District Governor Jeff Gabriel was our speaker. He spoke about his day job as Executive Director of the Eastern Sierra Interpretive Association (ESIA).
They have two main missions. The first is to promote appreciation for the outdoors and outdoor activities in the Sierras. Their second mission is to support agencies with the operation of the national parks, forests and land.
Under contract with the United States Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the National Park Service, ESIA operates gift shops for these agencies.
He also informed us of the book "Born Free and Equal: The Story of Loyal Japanese Americans". This is a limited-edition reprint of the original book written and photographed by Ansel Adams during World War II and published by U.S. Camera in 1944. Ansel visited Manzanar in 1943 and 1944 to take photographs and gather stories for his book, Born Free and Equal: The Story of Loyal Japanese-Americans. You can read more and reserve your copy here: