Sierra College Press

+Toggle ourmission AccordionOur Mission

The mission of the Sierra College Press is to inform and inspire scholars, students, and general readers by disseminating ideas, knowledge, and academic scholarship of value concerning the Sierra Nevada region. The Sierra College Press endeavors to reach beyond the library, laboratory, and classroom to promote and examine this unique geography.

+Toggle advisoryboard AccordionAdvisory Board

	Dr. Terry Beers Professor of English at Santa Clara University Director of the California Legacy Project
	Dr. Patric Ettinger Professor of History at CSU, Sacramento Co-Director, Capital Campus Oral History Program Author of Imaginary Lines: Border Enforcement and the Origins of Undocumented Immigration, 1882-1930 (University of Texas Press, 2009)
	Tom Killion Artist and author Author and illustrator of The High Sierra of California and Tamalpais Walking: Poetry, Prose and Prints (both in association with Pulitzer Prize recipient Gary Snyder)
	Tom Knudson Two-time Pulitzer Prize recipient Reporter for the Sacramento Bee Author of the newspaper series "Majesty and Tragedy: The Sierra in Peril," for which he won the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for Public Service
	Gary Kurutz Director of Special Collections, California State Library, Sacramento Written extensively on the California Gold Rush and California Culture Executive Director of the California State Library Foundation Previous positions held: Head Librarian, Sutro Library Library Director, California Historical Society Bibliographer of Western Americana at the Henry E. Huntington Library Head of the publication program of the Book Club of California, 1987-2008
	Scott Lankford Author of Tahoe Beneath the Surface, co-published by Heyday and Sierra College Press (2010) Member of the 1985 American Everest West Ridge Expedition Ph.D. in modern thought and literature at Stanford University with a dissertation on John Muir Professor of English at Foothill College, he has also served as Foothill's Dean of Language Arts and Co-director of the Foothill College Cultural Diversity Center Currently, he is Co-director of the Foothill College Center for a Sustainable Future
	John Muir Laws Associate of the California Academy of Sciences Author and illustrator of Sierra Birds: A Hiker's Guide The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada The Laws Guide to Drawing Birds The Laws Sketchbook for Nature Journaling The Law Guide to Nature Drawing and Journaling
	Beverly Lewis Director, Placer-Lake Tahoe Film Office Worked three years in the Louisiana State Film Office MFA from UCLA School of Film and Television Documentarian, recipient of awards from National Educational Film and Video Festival, and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the group that awards the Golden Globes)
	Malcolm Margolin Founder of Heyday Books An expert on Native California 2008 recipient of the prestigious Hubert Howe Bancroft Award from the UC Berkeley Bancroft Library in recognition of significant achievements in support of historical research and scholarship
	Mark McLaughin Sierra Nevada weather and cultural historian Recipient of the Nevada State Press Association. Awarded on five occasions for his newspaper column
	Kim Stanley Robinson Science fiction author, winner of 11 major science fiction awards Guest author in UC Davis Writing Ambassadors Program Recipient of the 2008 Time Hero of the Environment Ph.D. in Literature, UC San Diego, 1982 Humanism, utopia, environmentalism and transcendentalism are major themes in his writings
	Jesika Maria Ross Co-founder and Director, Art of Regional Change at UC Davis Community media developer Award-winning documentary film producer Co-producer of the award-winning Saving the Sierra: Voices of Conservation in Action public radio and web project
	Michael Sanford Vice-President of Content Creation for KVIE-PBS Channel 6 in Sacramento More than 25 years of experience in television news, programming and production Produced segments for CNN, the Discovery Channel and the Travel Channel
	Lee Stetson Actor best known for his re-creation of John Muir Author of The Wild Muir Original member of the Board of the Sierra Nevada Conservancy Mariposa County Supervisor
	Catherine Stifter Two-time Peabody Award recipient Co-producer of the award-winning Saving the Sierra: Voices of the Conservation in Action public radio and web project
	René Yung Artistic and Project Director of Chinese Whispers - a project to examine the lives and experiences of the Chinese in the Sierra Nevada region Faculty member at City College of San Francisco and owner of René Yung Communications Design Artistic and Project Director of Our Oakland: Eastside Stories Multidisciplinary artist with record of national and international exhibitions, including the 46th Venice Biennale (1995)

