Meet Dawn
How long have you lived in the Bay Area?
A portion of my childhood and all of my adult life.
How did you learn about Save Mount Diablo?
About 10 years ago, my husband and I were invited to Moonlight on the Mountain. Soon after, I met Ted Clement and was fortunate to be one of the first teachers to participate in Save Mount Diablo’s Conservation Collaboration Agreement.
This educational outreach program brought Save Mount Diablo Staff into my sixth grade classroom to teach the students about the important conservation work of land trusts.
After the classroom visit, the students took a field trip to Curry Canyon Ranch to enjoy a guided hike, to participate in restoration work enhancing a trail, and to spend solo time along the creek where they journaled and contemplated their role in nature.
Which Save Mount Diablo programs are you involved in?
Because having students experience local open spaces has always been a priority for me, it was fitting that I join the Education Committee.
I’m proud that the committee helped guide Save Mount Diablo in expanding its educational programming to include grade school students and in creating the Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve.
After retiring, I knew I would miss working with children, so I now volunteer as a docent, guiding school groups at Mangini.
I have volunteered on a handful of Diablo Restoration Team days helping to clean out invasives, to water young saplings, and to plant new natives.
I’ve also helped set up Moonlight on the Mountain and am always impressed by the planning behind it and the volunteers who transform the quiet landscape near China Wall into a festive evening event—then restore it to its natural state by morning.
What do you enjoy about the volunteer work you do?
I enjoy guiding field trip groups on nature hikes and sharing my love of the outdoors. I get a charge out of the enthusiasm kids have as they explore the trails and make discoveries.
I also like getting to know the staff and other volunteers, hearing about their lives and learning about their passions. I leave each volunteer day feeling grounded, energized, and hopeful.
What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?
I remember spending the morning on a DiRT day at Marsh Creek chipping away at the serpentine soils with a sharp hori hori for nearly 30 minutes in order to make space for a single planting plug.
This made me better appreciate the resilience of California natives growing in such dry, rugged terrain.
Stewarding Save Mount Diablo properties is clearly time consuming and labor intensive, but over time the rewards become evident.
I experienced this when I returned to remove stinkwort for a second year and saw a noticeable decline in the invasive species along the corridor we had worked on the year before. It was such a gratifying feeling.
Is there a memorable experience you’ve had as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?
One of my favorite experiences was working alongside staff and volunteers, moving from site to site setting up and breaking down everything needed for hikers to have the ultimate glamping experience on this year’s Four Days Diablo.
I loved meeting and chatting with the hikers and hearing about their lives as well as building deeper connections with staff and Board members. By the end of the event, I felt fulfilled, happily exhausted, and part of a big, caring family.
How do you spend your time beyond your volunteer work with us?
I keep active with yoga, walking, biking, and swimming. At home, I like to garden, to work on house projects, to cook and bake, and to read. I also enjoy traveling and exploring new places.
My husband and I regularly hike Shell Ridge and Pine Canyon and plan to expand our hikes further south into the Diablo Range this year.
