In this 4:30 min. video, Evie Walsh and Nia Marin tour Animal Place, an animal sanctuary in Grass Valley, Calif. They are accompanied by Sonya Sistito, Development Associate of Animal Place, as they walk along the property and learn more about animal cruelty and farming.
Careless Campers
“Every season we see the same issues: fire and trash,” said a campground host, shown below by the Intake 2 Campground sign in Bishop, California. Continue Reading
The Effort Behind the Blue
“Lake Tahoe’s beauty really hides its fragility and the threats that it faces,” said Chris Joseph, a communication director at Keep Tahoe Blue.
Beneath The Surface on the Yuba
Nevada County is known for being beautiful with its peaceful scenery, free-range wildlife, and friendly community. It also has almost 20 rivers flowing through it, including the Yuba River, which is a popular site for locals and tourists alike. However, enjoying the river comes with risks and visitors should do so safely. In a phone interview with Nevada County Sheriff Shannon Moon on March 27, she said, “If we’re not patrolling it, there’s tragedy.”
No Quick Fix for Sierra’s Parking Problems
When a new semester of college begins students everywhere deal with a familiar problem: a lack of parking. When the Fall 2023 semester began at Sierra College’s Rocklin campus, students were faced with the same problem, but this time with a twist. Large swaths of student parking were off-limits due to construction.
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Enjoying and Caring for Local Waters
For many Sacramento area residents, the ideal summer includes visiting local water spots, lying along the American River, soaking up the sun with a good book, or cooking on a BBQ at Folsom Lake. While these are fun go-tos every summer in the heat, beach goers don’t always clean up as much as they should. If it weren’t for the staff at our parks and volunteers helping to pick up garbage each season, the shores would be littered, and wildlife would suffer. Continue Reading
Environmental Justice meets Racial Equity
When you think of rivers, lakes and streams, you picture a euphoric sight. The sun shining, birds chirping and crisp, clean; clear water. The scenery draws you into a magical getaway of peace and solitude. But the harsh reality is that this is not always the case near some of Sacramento’s most prominent bodies of water.
Community and Care: Diving the American River
Born and raised in Sacramento, Steven Bruegeman grew up with National Geographic on all the coffee tables and the kitchen counter. Almost everything in his life has been tied back to California ecology. After going back to school in retirement and getting a degree in Environmental Conservation, Bruegeman found Dolphin Scuba- the Sacramento scuba diving hub. Now a pro, Bruegeman takes on river clean-up dives and teaches kids scuba and Ecology Awareness. I interviewed him on May 11th at Dolphin Scuba. Continue Reading
Water Wisdom with Katelyn Vengersammy
There are many ways to learn more about the earth, as well as how to save it. One way is through community events. In this 5-minute podcast, journalist fellows Katelyn Vengersammy and Aviana Loveall visited the Sierra College, Rocklin campus as they hosted an Earth Day event on April 28, 2022. This event lasted from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with vendors, student clubs, small businesses, nonprofits, and others that are local to the Sacramento area. Events ranged from nature walks, a rock-climbing wall, craft-making, and giveaways. Continue Reading
Bends and Banks: Communities, Water, and the American River
Bends and Banks: Communities, Water, and the American River, is a set of five stories produced by a team of journalist fellows in Spring, 2022. The team includes four student journalists: Madalyn Wright, Vontress Ortega, Katelyn Vengersammy, and Aviana Loveall. They were all awarded through the California Humanities “Emerging Journalist” Fellowship with the Journalism program at Sierra College.
Adrenaline Addiction
Rock climbing, snow sports, and anything semi-dangerous was what fueled my childhood. Living in Sacramento allowed my family and I to be just an hour and a half away from some of the coolest places, such as Lake Tahoe and John Muir Woods. Choosing to study at Sierra College allowed me to stay close to amazing places like these, with the opportunity to take classes even closer to the mountains at the Nevada County Campus.
The Environmentally Concerned Organization of Students (ECOS) is a club at Sierra College that I was lucky to join. It helps educate students on the importance of sustainability and the principles of Leave No Trace. Thanks to ECOS, I was able to participate in outdoor activities and meet people who feel just as passionately about the earth as I do.

Written by Alexis Young
Local Bear River Endangered by Centennial Dam
The above 10-minute video describes how Centennial Dam is endangering the Bear River in Colfax, California. Click above to learn more.
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