Forestry Challenge Championship
2026-04-24 | Pinecrest, Pinecrest, CA, United States
The Forestry Challenge is an annual series of academic competitions in technical forestry, and this April, the top scoring teams will be coming to Pinecrest for the Championship Event! The Forestry Challenge is in need of local community members to join the judges panels, working alongside our experienced judges to assess student presentations that could affect your neighborhood! Presentations start on Friday morning, April 24th, with judge’s orientation beginning at 8:15, breakfast and coffee provided. No prior knowledge needed! Fill out the volunteer application here: https://forestrychallenge.org/championship-volunteer-registration/

We are also looking for experienced foresters and industry professionals for our Ask a Forester session on the evening of Wednesday the 22nd. Students have questions and want YOUR opinions and advice, come share your knowledge with the next generation of highly motivated natural resource professionals. Please fill out the volunteer application here: https://forestrychallenge.org/championship-volunteer-registration/

Volunteer Invasive Iris Clean-Up Day
2026-04-24 15:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Woods Creek Rotary Park, 87 N Forest Rd, Sonora, CA, 95370, United States
We are excited to invite you to one of the most important parts of the Honoring Mother Earth Celebration, a community event hosted by the Chicken Ranch Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians and the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians: the volunteer day! This is where we can express our gratitude for the natural world by getting to work to remove invasive yellow iris in Woods Creek Rotary Park for the fourth year in a row.
The volunteer clean-up day will be Friday April 24 from 3-6pm at Woods Creek Rotary Park (87 N Forest Rd, Sonora, California). In collaboration with the Yosemite Rivers Alliance and Love Tuolumne we will provide volunteers with gloves, tools, and a free meal catered by Black Bomb Entertainment, a local cafe in Sonora. Please fill out liability forms ahead of time here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd0pPVUI5tsid1TnKFArg_H2GvPHojfv2tnt0Qzxi9PFC1REQ/viewform
We highly recommend you wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, long sleeve shirts and pants, closed toe shoes, a hat, and sunglasses. Also make sure to bring a reusable water bottle, sunscreen, and any medications, especially epi-pens, you may need in case of emergency. We will have water for you to fill up your bottles, snacks, and a first aid kit on site.
Yellow Iris is known to cause skin irritation, a great reason to remove it from our local waterways! Removal will also make room for native plants to thrive again. Native plants keep waterways healthy by providing habitat that supports biodiversity by providing habitat, improving water quality, and stabilizing soils with deep roots among many other benefits.

Honoring Mother Earth Day
2026-04-25 11:00 - 16:00 | Motherlode Fairgrounds, 220 Southgate Dr, Sonora, CA, 95370, United States
First held in 2022, Honoring Mother Earth is now in its fourth year and continues to grow as a welcoming, family-friendly event that brings together community members, organizations, and partners to share knowledge, celebrate culture, and highlight environmental stewardship throughout Tuolumne County. Attendance is free and open to the public, helping ensure the event remains accessible to the entire community.

The main celebration will take place on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Manzanita Building at the Motherlode Fairgrounds. The day will include an opening ceremony, drumming, dancing, storytelling, and community booths focused on environmental education, cultural knowledge, and local resources.

Farm Tour 2026
2026-05-02 10:00 - 16:00 | CA
Join Farms of Tuolumne County for their Farm Tour 2026.
Five hosts will welcome you to their site and answer your questions. You will be able interact with livestock including chickens, ducks, geese, goats, llamas and miniature horses. There will be demonstrations of goat milking, bonsai techniques, and landscape tips. You can chose to visit the sites in any order. Visit the website listed below for ticket and site information.

International Compost Awareness Week
2026-05-03 - 2026-05-09 | CA
International Compost Awareness Week raises awareness about the benefits of composting and how it supports healthy soils, communities, and climate solutions.

Community Chipping Event
2026-05-03 | Bishop City Park, 688 N Main St, Bishop, 93514, United States
FREE community chipping event — bring your home green waste! This event is open to all Eastern Sierra communities and will be held May 3rd at the Bishop City Park.
Acceptable Materials:

Tree limbs & branches (up to 8 inches in diameter)
Clean woody material
Leaves

Unacceptable Materials:

Russian thistle, pine needles, duff
Vines or vine type plants
Trash, treated wood, pallets

This is open for home green waste only, not commercial operations.

