The John Muir Newsletter, Spring 2015

SPRING 2015 jJui JMaaaa, JL^aXAXaa, V\u3eP , THE JOHN MUIR CENTER Reflections on John Muir— One-hundred years after his death Bill Swagerty, Co-Director, John Muir Center During 2014, many institutions honored John Muir\u27s legacy with an event associated with the centennial of his death on December 24, 1914. It was also the fiftieth anniversary of passage of the Wilderness Act by Congress in 1964 and the 150th anniversary of the Yosemite Act, transferring the core of what would become Yosemite National Park from the State of California to the federal government. Pacific hosted the 60th California History Institute from March 20-22 focusing on What has been saved; what has been lost: John Muir\u27s Legacy, 1914-2014. The symposium began with a field trip to Martinez on March 20 to visit John Muir National Historic Site. Twenty-four students in the John Muir Class were joined by other Pacific students, faculty, and guests of the university. As always, rangers and interpreters opened the doors to the Strentzel-Muir-Hanna house on the hill and allowed us the privilege of seeing Muir\u27s grave- site nearby. At the gravesite, Michael Wurtz, Head of Holt-Atherton Special Collections, read a 1914 obituary from a local newspaper which included mention of those who attended Muir\u27s funeral. On March 21, another field trip by bus took students and guests to Coulterville along the route that Muir walked in 1868 on his first trip to Yosemite. Ken Pulvino, founder of the John Muir Geotourism Center, joined the bus in Modesto and explained Muir\u27s stop at Horseshoe Bend, where he made an elaborate sketch of the landscape. Educator Monty Thornberg, current Director of the Center gave a presentation at lunch in the Hotel Jeffery on the activities of the Center, which promotes tourism and environmental education along the John Muir Highway. The Jeffery dates to 1851 and was a stagecoach stop for Yo- semite-bound passengers, as well as a resting place and reprovisioning opportunity for pedestrians like Muir on his long walk to the Valley. Bill Jeffery, husband to Pacific\u27s Pamela Eibeck, explained his family\u27s likely connection with the original builders. Unfortunately, after our field trip, the hotel experienced a major fire in the middle of the night on November 14, 2014, forcing closure. By 1889, it had burned three times, so this was the fourth structure-fire, but fortunately did not consume the entire building, which is currently undergoing restoration as a National Historic Landmark. We also saw the result of the Rim Fire, started by a hunter who set an illegal campfire on August 17, 2013 in Stanislaus National Forest. Named for the Rim of the World vista point on Highway 120 as it heads into Yosemite, the fire consumed 257,314 acres making it the third largest wildlife on record in the Sierra Nevada and costing around $127 million to finally extinguish with smoldering soil more than a year later. Although no human died, ten people were injured and over 100 structures were destroyed, along with untold wildlife, entire stands of forest, and plants. The USFS made it a high priority, fearing it would reach Yosemite and the giant sequoia groves, but fortunately the fire stopped short of the park. On March 22, attendees gathered in Grace Covell Hall on Pacific\u27s Stockton campus for an all-day symposium. The morning session focused on environmental education. A film by (continued on page 3) Page 1 Page 2 FRIDAY, MARCH 21. Field Trip to Coulterville (John Muir Geotourism Center) Attendees will visit beautiful sires linked to John Muir, especially the John Muir Geotourism Center, (fee event) SATURDAY, MARCH 11: WHAT HAS BEEN SAVED, WHAT HAS BEEN LOST: JOHN MUIR\u27S LEGACY, 1914-2014 (BY REGISTRATION ONLY) 9:00 AM - 4:45 PM, GRACE COVELL HALL, STOCKTON CAMPUS PRE-REGISTRATION THROUGH MARCH 18TH MORNING SESSION; * Welcome by President Pamela Eibeck John Muir\u27s Connection with University of die Pacific, W.R. Swagerty * Terry Gifford. Muir, RttsJun, Uncle Sam, Planet Earth Gains and Losses Graham White, John Muir: The Moral Imperative of Ew.TQttmental Edt 11:45 - LUNCH BUFFET (fee ei AFTERNOON SESSION: \u27 Keynote, Andrea Wulf, Cosmos, Nature and the Web o) life: Ale^erwn Humboldt\u27s influence on John Mi.tr. * Ronald Ehcr, The Eternal Battle T\u WUmtxess I egacy of John Muir. Doug Scott, /.,ln! Mm(t: Blazing the Path Voward th, 1964 Wilderness A.