Blog and Articles

This is a story about Phineas Loucks. Phineas Loucks (1845 – 1891) was a beekeeper and shake maker who moved his family into the mountains in nineteenth – century Fresno County, into what would soon become the Sierra National Forest. Loucks also achieved some notoriety for some unusual circumstances of his life as a result of that move.

One of many native Sierra Nevada plants of interest is the Snow plant (Sarcodes sanguinea) The vibrant red color is stunning, the conical shape is unique, and it is a forerunner of spring flowers that will soon follow. The  Snow Plant intrigues plant lovers because it lacks chlorophyll. Its roots are encased in fungi which absorb nutrients for the snow plant from decaying plant material in the soil (making it a saprophyte) and from surrounding trees (making it an indirect parasite). The Snow plant is difficult to confuse with other plants, and indeed stands a better chance of being confused

Photographers as well as history buffs gathered to take in the experience of the draining of Shaver Lake ( this picture was taken December 2011) Pictured is the Historic Shaver Lake sawmill, In its day, the mill pond created behind the old dam stored 5,000 acre feet of water, a fraction of the size of modern-day Shaver Lake. Processed lumber from the mill was then delivered to the Valley by way of a 42-mile-long wooden flume that snaked down the mountain to the present site of the Clovis Rodeo Grounds. Shaver Lake was drained so crews could make repairs to

Meet part of the team that makes your visit to the museum enjoyable, Katie Blanchard, Deb Bell and Joy West (from left to right) . From assisting our v.e.s.t. members and docents with tours in and around the museum, to various duties within the museums organization, their passion for sharing their knowledge of the Shaver area, and desire to make your visit to the museum memorable  is apparent.