Wonders April 2017

Placer land Trust protects Nisenan Cultural Land – Odayan Preserve

Placer Land Trust (PLT) is pleased to announce the recent permanent protection of another 27 acres of oak woodlands and wetlands in Placer County. This piece of land, located in Granite Bay, has special historical significance to local Native Americans. The land is located near a historic Nisenan village named Odayan, and we have named the property “Odayan Preserve” in recognition of the many generations of land stewardship by the Nisenan people.

A recent mitigation agreement between the landowner, Amazing Facts Ministries, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers allows adjacent land to be developed for a church, while granting a conservation easement to PLT on the 27 acres containing the wetlands and oak woodlands.

Our role at PLT will be to manage and monitor the property to ensure the wetlands and cultural values are protected in perpetuity. Funding for the ongoing stewardship of the property was provided by the landowner through the mitigation agreement.

“Our conservation easement permanently prohibits subdivision, development, and other activities that would be harmful to wildlife habitat, wetlands, Granite Bay water quality, and the historic character of this beautiful land,”

said our Executive Director, Jeff Darlington.

 

“Granite Bay has a rich history and a pretty amazing pre-history,” added Darlington. “80-million year old dinosaur bones have been found here, and of course much more recently the Nisenan people lived along the American River, Dry Creek and Miner’s Ravine in the lush oak woodlands of Granite Bay. We’re pleased to partner with Amazing Facts Ministries and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in protecting natural wonders like Odayan Preserve for the current and future generations — this is truly a partnership for the ages.”

Matthew Moore, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer at the United Auburn Indian Community is pleased to see the Nisenan heritage honored here, and says, “We thank Placer Land Trust for permanently protecting this land from development.”

Odayan Preserve is on land privately owned by Amazing Facts Ministries, and is not open to the public.

 

 

 

 

Welcome two new Board Members

We are excited to announce two new Board Members! In December Keela Rodriguez was elected to the PLT Board of Directors, and in March Karen Keene was elected.

Keela is a Lincoln resident and the Branch Manager of Stewart Title in Lincoln. Realizing the community of Lincoln wasn’t being directly serviced by a title company, she opened the office in July 2014. She brings to the Board an experience in real estate transactions which will be very beneficial to our work protecting land in Placer County.

Originally from Michigan, Keela at the age of 12 she moved to the Bay Area. She attended Sierra Nevada College focusing on business. She then went through the police academy and was a Deputy Constable in Incline Village for two years. She moved to Roseville and started her career in title and escrow in 1998.

Keela is active in her local community by serving on several committees, , and she is also a former Planning Commissioner for the City of Lincoln.

“It’s important to me to leave a legacy behind,” says Keela. “I don’t do it for the popularity. I was taught humility by my step-dad and to have a servant’s heart. That’s where my passion lies.”

Keela and her husband have a blended family with six children and one grandchild (so far). “I love being a Mom and Grandma,” said Keela. “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done in my life and what I’m most proud of.”

Keela calls herself a “foody”, and enjoys trying new restaurants as well as wine tasting. She and her husband like to travel and hike.

Karen considers herself a native Californian, despite being born in Maine, as she has lived most of her formative and adult years in northern California.

Following her passion for land use and natural resources, Karen completed graduate coursework in City and Regional Planning at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. After a few years as a land use consultant, Karen built a distinguished career spanning 27 years at the California State Assoc. of Counties (CSAC) as a Senior Legislative Representative and Director of Federal Affairs, from where she recently retired.

“Becoming a Board member of PLT is a natural transition that utilizes my relationships, hands-on experience and passion for agriculture and open space landscapes. To be able to contribute to the community in this way as a volunteer is perfect.”

Karen and her husband have lived in Loomis for 14 years. They share a love for live music and working on their grounds, he behind the wheel of their tractor and she in the garden. Now that she has more time, Karen is also looking forward to exploring the various trails in the area, especially those on PLT preserves.

Welcome Keela & Karen!

 

 

 

Make your Donation Count – Now through May 4th

WHAT is Big Day of Giving?
Big Day of Giving is 24-hour online giving challenge that brings together the region’s nonprofit community to help raise much needed unrestricted funds and shine a spotlight on the work nonprofits do to make the greater Sacramento region the place we call home.
This will be the fourth year that PLT has participated in this event, and we are proud to say that our members have helped us raise over $360,000 in the first three years—in just three days!

WHY Placer Land Trust?
• Protected wilderness provides habitat and clean air and water for wildlife and people.
• Preserved open space gives us places to explore, play, connect, and live a healthy lifestyle.
• Farms that stay farms forever will continue to provide nourishing food for generations to come.
• All of the above makes Placer County a unique, special place to be.
YOU can ensure these benefits continue forever through your support of PLT on the Big Day of Giving!