-i [MO Alaska National rnteresi Lands Conservation Act \u27 Stephen Holmes, Muir\u27s / iterary I egacy: Science and Storytelling from The ( alifomia Alps\u27 to Climate (lhange i eOmmunicatfon.* \u27John Muir Class- University of the Pa\u3c iftc, Summaric i of n eachprojeci Photos from Muir Symposium Including field trips and reception, March 20-22,2014 Photos courtesy of Bill Swagerty Page 3 (continued from page 1) middle-schoolers Tyler Young, Kyle Worrall and Nick Reinhart on John Muir and the Yosemite had all applauding. Young is a descendant of Muir and this tribute had Muir-Hanna-Funk family members especially proud of the young men\u27s filmmaking and narration. In addition to Young, the family was represented at the symposium by Ross and Gladys Hanna, William and Claudia Hanna, Ross and Sally de Lipkau, James and Carol Hanna, Susan and Terry Flynn, David and Sharon Hanna, and Robert Hanna. Since the symposium, we are saddened by the passing of Ross Hanna, Muir\u27s last living grandchild, and a graduate of Pacific (\u2749), who died in June and whose life was celebrated on June 21 in his home town of Dixon. After the film, old familiars to Pacific returned to share updates on their research. Terry Gifford of England reflected on Muir, Ruskin, Uncle Sam, Planet Earth—Gains and Losses. Graham White of Scotland preached on The Moral Imperative of Environmental Education, using Muir as his sounding board. A keynote by returnee Andrea Wulf, a German national who lives in London, on Alexander von Humboldt\u27s influence on John Muir had all in awe of both Wulf\u27s research, as well as her command of imagery and description. The author of Founding Gardeners and Chasing Venus, Wulf\u27s The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt\u27s New World will be released later this spring. She will also return to Pacific this coming August to address the entire freshman class on August 25 with a summary of Humboldt\u27s place in modern science. Following a Scottish-theme luncheon, which did not include haggis, but did feature Dundee Cake, registrants returned to their seats to an afternoon session on John Muir\u27s Legacy. Ronald Eber, historian for the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club and a resident of Port Orchard, Washington, led off with remarks on The Wilderness Legacy of John Muir, introduced by Harold Wood, chair of the Sierra Club\u27s John Muir Education Committee. Doug Scott of Seattle followed, presenting on The 1964 Wilderness Act and 1980 Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, both of which he had a role in passing as an environmental lobbyist. Independent scholar Stephen Holmes, author of The Young John Muir: An Environmental Biography, and a resident of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, compared Muir\u27s manuscript with the final printed version of his first major book, The Mountains of California (1894) pointing out many environmental lessons that Muir wanted to include that did not make it into print. The day ended with seven of twenty-four in the spring term John Muir Class summarizing their research topics. Megan Deino researched John Muir and the Legacy of Calaveras Big Trees State Park; Hailie Eackles, The Bear Necessities, on Muir and bears; Lucy Kramer: John Muir, Sheep, and Domestic Husbandry; Kyle Shin, Muir and Roosevelt: The Legacy of the Trip to Yosemite; Ashley Salazar: John Muir and the Wilderness of the Stickeen River; Kathryn Teague, John Muir\u27s Glacial Theories as Predecessors to Modern Understanding of the Glacial History of Yosemite Valley; and, John Wooten, John Muir and the Fight for Hetch Hetchy. Other projects not reported at the symposium follow: Laila Abtahi, John Muir\u27s Natural Evolution of Art Gwen Alldredge, Muir\u27s Alaska: Then and Now Zachery Artozqui, John Muir and Glacier Bay Brandon Chan, John Muir and the Redwoods Emerson Gusto, John Muir\u27s Sketches of Trees in the Sierra Nevada Chris Hansen, An Analysis of John Muir\u27s Impact on the Understanding of Glaciers Hong Pei Lu, John Muir and China: 1903, 2014 John Imfeld. Long Down from on High: John Muir\u27s Impact on Riparian Habitats Dean Leonard, John Muir and National Park Service Policy in Yosemite Shawn Quiruz, Muir\u27s Encounters: Wolves