Meet Beau
Beau Gutfreund
How long have you lived in the Bay Area?
I moved to in Oakland 2007, so 19 years. Before Oakland, I lived and worked seasonally in Yosemite Valley for six years.
How did you learn about Save Mount Diablo?
Through my work at Patagonia San Francisco. I am the store’s Activism Team Lead.
When did you start volunteering with us, and why did you get involved?
April 2026, our team was looking for local volunteer/stewardship outdoor opportunities.
Which Save Mount Diablo programs are you involved in?
Currently we’ve supported fire management with chipping and making burn piles. We tried tree ID/tagging for Sudden Oak Death spread by bay trees. Beyond the work, we saw many areas on the mountain for the first time and LOTS of wildlife.
What do you enjoy about the volunteer work you do?
I LOVE being outside, doing work you see direct results and impact from our efforts. Taking our store’s team to Mount Diablo was a rich experience.
What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?
The hillside was steep for the tree tagging; the wood we moved was moderate labor.
Is there a memorable experience you’ve had as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?
The time spent on the mountain, hearing very detailed personal knowledge from the Save Mount Diablo team, was inspiring. The team knows Mount Diablo so well and shared many new details and places with our team.
One additional thing I’d share was how excellent it has been to see new areas of the mountain. I love cycling. I’ve ridden up and down Mount Diablo a number of times. But I never saw the areas we worked on until our time together and that was just awesome.
How do you spend your time beyond your volunteer work with us?
I have volunteered with Surfrider, many parks in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and other groups in Oakland and San Francisco working to clean up areas and improve existing gardens.