WHEN is it?
Technically, the online event takes place all day on Thursday, May 4th, from midnight to midnight. For all of you Star Wars fans, just think, May the Fourth be with you!
However, you can pre-schedule your gift NOW so you can “set it and forget it” (your credit card won’t be charged until May 4th). We’re excited to share that due to new changes this year, PLT is also able to get a head start: our members can “Join the Pack” by donating directly to PLT to create a matching gift fund that will DOUBLE donations on the Big Day!

WHY should I donate during the Big Day?
If you give directly to Placer Land Trust during the month of April, your gift is LEVERAGED to inspire NEW donors to become part of the PLT family.

If you’re giving via the Big Day of Giving website (www.bigdayofgiving.org/placerlandtrust) your gift will go further by being DOUBLED by matching funds.

And ALL of our Big Dog donors will receive an invitation to a special event at our newest preserve—you won’t want to miss spending a day here!

WHAT methods of payment are accepted?
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express are accepted for online gifts. NEW this year, donations by check directly to Placer Land Trust can also be accepted if we receive them by 5pm on May 4th, which of course saves on our pesky credit card fees.

Remember…

• DONATE directly to PLT by the end of April to add your gift to the matching fund, or donate at bigdayofgiving.org/placerlandtrust anytime by May 4th to have your gift doubled. Either way, it ALL goes to supporting PLT’s mission!

• SHARE your support of PLT with your friends via email, social media and in person—this is always the best way to leverage your support and protect the Placer County region we all care about so much!

 

 

 

 

Doty Ravine Preserve Floodplain Restoration

We couldn’t have timed the removal of the levee along Doty Ravine Preserve any better!

Our Floodplain & Beaver Restoration Project at this Lincoln preserve aims to reconnect approximately 38 acres of historic floodplain with Doty Ravine. In the 1880s a levee was built along the southern edge of the creek to create more farmable areas within the floodplain.

Last fall, PLT worked with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and our ranching tenant, Ryan Imbach, to remove 300 feet of levee in strategic locations. With the combination of existing beaver dams, dam enhancements and the extra wet winter, we’re observing big changes within the floodplain and more sediment deposition than we could have imagined.

The deposition of sediment onto the floodplain helps clean out the stream bottom which is beneficial for sakmonid spawning and the invertebrate population that feeds the ecosystem as a whole. The nutrient rich sediment then enhances floodplain soil and plants, and creates topographic variance which is vital for a diversity of plant and animal life.

And for us humans, the restored floodplain helps reduce downstream flooding by temporarily storing surges of water and slowing it down so that underground aquifers may be recharged. Stay tuned and watch this floodplain reorganize itself over the next few years … as nature sees fit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PLT Docents are the Best!

We are so fortunate to have some amazing people who volunteer their time with us – in particular, our team of docents. These are volunteers who have gone through extensive training in order to lead people on hikes on our preserves, and who have enough information to respond to questions our guests might ask while on a hike. To start, they fill out our volunteer application, complete our volunteer orientation class and go through an interview process. They are also put through first aid/CPR class, attend various training meetings, and are “trail trained” by other experienced docents or our staff. We consider our volunteer docents our elite group of “Ambassadors”.

The docent-led hike program was created in 2011 in order to provide additional access to our Preserves, to get people out in nature, and to spread the word about the good work being done at Placer Land Trust. We view it as an essential part of our Outreach Program.

As we continue to raise awareness about PLT, and hopefully increase membership, our docents are often the first contact the public has with our organization. The docents play a lead role in helping visitors enjoy the Preserves while gaining a better understanding of the land and the importance of conservation. This program is also meant to offer the docents an opportunity for enjoyment, enrichment and personal satisfaction.

Who are these special volunteers?

Jeri Juergenson is one of our original four docents and has been on our docent team since Spring 2011 when the program was created. She is a long time resident of Auburn living near our Big Hill Preserves and Harvego Bear River Preserve – where our docent-led hikes take place.

Bob Niblack joined the docent team in February 2013 and specializes in our geology and photography hikes. Before retiring, he worked at the Department of Water Resources as a geologist.

Susan Kotelnicki became a docent in March 2012 while attending Sierra College. She took a break for a while to focus on her education and other obligations, but recently rejoined the team. We’re thrilled to have her back.

Also in March 2012, Connie Watson joined our team. She focuses on special hikes at our Harvego Bear River Preserve, which is property formerly owned by her family. She knows the Preserve like the back of her hand and tells wonderful childhood stories to our hikers.

Sarah Roeske and Karl Mertz are both geologists and are a husband/wife team. Karl is a reserve docent who primarily leads special hikes. He is also one of our original four starting in spring 2011. Sarah officially joined the team in March 2014, but attended many hikes with Karl before deciding to become a docent herself. In addition to leading our popular geology hikes, Sarah enjoys leading our birding events.