Then and Now Leslie Stirm, John Muir and the Sand Hill Cranes and Other Migratory Birds Cooper Stivers, John Muir\u27s Educational Growth: A Psychological Approach Dylan Svihus, John Muir the Agrarian Dustin Willey, Muir\u27s Botanical Findings in Yosemite and Today\u27s Botany Trent Williams, Muir Woods: 1908-2014 Page 4 Yosemite Conservancy Spring Gathering 2015 There is no better place to celebrate the wonders of spring than in Yosemite Valley, surrounded by blooming dogwoods, rushing waterfalls and good friends. Yosemite Conservancy\u27s Spring Gathering was held on March 27-28, 2015. The festivities began with a welcome reception on Friday evening at Yosemite Lodge\u27s Garden Terrace Room with appetizers and drinks. Saturday activities included guided walks by Yosemite experts, project tours, lunch and a special reception. All donors of $25 or more were invited to attend the Spring Gathering. Donors in the John Muir Heritage Society (with annual gifts of $1,000 or more) were invited to attend a special dinner on Saturday night and additional activities on Sunday. For more information on Yosemite Conservancy, please call 800.469.7275. 6th Annual John Muir Festival May 16, 2015 The John Muir Geotourism Center in Coulter- ville, CA presents the 6th Annual John Muir Festival. A family friendly event! Experience All Things Muir when you visit and learn about Muir\u27s travels along the historic Muir Route along J132 to Yosemite. Meet other John Muir enthusiasts, experts and representatives from the John Muir Geotourism Center, Yosemite National Park and surrounding Yosemite region. On May 16, historic Coulterville celebrates John Muir\u27s historic walks to Yosemite before Yosemite became a National Park. There are multiple venues for family fun—all within the Main Street area of Coulterville. Entertainment, activities and food in Coulterville Park, John Muir Geotourism Center and the Coulter Cafe. Enjoy the historic Yosemite Tapestries exhibit, created by Miriam McNitt, commissioned by Yosemite National Park in 1967 and displayed in the Park for over 40 years. These tapestries depict the natural history of Yosemite as well as panoramic views of the Park\u27s wonders. Entrance is FREE. Festivities began at 10 am and go until 4 pm. John Muir Birthday-Earth Day Celebration *% Saturday, April 18th 2015 4202 Alhambra Avenue (at Highway 4) in Martinez FREE admission! 10 am - 4 pm nd the National Park St-rvice Come rain or shine! Presented by tbe John Muir Association a: r Keynote Speaker Beth Pratl-Bergstrotn, California Director of Ihe National Wildlife Federation Original east members to perform songs from the play,Mountain Days Meet John Mull and the Giant Sequoia he planted 130 years ago Exhibits and activities for everyone Live music And silent auctions John Muir\u27s 1882 Victorian home and orchards John Muir Conservation Awards presented Youth Activities with National Park Service rangers Food and beverages are available for purchase Join the National Park Service to celebrate John Muir\u27s 177th birthday during the annual Birth - day-Earthday event on Saturday, April 18, 2015 from 10 am to 4 pm at the John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, CA. Participate in fun activities for all ages to commemorate Muir\u27s legacy. Special guest speaker Beth Pratt-Bergstrom, California Director of the National Wildlife Federation, will give the keynote address. The Celebration, held rain or shine, features family-oriented activities, food for sale, live music including a bagpipe band, song performances by original cast members of the play Mountain Days, and displays by national parks and local environmental organizations. Parking and admission are free. National Park Service Ranger Frank Helling will portray John Muir and recount some of Muir\u27s many wilderness adventures. Visitors can enjoy self-guided tours of Muir\u27s historic Italianate Victorian home where he wrote about protecting nature, as well as bid in two silent auctions. Proceeds benefit the John Muir Association, the nonprofit organization hosting the event in partnership with the National Park Service. The Association will also present the 37th annual John Muir Conservation Awards. For more information, please visit www.nps.gov/ jomu/planvourvisit/ directions.htm PAGE 5 Shanna Eller Muir Center Staff Reorganization Since