+Toggle boardofdirectors AccordionBoard of Directors

Board of Directors

Rebecca Bocchicchio, Associate Dean, Sierra College Liberal Arts Division
Sean Booth, Professor of Geography
Keely Carroll, Professor of Biological Sciences, Sierra College
Kerrie Cassidy, Graphics Manager and Designer, Sierra College
Mandy Davies, Vice President, Student Services, Sierra College
Daniel DeFoe, Professor of History and Communications Studies, Sierra College
David Dickson, retired Sierra College Professor of English and German; President of the Sierra College Friends of the Library
Tom Fillebrown, Chair, Applied Arts and Design Department, Sierra College
Christine Freeman, retired online educational specialist
Rebecca Gregg, Professor Emeritus, Photography
Brian Haley, retired Dean of the LRC/Library, Sierra College
Rick Heide, Community member, award-winning author, Co-Editor of The Illuminated Landscape
Jay Hester, Professor of History and President of SCFA, Sierra College
David Kuchera, Professor of History
Joe Medeiros, Editor-in-Chief of Sierra College Press, Professor of Biological Sciences Emeritus, Sierra College; Illustrator and Contributor to The Illuminated Landscape
Lynn Medeiros, Interim Dean, Liberal Arts
Sue Michaels, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Sierra College
Gary Noy, retired, former Editor-in-Chief of Sierra College Press; former Director of Sierra College Center for Sierra Nevada Studies; Co-Editor of The Illuminated Landscape
Bart O'Brien, retired superintendent of the Placer Union High School District
Sabrina Pape, Dean of the LRC/Library, Sierra College
Mike Price, retired Sierra College Webmaster
Jennifer Skillen, Professor, Biological Sciences, Sierra College
Barbara Vineyard, Former President and member, Sierra College Board of Trustees; former Sierra College student
Lynette Vrooman, Professor of English, Sierra College Nevada County Campus
Randy White, retired educator, Publisher Blue Oak Press

+Toggle heydaybookssierracollegepresspublishingpartnership AccordionHeyday Books-Sierra College Press Publishing Partnership

Sierra College Press entered into a multi-year, multi-book publishing partnership with Heyday Books in 2012.

The mission of the Heyday-Sierra College Press Publishing Partnership is to produce quality books with unique and thought-provoking perspectives that examine and celebrate Sierra Nevada history, culture, science, and public policy. The works published by this partnership will strive to inspire, entertain, inform and enlighten. Our ultimate goal is to create enduring publications that make a difference.

The Heyday-Sierra College Press Publishing Partnership:

Works with and strengthens Sierra Nevada scholars, institutions and organizations that are striving to protect, preserve and improve the future well-being and good health of the region
Develops new artists and authors with a goal of preserving the memories, achievements and traditions of past generations
Introduces young people, students, visitors and newcomers to the extraordinary Sierra Nevada story
Builds upon the reputation of Sierra College, the Sierra College Press and Heyday for scholarship and outreach to help nurture a more informed Sierra Nevada community
Promotes discussion of important issues facing the Sierra Nevada both today and in the future

Under the renewable agreement, Sierra College provides $75,000 to produce at least three books within a five year period.

The partnership was approved by the Sierra College Board of Trustees in honor of retiring College Trustee Barbara Vineyard, in recognition of her 28 years of extraordinary service to Sierra College.

About Heyday Books

Heyday Books is an independent, nonprofit publisher and unique cultural institution. They promote widespread awareness and celebration of California's many cultures, landscapes, and boundary-breaking ideas. Through their well-crafted books, public events, and innovative outreach programs they have buildt a vibrant community of readers, writers, and thinkers.

Heyday was founded by Malcolm Margolin in 1974 when he wrote, typeset, designed, and distributed The East Bay Out, a quirky, personal, affectionate guide to the natural history of the hills and bayshore around Berkeley and Oakland. Out of this modest first effort a major California cultural enterprise has taken shape. Heyday publishes around twenty-five books a year, founded two successful magazines—News from Native California and Bay Nature—and has taken a lead role in hundreds of prominent public education programs throughout the state.