Rick Ross came to us in April 2014 and is one of our main trainers working with new docents. He also often leads our popular moonlight hikes at our Big Hill Preserves. In addition to hikes, he helps with private mountain bike events.

Kim Mitchell joined our team in August 2014. She lives in Folsom and enjoys running and mountain biking, in addition to leading hikes. She can also be found co-leading our moonlight hikes.

Christina Walsh-Curley became a docent in March 2015. She focuses on education and likes working with children. Her outgoing personality and friendly smile add to the hiking adventure.

Gary & Shannon Wells are another of our dynamic duos, who spend much of their free time outdoors. They officially joined our docent team in January 2016. They are both teachers and have done several nature walks and scavenger hunts with kids on the hikes. They also enjoy the moonlight hikes.

Carly Rich-White started as a docent in February 2016. She works full time as a biologist, still attends college to further her education, recently got married and still somehow finds time to volunteer with us.

As our hikes became more popular and people indicated they wanted additional opportunities to visit our preserves, we recruited for our docent team and have been undergoing the extensive training with them.

From September to December 2016, we added to our team Julie & Mike Trueblood, Doug Johnson, Valerie & Gideon Codding, Sue Rice, Brett Hoffman, Nick Bagley, Jan Foster, Ray Valone, Doug Sheeks, Tom Piette, and Jayme Jackson.

We know once this group is fully trained, they will add a tremendous value to the hiking experience.

Welcome all!

 

 

 

Trails Update

Work continues on our trail network at Harvego Bear River Preserve. With support from REI we have built an

additional 2.5 miles of trail, bringing PLT’s trail network to

this are up to 9.4 miles.

These trails meander through blue oak woodlands and provide amazing views of the Sierra and central valley. Look for these trails to be featured on some of our free docent-led hikes in the near future.

If you’re interested in seeing these trails open to the public someday soon, we still need your help! Not only is your financial support needed, but we also need you to spread the word about the importance of PLT’s work. One very impactful thing you can do is speak with tour Placer County Supervisor and tell them YOU support PLT’s work with the County to open up this new trail system ti the public. PLT’s partnership with Placer County means that the Supervisors need to know trails and recreation are apriority for you – AND a priority for the County budget.

You can email your supervisor at bos@placer.ca.gov or call them at (530) 889-4010.

 

 

 

New Operations Director – Eden Rock joins the PLT team!

In November PLT welcomed Eden Rock to our team as our new Operations Director. Eden has an extensive background in non-profits and an understanding of how to make things work in the non-profit world.

Eden holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UC Berkeley, and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Public Administration from San Francisco State. After college, she joined the Peace Corps and was in Senegal (West Africa), where she lied in a small farming village for two years. Her favorite quote comes from a Senegalese proverb: “nit nit ay garab ab”, which translates to “man is man’s best medicine.”

For eight years Eden directed programs with Freedom from Hunger, a Davis-based non-profit focused on providing ways for rural women living on $2 a day or less to feed their families. Eden says some of her strengths and joys are identifying community needs and building relationships to address them. She also volunteers with an organization called Xperitas, which promotes cross-cultural connection and understanding.

One of Eden’s first experiences with PLT was in the fall of 2013 when she and her husband attended our first Bus Tour event with stops at Natural Trading Company, Doty Ravine Preserve, and Rancho Roble Winery. She also attended a trail work day at Taylor Ranch Preserve in 2014.

She and her husband Pat have lived in the Aeolia neighborhood of Auburn for 10 years, and they enjoy swimming, trail running, and hiking. They have three adult children, all girls.

We are excited to have someone of Eden’s caliber join our team, and she is thrilled to be here as well.

Welcome Eden!

 

 

 

Annual Staff Retreat

Sometimes you just have to leave the forest in order to be able to see the trees…

Recently PLT staff had the chance to spend two days away from the daily phone calls, computers, meetings, deadlines, trails and scotch broom, to gain perspective on the big picture and bring into sharper focus the year ahead. This year we held our annual staff retreat in Foresthill, where stunning vies of the American River canyon inspired and refreshed our thinking. Using our newly adopted Strategic Plan 2017-2021 as our guiding light, staff carved out plans and gained clarity on how to do what we do best: build and sustain connections among people, community and the natural environment. And to be sure, it wasn’t all work: thanks to a break in the rain, w enjoyed a soggy hike on the Divide, and roasted marshmallows in a cozy outdoor living room fireplace. Good times!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spotlight: Northern Foothills Partnership

PLT works with partners on many levels, some more behind the scenes more than others. PLT, Bear Yuba Land Trust (BYLT) and The Trust for Public Land (TPL) work together as the Northern Foothills Partnership (http://northernfoothills.org/) to go beyond political boundaries and limitations to protect oak woodland habitat, river access areas, and private ranch lands in the Yuba, Bear and American River watersheds.