About

The Yuba Project uses storytelling and visual media to raise awareness of and advocate for the Yuba River. Through a variety of projects and partnerships, we aim to create a holistic “portrait of the Yuba” that depicts the beauty of the watershed, the challenges it faces, and the path forward.

Our Work

Collaborating with the South Yuba River Citizen’s League (SYRCL)

SYRCL, which was founded in 1983, is the leading conservation organization working in the Yuba River Watershed. Started by activists determined to protect the Yuba River from dams, the organization continues to do critical conservation and restoration work across the landscape while bringing together communities for the Yuba’s protection. The Yuba Project collaborates with SYRCL to create high-quality, high-impact imagery and other media, from documenting conservation programs, photographing events, and providing access to our image galleries for free use.

Supporting the California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project (CHIRP) and the Nisenan Tribe

The Yuba River Watershed is the ancestral homeland of the Nisenan Tribe. CHIRP is a tribally-guided non-profit dedicated to Preserving, Protecting, and Perpetuating Nisenan Culture. Its work is especially critical due to the illegal termination of the Nevada City Rancheria (NCR) Nisenan Tribe in 1964, which barred it from receiving federal programming and services for support programs. The Yuba Project is working to support CHIRP through providing free access to imagery, photographing events and affiliated programs (like gallery works at ‘Uba Seo), and more.

Documenting the Watershed

The Yuba Watershed is both incredibly beautiful and incredibly damaged. As is the nature of conservation, the landscape is constantly shifting. Beyond creating beautiful art inspired by the Yuba River, the Project works to tell compelling stories about the region. We develop narratives focused on endangered species, threatened habitats, and the people working to protect them – all to help the Yuba.

About Us

Jack Devlin

Jack Devlin is a conservation photographer and storyteller using art to advocate for the protection of Earth’s biodiversity and environmental justice. After growing up in Nevada City, he graduated college and moved to Nigeria to work with ANI Foundation, a Nigerian NGO focused on the sustainable management of protected areas in partnership with communities and government. He has always been passionate about the Yuba River, and for his high school senior project created “The South Yuba”, a photo book about the watershed, with a fellow classmate.

Kian Berreman

Kian Berreman is a photographer, artist, and arts educator with the goal of sharing inspiration with others. Much of Kian’s inspiration comes from his experiences in the outdoors. Having grown up in Nevada City, the Yuba was one of the first natural spaces he formed a deep love for. As he’s grown and continued learning about the history and current challenges facing the watershed, he’s realized the importance of advocating for restoration and conservation.