Timeless Jewel of the Sierra Nevada: Yosemite National Park, Part 2 of 2

Lake Tenaya, which sits at almost 8,000 feet (2,400 meters) above sea level, is simply spectacular. Far up in the northwestern section of the park is the human-made Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The accompanying O’Shaughnessy Dam provides water and hydroelectricity to San Francisco’s Bay Area.

There are around 1,500 species of plants within Yosemite National Park, from the minutest lichen to some of the largest tree specimens in the world, like the internationally famous giant sequoia. The Mariposa Grove is an extraordinary place to wander in awe amongst these “sleeping giants,” which number around 500. The massive redwoods include the 2,200-year-old Grizzly Giant, which is amongst the oldest trees on Earth.

Yosemite National Park is home to more than 200 species of mammal- and bird-people, along with a number of reptile- and amphibian-people, as well as insect species. A treasure of nature, Yosemite National Park has, over many millennia, sustained many beings, human and animal peoples, and an array of fascinating plant life, with a beautiful and stable habitat to thrive in.

In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt assigned the Yosemite area to the stewardship of the United States Government, which led to the eventual formation of the National Park Service in 1916. Yosemite National Park joined the esteemed company of Yellowstone National Park as well as the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks as a UNESCO World Heritage listing in 1984.

Recently, due to increasingly severe climate anomalies, Yosemite National Park has experienced fire, endangering some of the oldest sequoia trees in the world. The Oak Fire burned across 14,000 acres of property in Mariposa County, California. Thousands of residents, human and animal-people alike, were endangered, forcing them to flee their homes in the proximity of Yosemite National Park or perish. May all people swiftly adopt the planet-protecting vegan lifestyle and safeguard life on Earth.