Listening to Eastside Stories

Some of the most colorful stories in the history of the American West were written in the landscape known as the Eastern Sierra. Yet only the smallest fraction of visitors realizes the riches of the stories hidden in the scenery. The Roadside Heritage project aims to change all that by bringing you engaging-authentic-stories from one of the most beautiful areas of the western United States: California’s Eastern Sierra as told by those who live here.

Explore Google maps, see stunning photo galleries and download stories at this wonderful Web site.

The producers tell us that "The Roadside Heritage Project CD "Audio Stories from the Eastern Sierra: Paiute/Prospectors/Pioneers"  is currently available for free at visitor centers, museums, and Chamber of Commerces in both Inyo and Mono County.  The stories refer to places of interest along 395, but do not specifically coordinate with scenic markers on the highway, so the CD can be enjoyed where ever the listener may be."

Created by the Eastern Sierra Institute for Collaborative Education.

Audio Stories from CA's Eastern Sierra Nevada

Travelers along Highway 395’s Eastern Sierra Scenic Byway can now add a layer of insight to their travel adventures by listening to the newly released “Exploring Extreme Environments” audio CD highlighting the scientific legacy of the Eastern Sierra Nevada and the plants and animals that make it their home.    Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, this project brings to life stories of the rugged mountains, glaciers, volcanoes and mineral wealth found in the area.  Scientists chronicle the adaptations of both plants and animals to the extreme weather and terrain found in alpine and desert environments, and archeologists discuss evidence of human habitation that predates written history.

 

The free 2-CD set, released in March 2010, is currently available throughout Inyo and Mono County at chambers of commerce, museums, and visitor centers.  

The companion website, www.roadsideheritage.org, offers expanded opportunities to explore the area with interactive topo maps; videos on volcanology, mineralogy, and obsidian; free mp3 downloads of the audio stories; additional unique stories by local Paiute Shoshone tribal members, and podcasts made by local middle school students who participated in the project.  Two earlier Roadside Heritage audio CDs, the award-winning Paiute, Prospectors, Pioneers and Traditions, Travel, Tales of Mono, are also available online as free mp3 downloads.  These stories chronicle the cultural and natural history of Inyo and Mono County including early Paiute Indian, settler, mining, and railroad history, wildlife migration routes, and the origins of local skiing, mule packing, and fishing attractions.

 

The Roadside Heritage Project is a collaborative effort between Eastern Sierra Institute for Collaborative Education in Bishop, CA; Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley; and the Academy for the Environment at University of Nevada, Reno.  Roadside Heritage is supported by a generous grant from the National Science Foundation.

update to "Listening to Eastside Stories"

Eastern Sierra Institute for Collaborative Education in Bishop, CA, is currently working on a second CD highlighting some of the interesting natural history and stories of people in Mono County, which is slated to be in the visitor centers and museums this coming summer.

www.RoadsideHeritage.org

More Mono County stories this summer.

Thanks for the update on the availability of your first CD and the anticipation of your second disk of place-based stories. Catherine Stifter

Post new comment

Anyone can post a new comment without registering. Your comment will go to a moderator before it is posted. We encourage you to sign your comment.

  • Allowed HTML tags: <p> <br> <a> <em> <i> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <img>

More information about formatting options

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.