Spreading their love of nature
LandPaths, the little nonprofit with ambitious goals to foster a love of the land through community involvement, education and managed public access, runs on volunteer power. LandPaths volunteers lead school programs and field trips. They help network with landowners, recreation groups, public agencies, communities and nonprofits. And they get down and dirty, monitoring trails and sweating over restoration projects. "We always need all sorts of volunteers for LandPaths. People can work in the office, processing outings requests, or lead docent tours, or work in programs," said Rebecca Thomsen, volunteer coordinator with the Santa Rosa-based group. Clover milk truck driver Dave Barry has been a LandPaths volunteer for about five years. An outdoors enthusiast who loves hiking, camping and duck, deer and bear hunting, he volunteers with the In Our Own Backyard program, known as IooBY. "I'm off on Wednesdays so I volunteer. I go to different schools, meet the students, then later with staff members. We take them out in nature, four times over a year," Barry said. Those guided walks include four theme-based field trips, culminating in a stewardship project. Students range from grade-schoolers up to seniors in high school. Leaders have nature names and encourage the students to make up their own nature names, too. Usually hikers connect their first name to an animal that shares the same first letter. Dave Barry is Duck Dave. Rebecca Thomsen is Rebecca Raven. "I'm Bree Bird. It's very fun. It gets kids curious about nature when they identify with a particular animal," said Bree Benton, education director. The IooBy program tries to help children develop a love for the outdoors and the critters that live there. "Kids have really sweet little awakenings of getting to spend time in nature. They always find something that piques their interest, that makes them care," she said. Barry said he really identifies with his small charges. "When I was little, I used to drive my parents crazy. We'd be driving in the car and I'd want to know what was down that road. What's up that hill?" he said. He grew up in a house close to Poppy Creek and spent endless unsupervised hours hunting for pollywogs and frogs. He graduated from Santa Rosa High in 1984 and as an adult developed a passion for camping and hiking. Now, as a father, he's always ready to hitch up the trailer and go. "Tons of kids nowadays, they have nature deficit. If you can get them to put down the video games, to leave the computer and get them outdoors, it shows them that it's fun to be in nature. They learn to value it and protect it," he said. LandPaths is currently seeking new volunteers to work in school programs, stewardship projects, Willow Creek Trail Watch, Carrington Ranch Volunteer Patrol, office assistance and other roles. You can reach LandPaths at 544-7284 or at landpaths.org. Orientation sessions are posted per quarter. You can reach Staff Writer Rayne Wolfe at 521-5240 or rayne.wolfe@pressdemocrat.com. |
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