California Travel Insider

Solano Land Trust closing-in on protecting Rockville Trails

This just in:  Wildlife Conservation Board award brings Trust to 85% of $15.5 million needed to purchase and care for the 1,500 acre property to be the community’s next natural park.

One step closer to meeting its fundraising goal for The Campaign for Rockville Trails, Solano Land Trust announced today that the Wildlife Conservation Board  (WCB) approved $2.877 million for Rockville Trails’ purchase.  Solano Land Trust launched its Campaign for Rockville Trails in May 2011 to raise $15.5 million to purchase the 1,500 acre property, which was approved for development of 370 estate homes in 2008.  The Land Trust will manage the property for public recreation, habitat protection and agriculture. To date, the Trust has raised $12.7 million, or 85% of its goal, leaving $2 million remaining for acquisition and $800,000 for permanent management and stewardship.

Once acquired, Rockville Trails will provide the community a new park, offering hiking, equestrian and biking trails as well six miles of the Bay Area Ridge Trail. 

“The support from the Department of Fish and Game and the Wildlife Conservation Board was a critical piece in our fundraising strategy,” stated Executive Director Nicole Byrd. “With the approval of this grant, we are just $2 million away from protecting this amazing property forever.”

“The Wildlife Conservation Board is pleased to support a project with high conservation value and with such diversity in funds raised,” said Dave Means, Assistant Executive Director of WCB, “We look forward to Solano Land Trust’s successful completion of this project and the new natural park that will provide the public with another place to get outside and experience the wild places of California.”

The WCB award joins more than $6.2 million in grant dollars from the California Coastal Conservancy, Moore Foundation, Resources Legacy Fund, Syar Foundation, Brewster West Foundation, Rose Foundation and AE & Martha Michelbacher Foundation. Additionally, $3 million in local open space tax assessment funds from the City of Fairfield Community Facilities District and Solano County Green Valley Open Space Management District were used to purchase 330 acres of the property last spring.

Even more impressive, says Byrd, is the $575,000 that has been generously donated from the local community.  “People think that the smaller donations don’t matter,” said Byrd, “but we have raised over $80,000 in donations under $5,000.  Many of these contributions range from $100 to $1,000 dollars and these gifts add up.”

Solano Land Trust purchased the first 330 acres using local tax assessment dollars in the spring of 2011 as part of a settlement between the Green Valley Land Owner’s Association, the Sierra Club and White Wing Highland Associates, the owner of the property.  The settlement provided for an option for the Trust to purchase the remaining 1,170 acres by February 2012.  The deadline has since been extended to July 2012.

Rockville Trails is located between Green Valley Road and Suisun Valley Road in Fairfield, CA, less than 45 minutes from Sacramento, San Francisco and Contra Costa County. The property’s rolling hills, oak woodlands, and rocky outcrops have the potential of becoming a new, natural regional park with a trail system that will connect existing and proposed trails that will one day circle the bay, reaching as far as Lynch Canyon and the Napa River.

“The finish line is within reach,” said Byrd.  “For all of you out there who have been considering helping with Rockville Trails, the time is now! Please make a generous donation today to help us reach our goal because July 31st is right around the corner!” To make an individual contribution or to get involved in the campaign, visit www.solanolandtrust.org.

 Content provided by Solano  Land Trust

Supercali Frazil Ice in Yosemite is slush for the soul

Not to be confused with Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious by Barbara L. Steinberg

Spending and yet another ho-hum getaway in beautiful Morro Bay at a conference. Yes, this is work! We were just entertained by a YouTube video presentation and the viral nature of things regarding Yosemite Nature Notes. The presentation by Yosemite Steve, was not only fascinating but full of humor. Kudos and reason enough for me to post this and see if the viral domino can start again.

It's all about Yosemite Nature Notes Episode 9 - Frazil Ice! Yosemite lover that I am, had somehow never heard of this phenomenon! I watched with chlidlike fascination as the frazil ice slushy pushed it's way through Yosemite Creek. Two years ago the video, shot for Yosemite Nature Notes, was sitting quietly until BoingBoing.com sent it into the viral universe.

Take it to the next planetary level.

 

California Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest

Grand Prize Award Presentation

February was the final month of the year-long Photo Contest. We would like to thank the photographers who submitted almost 900 images over the course of the year.

Their beautiful images have been appreciated by readers of Outdoor California, by visitors to the California Watchable Wildlife display at numerous wildlife festivals, and enjoyed and shared by visitors to our Facebook page. Our website is so much more colorful and attractive with these spectacular images!

