The other-worldly tufa towers at Mono Lake in the eastern Sierra Nevada make perfect nesting sites for osprey in that they are protected from coyotes, but there is one problem: no fish! Many osprey parents choose protection over convenience and make the arduous twelve mile commute to June Lake to find fish to feed their growing families. The process that allowed the towers to rise from the water (they were formed from under-water spring deposits), is the same process that made the lake too salty for fish… too much water was diverted to satisfy the insatiable thirst of Los Angeles. But there is reason to see Mono Lake as a source of hope: environmentalists were able to negotiate a settlement to curb the wonton removal of water and the lake level is now slowly rising.

This painting will be on display at the Santa Cruz Art League until September 10, 2018. It is available for sale at the gallery and, if not sold, will be available through the artist after the exhibit closes.