August, 2011, the Office of the President of University of the Pacific has supported an Office of Sustainability, housed within John Muir Center in the College. This past fall Shanna Eller, Director of Sustainability, was named Co-director of Muir Center by Dean Rena Fraden. In addition, Kendra Bruno, M.A., was hired as Sustainability Coordinator. A native of Kansas, Eller has lived in Portland most recently and holds a bachelor\u27s degrees in the History of Art and Architecture, as well as Journalism from the University of Kansas. She earned her master\u27s degree in Urban Planning at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a doctorate in Urban Studies from Portland State University, where she was Director of Community Environmental Services before joining Pacific. Bruno is a graduate of the University of the Pacific with a joint major in International Studies and Spanish. She earned a master\u27s degree in Natural Resources and Peace from the University for Peace, Ciudad Colon, Costa Rica as a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar. Both Eller and Bruno work closely with administration, faculty, staff, a cadre of students on campus, making Muir Center a lively hub for anything green on the Stockton campus. They co-taught a Pacific Seminar for freshmen in 2014 on the topic of Fair Trade. The Office of Sustainability coordinates, advances and manages sustainability efforts on all three campuses of the University. Activities of the office are described separately in this newsletter. Muir Center continues to sponsor interns and has work-study assistance from undergraduates. David Sriboonreuang, a sophomore English major Kendra Bruno who is also minoring in Religious Studies and Ethnic Studies, has worked in the Center for the past three semesters and is digitizing the slide collection. He has also completed an inventory of the library and the video collection and is one of the chef-demonstrators at the University\u27s new Kitchen Co-op. Recently he showed participants how to make macarons. David Sriboonreuang WkZ •& sa WILDS SCENIC - ^//^^;- A WILI jENIG festival A WILD LIFE Wednesday April 8, 2015 University of the Pacific 3401 Kensington Way, Stockton, CA Biological Sciences Building, Room 101 Free and open to the public * 7:00 pm - 7:30 pm reception with filmmaker Matt Black • •7:30 pm - 8:45 pm films • •Q&A with Matt Black and intermission* •9:15 pm -10:00 pm films • j patagonla Orion ?^-^ Jjjgg 0EARTHJUSTICE U&H Page 6 Things Cooking in the Co-op by Kendra Bruno New at Pacific this year, the Pacific Kitchen Co-op has created quite a stir! Beginning this Spring term, Pacific students, faculty and staff have been able to join as Co-op members allowing them to access a fully equipped kitchen, furnished dining area and delicious classes! The Pacific Kitchen Co-op is a place where members can go to cook their own meals, have a club meeting, have dinner with friends, bake some cookies and simply just enjoy themselves over some delicious home cooked meals. Want to make a cake, but do not have any of the kitchen gadgets needed to do so? The Pacific Kitchen Co-op does - all you have to do is bring your ingredients! Easy to join, the Kitchen Co-op is $35.00 (or $40 using meal plan) per semester and is open for reservations every day of the week, Monday - Saturday 8 AM - 10 PM and Sundays from 9 AM - 8 PM. Recently, the Kitchen Co-op featured three exciting classes during the month of February, including Cooking with Caspero!, Sushi Workshop with David, and a Cookie Decorating Class. Each class featured a guest chef from Pacific or the local community. Cooking with Caspero! had attendees up and out of their seats to learn how to make Chile - Lentil Tacos with an avocado cream sauce while honing their basic prepping skills! On Friday, the Co-op hosted Sushi with David in which David went through all the ingredients and prep necessary to make your own sushi at home - from California rolls to Dragon rolls! Each attendee was able to make their own rolls, under the guidance of David. Lastly, Cookie Decorating featured a local baker and decorator from Bird Treats who taught the class how to make the perfect icing and decorate six different cookies in a variety of styles! Learn more about the Kitchen Co-op at go.pacific.edu/Kitchen where you can find a schedule of our upcoming programs, membership