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WPEF Monthly Newsletter December 2022 |
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As we reflect on this year, we are encouraged by the generosity of our many members and donors who sustain our work. With your support, we expanded our mission to include all the high-elevation, five-needle white pines in western North America and made significant progress developing restoration tools and resources for whitebark pine. Stay posted this winter because we are expecting to hear news soon on the conservation status of whitebark pine in the U.S. If you are able, please consider WPEF in your year-end giving plans. All memberships and donations are tax deductible. Warmest wishes this winter holiday season! —Julee Shamhart, WPEF Operations Manager |
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Holiday Gift Guide |
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2022 Holiday Gift Guide | Our 2022 Holiday Gift Guide features a collection of talented artists, creatives and businesses who have supported whitebark pine conservation over the last year. Check out this eclectic list of artisanal creations, outdoor gear, holiday spirits, field guides and more! You can also support WPEF with your winter holiday shopping this year. Shop using Amazon Smile or consider gifting a membership to that special conservationist in your life. |
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Field Notes |
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Image credit: Jen Hooke (modified with permission) |
The Clark’s Nutcracker Suite | There’s nothing more festive during the winter holidays than the Clark's nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana). This showy bird has taken center stage in conversations on the decline of whitebark pine trees and how it can help the tree's recovery. As the primary seed disperser for whitebark pine, Clark's nutcracker is key to restoration efforts, but the bird’s own adaptability when faced with losing its prized food source is also in question. Check out a suite of multimedia projects and other resources on our website to learn more about this important bird. It features information from The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, entertaining birding podcasts and how to get involved in bird counts. |
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Student Research Grants |
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Image credit: 2018 WPEF Student Research Grant Recipient Michael Howe |
2023 Whitebark Pine Student Research Grants | We are accepting proposals for two student research grants. The WPEF research grant provides $1,000 in funding to an undergraduate or graduate student conducting research on whitebark pine. The second research grant, which is funded by philanthropist John Van Gundy, awards $1,000 for research focused on whitebark pine dynamics under climate change. Proposals are due Feb. 1. |
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Webinar Series |
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Laurel Sindewald (aka The Lorax) goes the distance for five-needle pine conservation. In addition to serving on the webinar series team and as the next webinar speaker, she is raising funds for WPEF with a charity bib at the Bryce Canyon Ultras. |
Application of High-Resolution WorldView-3 Satellite Imagery to Distinguish Limber Pine from Major Treeline Vegetation Species in RMNP | Tuesday, Dec. 20 | 12–1 p.m. MST | Zoom Laurel Sindewald will present the next webinar on her research to develop remote-sensing applications to classify treeline vegetation species in Rocky Mountain National Park, which has implications for the conservation and management of limber pine and related species. She is a Ph.D. candidate in Diana Tomback’s Forest Ecology Lab at CU Denver and one of the organizers for this year’s webinar series. In Laurel’s spare time, she enjoys trail running for science and fun. She recently signed up for the Bryce Canyon 50-Mile Ultramarathon with a charity bib to raise money for the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation. You can support her run with a donation. |
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Extraordinary High-Five Pines |
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WPEF Board Member Michael Kauffmann shares this wintery scene from snowshoeing along the Pacific Crest Trail in Sequoia National Park, which offers glimpses of one of North America's rarest five-needle pines, the foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana). Michael also is planning a new initiative, in collaboration with the Pacific Crest Trail Association and California Native Plant Society, to map and inventory the magnificent five-needle white pines along the Pacific Crest Trail. Stay tuned for updates on how you can get involved with this community-science project set to launch in spring. |
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Newsletter Submission Guidelines | We’d be happy to feature your latest research article, upcoming event, job listing or high-five pines photo in a future newsletter. Please email the communications team (media@whitebarkfound.org) with sufficient details, including relevant links, descriptions, and images with credits and captions. |
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About the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation | WPEF is a science-based, non-profit organization promoting the conservation and restoration of whitebark pine and other high-elevation, five-needle white pines in western North America through outreach, research and collaboration. We rely on support from conservation-minded folks like you to continue our mission-critical work. Consider joining as a member or making a donation. |
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