Summer Vacation for the Sierra Tree Frog

August 16, 2014 Posted by: PU - Park Ranger (Hodgdon Meadow)

How does a Sierra tree frog (Pseudacris sierra) keep from drying out at mid-summer Hetch Hetchy when temperatures can reach the triple digits and humidity can dip below 20%? Go deep.

Nature Scene, Hetch Hetchy

 

Remember Hetch Hetchy: The Raker Act and the Evolution of the National Park Idea

December 20, 2013 Posted by: BW - Park Ranger

Yesterday, December 19, was the centennial of the Raker Act, the bill that allowed the building of a dam in the Hetch Hetchy Valley. The Raker Act was highly controversial and the points of view that were argued on both sides of the controversy are valuable perspectives that are still relevant today.

Hetch Hetchy, Raker Act, John Muir, Yosemite's Legacy, BW, National Park Idea

 

Hetch Hetchy Wildflowers: Species List

June 07, 2013 Posted by: BW & AH - Park Rangers (White Wolf)

Hetch Hetchy is a wonderful place to experience wildflowers early in Yosemite’s summer season. At about 3,800 feet, it is lower in elevation than many other parts of the park–so it’s also one of the first places that flowers bloom in Yosemite. Here is a small sampling of flowers recently seen blooming along the 2.5-mile trail to Wapama Falls.

Nature Scene, Wildflowers, Hetch Hetchy, BW, AH