Meet Lily
How long have you lived in the Bay Area?
I’ve lived in the Bay Area my entire life, I grew up in Walnut Creek and continue to live there.
How did you learn about Save Mount Diablo?
Last year, Save Mount Diablo came to my high school, Campolindo High School in Moraga, to discuss a field trip opportunity with my AP environmental science class.
I was instantly hooked and attended the trip at Mangini Ranch where I was able to share some of my knowledge from my course and implement it out in the field!
When did you start volunteering with us, and why did you get involved?
I began volunteering for Save Mount Diablo on July 10, where I attended a DiRT watering crew event.
Ever since then, I’ve attended almost every watering crew/habitat restoration project that Save Mount Diablo has offered. I originally got involved because I was really interested in the organization after exploring Mangini Ranch with the Save Mount Diablo team.
I knew that joining this organization would result in positive, influential changes to our local environments, as well as provide important educational lessons about conservation.
Additionally, I distinctly remember talking to the Executive Director, Ted Clement, on that field trip, who had a major role in this award by inspiring me to volunteer here.
Which Save Mount Diablo programs are you involved in?
I’m involved in the Diablo Restoration Team (DiRT) watering crew mainly, but I enjoy attending Discover Diablo events when I can because they are too cool to miss!
What do you enjoy about the volunteer work you do?
I love many things about volunteering for a watering crew event.
Firstly, being able to connect with a community that genuinely cares about preserving and protecting Mount Diablo and making a difference is something very special to be a part of.
And then there’s the sense of achievement you get when you’ve watered an entire area of native plants, carrying countless jugs of water, and then knowing that all that hard work you and a great team of people just did will pay off long term.
Lastly, being able to go out to Save Mount Diablo’s properties around 8 AM, seeing the morning sunlight cover the landscape and hearing the wind whistling through the trees and songbirds singing is always a special experience.
What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on as a volunteer?
My biggest challenge was probably working at Marsh Creek 7 on July 18, due to many different tasks going on at the same time, the hot weather, and the plethora of plants to water.
Fortunately, I still enjoyed myself that day because all that hard work everyone did with the fencing, mulching, and watering paid off!
Is there a memorable experience you’ve had as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?
A memorable experience I had was actually on the most recent DiRT day on August 21.
Myself, Haley Sutton, and a volunteer named Dave were the only ones who attended this event, and we had gone to the Irish Canyon property where there were previously only a few oak saplings that had sprouted.
I remember when we first started watering hearing Haley shouting that she had found one tiny sprout in a tree tube and that instantly gave me joy and made me hopeful to find more.
Luckily, I did find two more tiny saplings! This experience taught me to never give up hope, especially when it comes to nature and its mysterious ways.
How do you spend your time beyond your volunteer work with us?
Outside of volunteering, I attend Diablo Valley College part-time taking activity classes, and outside of that, I will literally do anything to get myself moving.
I enjoy many different sports/exercises, such as swimming, yoga, running, and especially hiking. I also have been teaching myself plant identification by reading botany books.
Prior to volunteering, I had just graduated high school and was spending most of June traveling in southern California. In the spring, I will be enrolled at Diablo Valley College full-time working towards a transfer to UC Santa Cruz to study ecology and evolutionary biology.