agreement and some photos of the space! Questions? Send us an email at KitchenCoop@pacific.edu Cooking up a healthy community! PAGE 7 Delta Narratives Project California\u27s Delta is the subject of a current project involving Pacific faculty, former faculty, and former Dean Robert Benedetti, who serves as project director. Funded by the State of California through the Delta Protection Commission, the project is based at California State University, Sacramento. The goal is to study the Delta in collaboration with the region\u27s historical societies, museums, and archives in order to promote better awareness of the area, ultimately expecting nominating by the Department of the Interior as a National Heritage Area. Former English Department faculty member Gregg Camfield, now an Associate Provost at U. C. Merced, is in charge of Literature and Art, while Philip Garone and Jennifer Helzer of California State University, Stanislaus are tackling Reclamation and Restoration and Community and Society, respectfully. The lead essay, Stitching a River Culture: Trade, Communication and Transportation, is being written by Bill Swagerty and Reuben Smith Dr. Smith is former Dean of the Graduate School at Pacific and Bill Swagerty and Reuben Smith professor emeritus of the Department of History. A native Californian, Smith grew up in the Bay area and earned his doctorate at Harvard University, specializing in the Islamic World. He knows Delta transportation history from years of working as a volunteer at the Western Railway Museum in Rio Vista, where he continues to serve as motorman and conductor on electric trains. Swagerty and Smith began the project in October and have completed a draft of their essay after trips to several historical societies and ar chives including the Western Railroad Museum archives, Center for Sacramento History, State Railroad Museum Archives, Rio Vista Museum, Sacramento River Delta Historical Society in Walnut Grove, Yolo County Archives in Woodland, and San Joaquin Historical Society in Micke Grove. Other partners in the project include the Bank of Stockton and the Haggin Museum of Stockton. Presentation of results have taken place this spring in Walnut Grove and Antioch and will be presented later this summer in Sacramento with expectations of new interest in the Delta as sites are interpreted and museums open their doors with new exhibits. .^**r ■V.\u27 U£,l \u27 —T » oi.., ■•* ... ... **§ ■ : $iffijJM mu.V; \u27 .; k ■•.\u27- .\u27■. » H»\u27\u27|FkftjfeB i.uiiWK TAP i HOI st 1 \u3e- jl£X a LifililAaaia Patch BDH ■ ■ -A Clarksburg f\u27.li 4 Mues |\u3e.r\u3c| i \u27\u27*B^BI 1 giMU »\u3e»K , \u27 -■ \u27J kj, IM:W \u27 jJ&T %is««ii^fHB^ 3 Signs near Freeport Page 8 John Muir Journal Transcription Project Picking Up Steam In the wake of the 100th anniversary of John Muir\u27s death on December 24, 2014, The Record (Stockton) ran an article - front page above the fold - about the Special Collections effort to crowdsource the transcription of the John Muir journals. The story was picked up by other newspapers and a couple of television stations, and it was tweeted copiously over the next few weeks. The publicity brought in over 30 new transcribers who dove into Muir journals with the same drive that Muir sojourned in the Sierra. Nearly 100 images have been transcribed, which means that well over half the 3000 images in the journals are now keyword searchable. The transcribers are devoted Muir enthusiasts digging for new inspirational quotes, long time hikers curious about Muir\u27s wanderings on their favorite paths around the world, and grade school students who giggle when Muir discusses the naked rocks, but were awestruck when he pondered the value of scientific inquiry. The long term value to harvesting Muir\u27s words in the journals will boost the discovery of the famous naturalist\u27s ideas and thoughts in their initial observational form. The project continues. If you would like to take a crack at connecting with Muir, there are still plenty of pages to go. Visit go.pacific.edu/ muirwords and get started. has served the Special Collections for 10 years and has worked at Pacific since 1999. Nicole Grady is our newly minted Special Collections Librarian after serving three years as a temporary librarian. Nicole will continue to process collections, create exhibits, and