Farm to Table Market
2026-05-07 16:00 - 19:00, 2026-05-14 16:00 - 19:00, 2026-05-28 16:00 - 19:00 | United Methodist Church, 205 N Fowler St, Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
Join Eastern Sierra Farm Fresh for Farm to Table Markets, each Thursday from 4:00 – 7:00 pm at the United Methodist Church.
Each market features a thoughtful mix of local vendors, seasonal foods, handmade goods, live music, and hands-on workshops and demonstrations. Winter gatherings emphasize practical knowledge, from gardening and pruning to composting and food preservation, alongside opportunities to connect with local makers and educators. Visitors are invited to learn something useful, enjoy something delicious, and be part of preparing for the abundance ahead in the Eastern Sierra.

Trialing Forest Health Treatments Field Day
2026-05-09 09:00 - 15:00 | Jackson, Jackson, CA, 95642, United States
Join the AACT Working Lands Hub with a treatment site tour, forest health demonstration, and surrounding discussion. Free lunch will be provided!
For forestland owners and stewards:

Learn and observe forest health indicators, management strategies, and treatments
Learn about forest health technical assistance
Participate in knowledge sharing and community learning with fellow forestland stewards

Sierra Compost East Side Working Group
2026-05-13 10:00 - 11:30 | Blue Heron Farm, 475 Sierra Grande St., Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
Internal East Side working group meeting for Sierra Compost partners focused on regional priorities, shared updates, and coordination across initiatives. The session is expected to run 1.5–2 hours.

Sierra Compost West Side Working Group
2026-05-13 10:30 - 12:00, 2026-06-18 10:30 - 12:00 | Jamestown, 18141 Main St, Jamestown, CA, 95327, United States
Internal working group meeting for Sierra Compost partners focused on West Side coordination, planning, and program updates. These meetings support cross-regional alignment and ongoing collaboration. The session is expected to run 1.5–2 hours.

Community Chipping Event
2026-05-16 | Starlite, Starlite, Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
FREE community chipping event — bring your home green waste! This event is open to all Eastern Sierra communities and will be held in Starlite.
Acceptable Materials:

Tree limbs & branches (up to 8 inches in diameter)
Clean woody material
Leaves

Unacceptable Materials:

Russian thistle, pine needles, duff
Vines or vine type plants
Trash, treated wood, pallets

This is open for home green waste only, not commercial operations.

Q&A Webinar - CCG-5 Funding with No Cost Support from CACC
2026-05-18 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Join CACC for a Q&A Webinar regarding CCG-5 funding, application, and eligible projects.
Selected CCG-5 projects will receive no-cost support from CACC, including for:

Infrastructure, equipment, and tools
Site planning & regulatory compliance
Hands on training & certification opportunities
Ongoing mentorship & technical assistance
Financial sustainability and diversified funding strategies
Compost testing, site inspections, direct service provider contracts, product labeling, and more!

Food Waste Prevention, Recovery, and Redistribution Task Force
2026-05-20 09:00 - 10:00 | Virtual
Join the Eastern Sierra collaborative task force to advance local food recovery, review SB 1383 requirements, and more! Meetings are held every third Wednesday.
To join the task force, please contact Cassidy Moyer with Waste Connections at the email listed below.

Q&A Webinar – CCG-5 Funding with No Cost Support from CACC
2026-05-21 17:00 - 18:00 | Virtual

Practical Processes for Cultivating Beneficial Microbes Webinar
2026-05-27 11:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
Building truly healthy soils can unlock tremendous symbiotic benefits from the relationship between plants and microbes, including highly nutrient-dense produce, carbon sequestration, water retention, and resilience in the face of stress, extreme weather, and pest and disease pressure. The use of compost extracts, compost teas, and other low-cost amendments to inoculate soils with beneficial microbes is a growing soil health practice with incredible potential. Backed by fascinating emerging science and proven through remarkable in-field results, these practices can be done at any scale and in any context, from backyard gardens to large commercial pastures, orchards, and vineyards.
This webinar series will explore the science behind the workings of soil microbes, and why microbial inoculants are so effective in plant and soil health; describe and / or demonstrate practical, low-cost methods of creating quality composts and extracts; and share case studies and success stories of farmers using microbial inoculants on their farms.
Who will benefit from this series?
Any growers of plants, particularly in a commercial setting; emphasis will be placed on pastures, row crops, and vineyards, while offering tips to the backyard gardener or homesteader as well. Soil is soil, and the same principles apply across scales and crop types.