+Toggle ejournaljournalofthesierracollegenaturalhistorymuseum AccordioneJournal: Journal of the Sierra College Natural History Museum

The Journal of the Sierra College Natural History Museum

Provides information about Sierra College’s extraordinary Natural History Museum and the natural history of our region and world.

v1n1: Wonders of the Natural History Museum.
v1n2: The Sierra Nevada and the conservation movement it inspired.
v2n1: Nature and history along the Interstate 80 corridor.
v2n2: Evolutionary theory on the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth.
v3n1: Ways in which various organisms fly.
v3n2: How we use science in our decision making.
v4n1: The celebration of Sierra College's 75 years by giving a history of field trips at Sierra College.
v4n2: Directory of museums of the Sierra Nevada
v5n1: Natural History Museum lecture series
v5n2: Six on the Sierra: Rock Stars. Audio lectures relating to the geology of the Sierra Nevada.
v6n1: Women in Nature: A Gallery of Influential and Pioneering Female Naturalists
v6n2: State symbols related to the Sierra Nevada

+Toggle ejournalsnowyrangereflections AccordioneJournal: Snowy Range Reflections

Snowy Range Reflections: The Journal of Sierra Nevada History and Biography

Examines the fascinating history and characters of what John Muir called “The Range of Light.”

v1n1: The Range of Light itself: earth, fire, water, and wind.
v1n3: Education and entertainment are entwined in an issue devoted to entertainment, Gold Country style.
v2n1: Explores the rugged romance and the harsh reality of the California gold fields.
v2n2: The highways and byways, buildings and bridges that connect all of us who live in the shadow of the “Range of Light.”
v3n1: Alonzo Delano: nomad denizen of the world
v3n2: For your reading and listening pleasure a small sampling of the prose and poetry to be found and enjoyed in The Illuminated Landscape.
v4n1: The celebration of Sierra College's 75 years by providing a few examples of the inspiring history, and, especially, people who contributed to the history of the Sierra College.
v4n2: On the Sierra Nevada: Women writers of the 19^th Century—presents the writings of fourteen 19^th century women writing on their experiences in, and opinions of, the Sierra Nevada region.
v5n1: Seventeen little-known figures from Sierra Nevada history
v5n2: Six on the Sierra: Authors. Audio lectures on authors writing about the Sierra Nevada.
v6n1: Hetch Hetchy Restored?
v6n2: Mark McLaughlin: Sierra Nevada Weather and Cultural Historian

+Toggle publishedbooksandpapers AccordionPublished Books and Papers

The following books were published by Sierra College Press or in collaboration with Heyday Books.

