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| Conservancy staff and celebrated volunteers L to R: Laura Pavliscak, Conservancy Stewardship Manager; Michael Allen, weather station volunteer, interpretive docent, and iNaturalist champion; Chris Gardner, interpretive docent, wildlife camera monitor, and birding survey volunteer; Scot Pipkin, Conservancy Public Access Coordinator; Chuck Noble, do-it-all volunteer, Bill Lydecker, pronghorn survey volunteer; Phoebe Prather, Conservancy Staff Biologist; Mike White, Conservation Science Director. Photo courtesy of Chuck Noble |
On August 10th, Tejon Ranch Conservancy proudly
held its first-ever Volunteer Appreciation BBQ. Over 40 people including
volunteers, friends, and family gathered at the park in the Old Headquarters of
Tejon Ranch to celebrate the fantastic interpretation, stewardship, and citizen
science work being done on the property.
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| Scot presented awards to the most active volunteers. Photo courtesy of Mike Prather |
Since the Conservancy was initially formed, we have been
utilizing volunteers to assist with spring trip leading, data collection during
efforts such as our annual Christmas Bird Count, Breeding Bird Blitz, and
purple martin survey, and stewardship projects.
However, the scope of our volunteer efforts has broadened significantly
in the last year in large part due to our adoption of the California Naturalist
curriculum. This University of California-developed class is the natural
history equivalent of a master gardener program. One of its primary objectives
is to train members of the community to be knowledgeable interpreters, citizen
scientists, and stewards of the land.
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| Intrepid surveys searching for purple martins. Photo courtesy of Nicole Stephens |
With a staff of seven employees and over 400 square miles of
land to protect, enhance, and restore, the Conservancy is going to need a lot
of help. Fortunately, we have established significant partnerships with a
variety of research and conservation organizations ranging from the UC Berkeley
Range Ecology Lab to dendroclimatologists (those who study tree rings to learn
about past climate) from the University of Minnesota. These relationships are
undoubtedly giving us deeper understanding of this extraordinary region and its
management. However as is often the case with science, the research being
performed on Tejon Ranch is leading to more engaging and complex questions than
tidy conclusions.
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| Vertical pipe capping volunteers |
This is where volunteers come in. With a cadre of skilled
nature observers, the Conservancy will increase its capacity to search for the
answers necessary to perform the best conservation management possible on Tejon
Ranch and beyond. Already, we have had volunteers take over pronghorn surveys,
monitor our weather stations, help to sort through wildlife camera data, and
maintain Conservancy vehicles. Since October 2013, we have received almost
2,000 donated hours from our volunteers- that’s the equivalent of an extra
full-time employee on staff. And we’re
just getting started…
The benefits of volunteers on Tejon Ranch extend far beyond
meeting the Conservancy’s organizational goals. We see our volunteer program as
a way to raise awareness about the natural history and scientific study of
Tejon Ranch and the Tehachapi Mountains. These ambassadors will disseminate
their knowledge throughout the community and directly to visitors as
interpreters on our public access events.
So where do we go from here? The Conservancy has begun
training another group of naturalists and is working hard on developing a new
series of stewardship and science projects that the public can help us with.
Stay tuned to this blog and our website as we announce more opportunities to
volunteer and help the Conservancy manage this spectacular place. Hopefully
next year, you too will be able to attend our Volunteer Appreciation BBQ!
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| 3 generations: Nancy, Kestrel, and Phoebe Prather enjoying some family time during our 2014 BBQ. Both of Phoebe's parents have gotten involved with volunteering for Tejon Ranch Conservancy over the years. Kestrel is a volunteer in training. . . Photo courtesy of Chuck Noble |
