In the past, Sierra Nevada meadows were more expansive and supported a vast array of wildlife and aquatic species. Conifers are now encroaching upon the meadows, decreasing their water levels. Lower water levels reduce meadow size, health and ecological function. The Forest Service plans to restore these meadows by reducing the number of trees in the meadow, which will raise the water levels and restore the benefits of meadow habitats for the plants and animals that rely on them.
You are invited to join the Amador-Calaveras Consensus Group (ACCG) Monitoring Workgroup, the Forest Service and partners to help monitoring within a meadow restoration project at Thompson Meadow, located off Highway 4, about 20 miles east of Arnold.
No experience is necessary. Forest Service and partner personnel will be on hand to provide training to volunteers. Background information will be provided on meadow ecology and project design. The work will mainly consist of counting trees. May involve short hiking on flat ground.