Please join us at 1:00pm on Monday, April 23, 2012 when California Department of Fish & Game Director Chuck Bonham presents the Grand Prize Award on the South Steps of the State Capitol. The twelve monthly first-place winning images will be on display outside the Governor's Office from April 23-27.

Please watch for our People's Choice Award email, and vote for your selection from all 36 monthly winning images. The People's Choice winner will also be recognized at the Capitol on April 23.

See all the monthly winners and entries on Facebook. We hope you will continue to visit our website, to recommend the California Watchable Wildlife Facebook page to your friends, and share your stories about California's premier wildlife viewing experiences!

The February winning photos, along with the Grand Prize winning image, will be published in the March/April issue of Outdoor California. 

The year-long contest was conducted in cooperation with Outdoor California, a bi-monthly publication of the California Department of Fish & Game.

Watchable Wildlife Photo Contest

Grand Prize Award Presentation

1:00-3:00pm Monday, April 23, 2012

South Steps, California State Capitol

Sacramento, California

Social networking from California: A Letter

 

Seeking Dana Smith by Barbara L. Steinberg

This letter was originally published on February 26, 2010. My hopes for 2012, other then the usual: health, happiness, and world peace....would be an answer to this letter. Of course, I have passed another birthday and have rounded the corner towards 56. Maybe this will be the magic year.

Dear Mrs. Smith –

May I call you Dana? Now that I am nearly 56 years old it seems appropriate. I don’t know if you will remember me…though I believe you will. You were my English teacher (freshman and senior years [1970-1971 & 1973-1974]) at W. T. Woodson High School.  This is not the first letter I have written you.  I wrote to you after I graduated from high school and thanked you for coming into my life!  Here I am again.

You and I bumped heads that first year, 1970.  Diagramming sentences and all those English technicalities drove me crazy; I was so bored.  You may have suffered some of the same boredom. 

My senior year (1973-1974) with you included media/marketing and writing courses.  What an eye-opener for me!  Those experiences would eventually figure into my professional life in so many ways.  In my senior yearbook you wrote, “I expect to be buying your books soon,” Good Luck, D. Smith.  That was the most powerful and memorable thing anyone had ever said to me.

After graduating, I told you all of this in a letter. After moving to California, I stopped by to say ‘hello’ and let you know what was going on in my life.  You told me that you and your husband (whom I never met) were moving to Kentucky.  I believe you said he was a photographer and planned to open a studio.  Again, this is what I think was said.  I don’t remember if you said where in Kentucky or (specifically) when you were going.

I don’t recall if we spoke again, but I have thought of you often.

I have been looking for you for a long time.  I stopped by and called WTW – the English department, the principal – no one responded.  I contacted the teachers association.  Each time I explained, but no one seemed interested.  I have looked online. Searched through www.WhitePages.com, Google searches, and people-finder websites. Someone from my graduating class knows someone who is currently on staff in the English Department. They were going to do some asking on my behalf, but then I never heard anything more.

I posted the following on Facebook believing that this ‘six degrees of separation’ Mecca would find someone out there who recognized you. Or maybe even find you!

Barbara Steinberg I am still hoping to find Dana Smith who taught English at W.T. Woodson back in the '70s. She was still in Fairfax the last time I saw her but she said planning to move to Kentucky. Her husband was a photographer (I think this is what I remember).  December 13, 2009 at 8:38pm


Why is it so important that I find you?  Because I want to thank you…again!  Thank you for seeing something in me when I was only 17-years-old. Something no one else had noticed or nurtured. My life took many paths; all of them leading to my life as a writer and editor. Though I have been writing my whole life, I wasn't professionally published until my mid 30s. For 16 years I was the director of publications for California Tourism. Since 2006, I have been a freelance travel writer and marketing California as a travel destination.

I have often talked about what you taught me about the power of marketing. And, ironically, one of the first places I visited in California was the Hearst Castle…all because you had us watch "Citizen Kane" our senior year in a media class you taught. That’s true!  And from time-to-time, I take out my yearbook just to re-read your message. There are a couple of books I want to write, but finding the time is a major stumbling block. Your words of support may bring that to fruition someday. 

I hope this letter reaches you!  I want you to know that after 38 years I still remember and thank you from the bottom of my heart. In the meantime, others will know about the power of few well-placed words. Years later I still remember.

Love -Barbara

PS – Just before my senior year I visited a friend in the UK. Her mother, Joan, was a travel writer. When she explained this concept to me I said, “That’s a job?! I want that job.” I was just 17 years old and was just getting ready to begin my senior year in your class. The Universe, and D. Smith, saw the writing on the wall.