Land conservation is a full-time job, and then some — that’s why we are so grateful for the volunteers who help us leverage our resources and accomplish so much! We recently held our annual VolunCHEERS Appreciation and Awards to show our appreciation for all who support Placer Land Trust through preserve stewardship, trail maintenance, help at events, leading outings as docents, and more.
This year, we honored both our 2024 and 2025 award-winners, since our previous gathering had to be postponed several times due to weather. We are delighted to recognize the exceptional accomplishments of these wonderful folks!
Volunteer of the Year: Exceptional volunteer, helping us to leverage our funds and resources to accomplish our land conservation mission.
2024 Volunteers of the Year: Karen Keene & Tatyana Kjellberg
The Community Council is a leadership volunteer team within Placer Land Trust, whose charge is to help raise awareness and support for PLT’s mission. The Council was formed in 2011 as an advisory council and was populated by many influential regional leaders. After several years, staff recognized that the Council’s purpose was not being fully utilized. In consultation with a few key members, the Council was re-launched in 2019 as a volunteer-led volunteer group committed more to action. The Council was led by two co-chairs: one from the Council itself and one a member of the Board of Directors, to foster a direct link of communication and collaboration between these two leadership groups.
Karen Keene became the newly reinvigorated Council’s first co-chair while simultaneously serving as a Board Director. Tatyana Kjellberg was one of its first members in the new iteration, and in 2021, she joined Karen as a co-chair. They both served as co-chairs until 2025, bringing the Council to a new level of sought-after membership and activity.
Under their leadership, membership grew each year, with an emphasis on inclusion of members with widely varying backgrounds, ages, experiences, skills, and networks throughout Placer County and the greater Sacramento region. The Council’s activities included tremendous support of all Placer Land Trust activities and events, as well as spurring several projects of their own, including a Preserve Passport program, today known as Nature Quest, whose purpose is to provide greater exposure to PLT’s public preserves and the value of conserved land.
Karen and Tatyana’s passion, enthusiasm, and genuine appreciation for Placer Land Trust’s mission and its people resonate throughout their every interaction, and their legacy lives on through today’s fully engaged and thriving Community Council.
2025 Volunteer of the Year: Jeff Morton
Jeff Morton was recognized by Placer Land Trust as Land Steward of the Year in 2021, and even at that time, staff was fully aware that his contributions exceeded far beyond the land. Staff joked that we must be careful of what we think, let alone say, because Jeff will pick up on it and act! When we first moved into our current office space, the back door was often left open because it would get very warm inside. However, birds kept flying in through the open door, creating a bit of havoc for them and staff. Jeff walked into the office one day as we were trying to corral a very reluctant bird back outside; the next morning, we found a fully installed screen door in place.
That example is one of many, many thoughtful and impactful ways that Jeff has contributed to the organization. Year after year he devotes an amazing amount of time improving our preserves, volunteering on both the Preserve and Trail Stewards teams; he always responds to requests for specialized help from staff, whether it’s to dig holes for signs, prep an area for an event, install a solar water system or game cameras….no challenge is too large or small. As if there isn’t enough to help with on the preserves, Jeff takes yoga classes in the studio below the Placer Land Trust office, and afterwards he will pop in to help with anything that needs to be done in the office – for a while we had a running “honey do” list that he would take care of handily!
Jeff also turns his hobbies into PLT contributions, whether it’s to ride his mountain bike as a sweep after one of our Open Preserve Days, or to turn downed oak wood from our preserves into beautiful pieces of art. We have Jeff to thank for beautiful centerpieces and side tables that are auctioned at our fundraisers, as well as for the chess and mancala boards and seating at the gathering space in the Canyon View Preserve. Jeff and his wife Candace are long-time PLT supporters and Forever Society members, and his contributions are truly a legacy.
Land Steward of the Year: Exceptional volunteer, helping with the ongoing maintenance, monitoring, protection, and improvement of PLT preserved lands.
2024 Land Steward of the Year: Andrew Polik
After a distinguished career in law enforcement, Andrew Polik has been volunteering with Placer Land Trust since 2020. He started first as a hike docent, then rapidly also joined the Preserve Stewards team. He quickly became a valuable contributor, participating at every opportunity, whether it was planting oak trees, helping to realign or repair trails, trimming trees and reducing fuel load, or removing invasive plants at various PLT preserves. In 2022, Andrew contributed the second highest number of volunteer Preserve Steward hours – hard to beat!
In addition to contributing huge amounts of time to Placer Land Trust, Andrew also volunteers with Placer County Search & Rescue and Team Rubicon Disaster Response, and shares these experiences and his valuable expertise and skills to benefit PLT’s processes and activities. Most recently, Andrew became a certified Basic First Aid/CPR Instructor to keep PLT’s staff and volunteers trained, certified, and current with these skills.
The skills, confidence, and sense of humor Andrew brings to his volunteer work with PLT has been so helpful in the field – when a project hits a snag, he is always ready with a plan B or resourceful workaround! And when Andrew is around, we know he is keeping an extra eye on safety, always calmly and with a smile. PLT is indebted to Andrew and his continued commitment to excellence and service.
2025 Land Steward of the Year: Cathy Scott
Some people just give and give and give: Cathy Scott is a true example of that. Cathy started volunteering with Placer Land Trust in 2022. She immediately started making huge impact, while still continuing to volunteer with sister organizations such as the Bear Yuba Land Trust and the Gold Country Trails Council. Cathy was recognized by Placer Land Trust in 2023 as Volunteer of the Year, for which her land stewardship contributions were a large part.
An active member of every single one of Placer Land Trust’s land-based volunteer teams, Cathy participates as a member of the chainsaw crew, Trail Stewards, and Preserve Stewards. She shows up at every workday possible and eagerly participates in our calls to remove invasives at Canyon View Preserve or contribute to the statewide Great Sierra River Cleanup effort.
Cathy generously gives her time and effort in additional ways that encourage others to contribute to land conservation and care for protected land. She became one of Placer Land Trust’s first certified First Aid/CPR Instructors to keep staff and volunteers equipped to work safely on the preserves. As a volunteer hike and equestrian docent, Cathy also shares her love of the land with the public and fosters meaningful experiences to connect them with the land. She is a true land steward in every sense of the word.
Congratulations to these wonderful folks, and our deepest gratitude to all our amazing and dedicated volunteers!
We had a blast celebrating our volunteers at VolunCHEERS!