	California Glaciers Photographs and text by Tim Palmer About the Book A victim to climate change, California’s glaciers are receding at an alarming rate. Award-winning photographer and nature writer Tim Palmer takes us on a trek into the backcountry to experience the remaining glaciers up close, to observe the raw power that for millennia has carved glacial valleys, replenished our lakes, rivers, and streams, and supported a bounty of life that may soon be in jeopardy with the loss of one of the state’s most vital and awe-inspiring natural wonders.
	Gold Rush Stories: 49 Tales of Seekers, Scoundrels, Loss and Luck By Gary Noy About the Book Gold Rush Stories: 49 Tales of Seekers, Scoundrels, Loss and Luck explores the deeply human stories of the California Gold Rush generation, drawing out all the brutality, tragedy, humor, and prosperity as lived by those who experienced it. In less than ten years, more than 300,000 people made the journey to California, some from as far away as Chile and China. Many of them were dreamers seeking a better life, like Mifflin Wistar Gibbs, who eventually became the first African American judge, and Eliza Farnham, an early feminist who founded California’s first association to advocate for women’s civil rights.
	The Illuminated Landscape Edited by Gary Noy and Rick Heide Illustrated by Joe Medeiros Foreward by Robert Hanna About the Book The essays, poetry, and stories presented in The Illuminated Landscape encompass the entire Sierra Nevada experience. With the power of the written word to inspire, energize, and challenge, this anthology shines a light on what is at risk for the Sierra Nevada today and reinforces the importance of sustaining its beauty and ecological diversity.
	King Sequoia: The Tree That Inspired a Nation, Created Our National Park System, and Changed the Way We Think About Nature By William C. Tweed Foreward by Joe Medeiros About the Book From a towering tree, one of California’s preeminent naturalists unspools a history that echoes across generations and continents. Former park ranger William C. Tweed takes readers on a tour of the Big Trees in a narrative that travels deep into the Sierras, around the West, and all the way to New Zealand; and in doing so he explores the American public’s evolving relationship with sequoias. Featuring an entrancing cast of adventurers, researchers, politicians, and environmentalists, King Sequoia reveals how one tree species has transformed Americans’ connection to the natural world.
	Sierra Stories By Gary Noy The Sierra Nevada, with its 14,000-foot granite mountains, crystalline lakes, conifer forests, and hidden valleys, has long been the domain of dreams, attracting the heroic and the delusional, the best of humanity and the worst. Stories abound, and characters emerge so outlandish and outrageous that they have to be real. Could the human imagination have invented someone like Eliza Gilbert? Born in Limerick, Ireland, in 1818, she transformed herself into Lola Montez, born in Seville, Spain, in 1823, and brought to the Gold Country the provocative “Spider Dance”—impersonating a young woman repelling a legion of angry spiders under her petticoats. Or multimillionaire George Whittell Jr., who was frequently spotted driving around Lake Tahoe in a luxurious convertible with his pet lion in the front seat. These, and scores more, spill out of the pages of this well-illustrated and lively tribute to the Sierra.
	Tahoe Beneath the Surface By Scott Lankford Cover art by Tom Killion About the Book Lake Tahoe transformed America, and not just once but many times over—from the earliest Ice Age civilizations to the mysterious death of Marilyn Monroe. It even played a hidden role in the American conquest of California, the launch of the Republican Party, and the birth of John Steinbeck’s first novel. Along the way, Lake Tahoe found the time to invent the ski industry, spark the sexual revolution, and win countless Academy Awards. Tahoe beneath the Surface brings this hidden history of America’s largest mountain lake to life through the stories of its most celebrated residents and visitors over the last ten thousand years.
	Standing Guard: Telling Our Stories Edited by Dr. Debra Sutphen and Lynn Medeiros, Sierra College history professors Designed by Tom Fillebrown, Sierra College Assistant Professor of Applied Art and Design About the Book Standing Guard: Telling Our Stories is a collection of oral histories from survivors of the internment camps, Japanese American veterans, and Placer County residents, recounting their experiences during the time.
	Sierra Foothills Nature Guide: A Guide to Biology and Ecology of the Sierra College Nature Trail (Fourth Edition) Edited and updated by Shawna Martinez, Sierra College Professor of Biological Sciences along with colleagues and students Illustrated by Sarah Tomich, Ken Kirkland and Heather Mehl About the Book As knowledge of the Nature Trail area has expanded, the guide has grown as well. This edition features the flora and fauna one can see while exploring Sierra College’s nature trail and much of the Sierra foothills. The newest edition of the guide is beautifully illustrated and includes detailed drawings and descriptions of plants, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians common to the foothill regions of California.
	Sierra Stories/Gold Rush Stories/Hellacious California Written by Gary Kurutz Book cover designed by Ashley Ingram Release Date: June 2020 About the Book Lured by boons of gold and other exploitable resources, California’s settler population mushroomed under Mexican and early American control, and this period of rapid transformation gave rise to a freewheeling culture best epitomized by its entertainments. Hellacious California tours the rambunctious and occasionally appalling amusements of the Golden State: gambling, gun duels, knife fights, gracious dining and gluttony, prostitution, fandangos, cigars, con artistry, and the demon drink. Historian Gary Noy unearths myriad primary sources, many of which have never before been published, to spin his true tall tales that are by turns humorous and horrifying.
	Sierra Wildflowers: A Hiker's Guide Written and illustrated by John Muir Laws About the Book From sprawling fields of showy hillside poppies, lupines, and paintbrushes in the foothills to orchids, lilies, and primroses in the higher meadows of our national parks, the Sierra Nevada is one of the premier wildflower destinations in California. Naturalist John Muir Laws has adapted his painted-from-life flower illustrations from The Laws Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada into a lightweight yet durable guidebook to the area's florae. Sierra Wildflowers includes the most common species that you will encounter, with fully updated common and scientific names. Flowers are organized by color and shape, making identification easy for flower enthusiasts of all experience levels.