Friends of Sierra Rock Art (FSRA) exists to protect the ancient voices carved into the stones of the Sierra Nevada. Our story began in the late 1980s, when educator Bill Drake discovered a remote Martis petroglyph site perched high above the North Fork of the American River a breathtaking panel dating from 2000 BC to 500 AD.

When he later learned the site was fracturing and pieces had been stolen, he realized something vital: these sacred places had no public voice, and the people who cared had no way to help protect them. That realization brought together archaeologists, Native artists, land stewards, environmental advocates, and community members who shared a deep respect for the region’s Indigenous heritage. In 1990, they formally created Friends of Sierra Rock Art, a volunteer-powered organization devoted to the protection, documentation, and respectful appreciation of rock-art sites throughout the northern Sierra.

FSRA was founded on two guiding beliefs. First, these petroglyphs are irreplaceable cultural treasures living connections to the Indigenous peoples whose histories, memories, and traditions shaped this land long before modern boundaries existed. Second, everyday people can play a meaningful role in safeguarding them. Through ethical visitation, training, education, and hands-on stewardship, FSRA teaches members how to care for these fragile sites while deepening their understanding of the cultures that created them. This model became so effective that FSRA became the first non-professional organization ever to receive the Society for California Archaeology’s Helen C. Smith Award for significant contributions to California archaeology.

Today, FSRA volunteers continue to work across the Sierra to monitor and document petroglyph sites, support the discovery and mapping of new locations, collaborate with tribes and land agencies on site protection, advocate for threatened cultural resources, and provide public education through school programs, art exhibits, docent trainings, and community outreach. Every outing, every survey, every presentation strengthens a shared commitment: to preserve these ancient markings with respect, integrity, and reverence. FSRA carries forward the belief that these sites matter that they are more than carvings on stone, but enduring voices from the past and that protecting them is a responsibility we hold for the generations who will walk this land long after us.