LEAF Partnership Workgroup Meeting
2026-05-28 10:00 - 12:00 | Virtual
Please join the first combined Agriculture and Natural & Working Lands Workgroup meeting under the new LEAF (Land, Energy, Agriculture, and Forestry) Partnership through Sierra Jobs First.
Key discussion topics will include:

The Central Sierra Regional Partnership Funding Coordination Framework
The LEAF Self-Identification & Regional Coordination Process
The LEAF Forum communication hub
Ecosystem mapping efforts and regional connectivity tools
The Bioeconomy Playbook and upcoming Forestry Entrepreneurship Toolkit

To join the LEAF working group contact list, please visit the website linked below.

Sonora Certified Farmers' Market
2026-05-30 07:30 - 11:30 | Sonora, Theall and Stewart Streets, Sonora, CA, 95370, United States
Locally roasted coffee, pastries, breakfast burritos, farm fresh and organic produce, florals, honey, olive oils, breads, fresh salmon and meats. Join us on Saturday mornings 7:30 – 11:30 am.

Compost Operator Training Course
2026-06-01 - 2026-06-05 | University of California, Merced, 5200 Lake Rd, Merced, CA, 95343, United States
Brought to you by the Compost Research & Education Foundation, this course is comprehensive instruction on the art and science of compost production, use, and marketing.
This week-long training gives you foundational knowledge of successful compost operations, and meets the training requirements for the Certified Compost Operations Manager and Certified Composting Professional programs.

Evening Garden Volunteer Opportunity
2026-06-02 17:00 - 19:00 | Elders’ Garden, 350 N Barlow Ln, Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
Stop by after work for a peaceful evening in the garden. Tend the garden together with the Bishop Paiute Tribe Food Sovereignty Program and share some snacks.

Local Producer and Vendor Meeting
2026-06-09 17:00 - 19:00 | Owens Valley Paiute-Shoshone Cultural Center, 2300 W Line St, Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
Join the Bishop Paiute Tribe Food Sovereignty Program for an informational meeting and community input session surrounding FSP’s seasonal market and other producer-focused projects.

Sierra Compost East Side Working Group
2026-06-10 10:00 - 11:30 | Bishop, 2300 West Line Street, Bishop, CA, 93514, United States

Food Waste Prevention, Recovery, and Redistribution Task Force
2026-06-17 09:00 - 10:00 | United Methodist Church, 205 N Fowler St, Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
Join the Food Waste Prevention, Recovery, and Redistribution Task Force for a tour of Psalm 8 Worm Farm in Bishop!
To join the task force, please contact Cassidy Moyer with Waste Connections at the email listed below.

Chicken Ranch Rancheria Creek Restoration
2026-06-19 15:00 - 18:00 | Suchumumu Cultural Center, 16915 CA-108, Jamestown, CA, 95327, United States
Chicken Ranch Rancheria Me-Wuk Indians of California’s Environmental & Sustainability Department is hosting a creek restoration event on June 19th, 2026, at the Suchumumu Cultural Center from 3-6pm (feel free to stop by at any point).
Join us to do some hands-on removal of invasive Blackberry and Yellow Iris and plant native trees propagated by our department! Dinner will be provided as well as tools and gloves, but you are encouraged to bring your own. We recommend bringing long sleeves/plants, waterproof boots, and a water bottle.
Please register through the link below.

Mammoth Wednesday Market
2026-06-24 16:00 - 19:00, 2026-07-01 16:00 - 19:00 | Outbound Mammoth, 164 Old Mammoth Rd, Mammoth Lakes, CA, 93546, United States
Set at Outbound Mammoth in the Sierra Bar parking lot, this open-air market brings together local farmers, ranchers, and makers from the Owens Valley and Mammoth Lakes. From just-picked produce and pasture-raised meats to baked goods, preserves, handcrafted wares, and more — everything you’ll find here is grown, raised, or made close to home.

Plant Walk & Talk
2026-06-28 11:00 - 12:00 | Bishop, 2300 West Line Street, Bishop, CA, 93514, United States
Field trip for the Native Community with the Bishop Paiute Tribe Food Sovereignty Program Cultural Botanist.

International Symposium on Animal Mortality Management
2026-06-29 - 2026-07-02 | Holiday Inn and Convention Center, 1001 Amber Ave, Stevens Point, WI, 54482, United States
The triennial symposium was established in 2005 and is an excellent opportunity to learn about the latest research, educational programs, and technologies available for disinfection, decontamination, depopulation, and disposal.
The symposium also serves as an opportunity to learn about managing animal mortalities, products, and by-products; research; and education programs, which include:

Students conducting graduate research in carcass disposal, disinfection, and depopulation
Researchers from academic or other institutions
Anyone interested in research and education to manage mortalities for disasters and high consequence livestock disease

The 8th International Symposium will be held June 29 – July 2, 2026, in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.
