Saving Natural Lands, Now and Forever

REI - HandsOn Central Valley - Sierra Foothill Conservancy

Collaboration, Coordination, Conservation:

Working Together for the Greater Good
 

On an early Saturday morning 24 students, from four different schools, made their way to Sierra Foothill Conservancy’s (SFC) Black Mountain Preserve which is located about one hour from Fresno. They generously offered their time and effort with the motto, Service Before Self. Joined by a handful of SFC volunteers, they set out to clear and revive a newly acquired area of the Preserve.
 

 Earlier this year, SFC purchased two properties that expanded Black Mountain Preserve by 419 acres. They are a beautiful addition to the Preserve with scenic views, ponds, and even a waterfall, but much work was needed before we could expand hiking and picnic opportunities into the area. Sierra Foothill Conservancy had to restore the sites by tearing down old outbuildings, cleaning up leftover debris, and removing non-native trees and shrubs.

This is the majority of the group that participated in the Volunteer Fresno event.
More students arrived as we headed for the work site. 

In June of 2008, Sierra Foothill Conservancy received a $5,000 grant from REI to help clean-up and restore the new additions to the Black Mountain Preserve. The funds from the grant helped to pay for heavy rental equipment, supplies needed to clear large areas, and hauling expenses.  REI also donated water bottles for the volunteer group and first aid kits for the work site. 

After clearing safe working areas, we were ready to bring on young volunteers who shared a common concern for conservation, service, and stewardship. In November, we teamed with HandsOn Central Valley as participants in the citywide one day event called Serving Fresno, offering the Preserve as a project site. Nicole Smaira, HandsOn’s Volunteer Connections Director, paired SFC with a great group of students from Fresno State’s InterVarsity Club. Thanks to Craig Poole and Rodney Olsen, instructors at Fresno City College, there were also enthusiastic volunteers from FCC’s Sustainable Action Club.

Our amazing student base was rounded out by participants from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and KIPP Academy Fresno. It was truly a memorable day, noting the efforts of an extremely hard working group of people (ranging in age from 13 to 75!) who spent their day picking up debris, loading trash, removing old fence posts and tearing down old buildings.

This single day was the culmination of a month long clean-up and restoration project. It was also a wonderful opportunity for students to play an active role in the stewardship of protected lands. As small tokens of appreciation for their selfless efforts, REI provided each of them with water bottles, HandsOn Central Valley gave everyone t-shirts, and SFC offered breakfast muffins and juice as well as a pizza lunch. 

Over the course of the entire project, there have been over 35 volunteers that have given of their time, and it is almost complete.  Once finished, SFC plans to create a picnic area down near the pond. We look forward to opening the new properties for guided hikes and picnics in time for the full display of spring wildflowers.

We would like to thank all of our volunteers, REI, and HandsOn Central Valley for their efforts in this endeavor. This has been an amazing example of people from various backgrounds working together for the greater good. We applaud you!