CONTRA COSTA COUNTY—Join Save Mount Diablo in exploring the Bay Area’s beautiful wild lands and open spaces. Discover Diablo is a free public hike program that offers an annual schedule of guided interpretive family walks, hikes, and property tours open to any and all trailblazers looking to get out in nature.
The Discover Diablo program seeks to build awareness of local land conservation efforts and nurture relationships between our community and the amazing natural world of the Mount Diablo area. Generously sponsored by the Shell Martinez Refinery for a fourth year, the 2020 Discover Diablo free public hike series will begin on January 25th.
“We are pleased to sponsor this opportunity for people to explore and discover the beauty of Mount Diablo, a wonderful natural resource in our own backyard, with experienced guides,” said Ann Notarangelo, External Relations Manager for the Shell Martinez Refinery. “We hope that people will enjoy learning more about the diverse habitats and the striking vistas while spending time outside with their families and friends.”
Discover Diablo offers 24 events throughout the entire year, with hikes taking place on a Save Mount Diablo property—or hosted on a collaborating agency’s land that Save Mount Diablo helped to protect in years past.
Save Mount Diablo’s property tours illustrate the importance of preserving wildlife habitat and building corridors between existing parks while emphasizing the breathtaking beauty that the Diablo Range has to offer. There will be something for everyone to enjoy and learn from.
To complete the land conservation picture in the Diablo Range and pay homage to collaborating agencies, SMD also hosts regular outings on Mount Diablo State Park, East Bay Regional Park District, and Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation lands.
Save Mount Diablo ties these outings together by offering an annual schedule of free public hikes to explore these diverse lands. Save Mount Diablo’s Discover Diablo program is for hikers of all ages and skill levels.
Discover Diablo hikes are guided by knowledgeable staff and experienced volunteer hike leaders. Some of the properties utilized in the Discover Diablo program are not yet open to the public, so these hikes also present special opportunities to visit breathtaking landscapes rarely seen.
Hosting monthly hikes is an effective way to engage and grow communities invested in the sustainability of local open space. Through this initiative, Save Mount Diablo intends to reach new audiences; build our membership base of adventurers, explorers, and outdoor enthusiasts; spark a passion for the Diablo Range; and engender community conservation by deepening connections to the land and nature. Save Mount Diablo hopes to bring in people from all over the Bay Area to improve awareness of and increase advocacy efforts for the Diablo Range.
According to Ted Clement, Executive Director of Save Mount Diablo, “It is the goal of the Discover Diablo program to build connections between people, Save Mount Diablo, and the land, helping our communities develop a strong sense of place and a deepened appreciation for our collective backyard. Most importantly, we want to cultivate a love of the land in participants, as that is what it will take to ensure the precious Mount Diablo natural area is taken care of for generations to come.”
Discover Diablo, Save Mount Diablo’s series of free guided hikes, shares a taste of Diablo’s wild lands in just a morning, evening, or afternoon. There is something for us all to discover in the nooks and crannies surrounding Mount Diablo, so be sure to hit the trails in 2020 and find your own individual inspiration!
RSVP required. To ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to attend, registration for hikes in March onward will open two months prior to each hike’s date.
See our full schedule of upcoming hikes, view and RSVP online here:
http://bit.ly/Discover-Diablo-Hikes-Calendar
You can also download and print a flyer of the schedule here:
Summary: CONTRA COSTA COUNTY—Discover Diablo is Save Mount Diablo’s free public hike series, offering an annual schedule of guided walks, hikes, and interpretive tours open to any and all trailblazers. Generously sponsored for a fourth year by the Shell Martinez Refinery, the 2020 Discover Diablo free public hike series will begin on January 25. Discover Diablo offers 24 events throughout the entire year—either taking place on a Save Mount Diablo property or hosted on a collaborating agency’s land. Join Save Mount Diablo in exploring the Bay Area’s beautiful wild lands and open spaces.
Who: Save Mount Diablo is a nationally accredited, nonprofit land trust founded in 1971 with a mission to preserve Mount Diablo’s peaks, surrounding foothills, and watersheds through land acquisition and preservation strategies designed to protect the mountain’s natural beauty, biological diversity, and historic and agricultural heritage; enhance our area’s quality of life; and provide recreational opportunities consistent with the protection of natural resources. To learn more and support Save Mount Diablo, please visit www.savemountdiablo.org.
What: Save Mount Diablo’s 2020 Discover Diablo annual free public hike program. Discover Diablo, Save Mount Diablo’s series of free guided hikes, shares a taste of Diablo’s wild lands in just a morning, evening, or afternoon.
When: An annual program comprised of an average of two free hikes per month throughout the year.
Where: Contra Costa County—Walnut Creek, Clayton, Concord, Livermore, Pittsburg, Antioch, Brentwood, Oakley, Danville, San Ramon.
How: RSVP required. To ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to attend, registration for hikes in March onward will open two months prior to each hike’s date. Visit Save Mount Diablo’s website to view the Discover Diablo hikes calendar for a schedule of upcoming events: http://bit.ly/Discover-Diablo-Hikes-Calendar
Why: In support of Save Mount Diablo’s mission, the Discover Diablo free public hike series program seeks to build awareness of local land conservation efforts and convey the importance of protecting open space for habitat and recreation. We intend to reach audiences from all over the Bay Area.
Sponsored by: Shell Martinez Refinery
High Resolution Images, Flyers, and Press Release Files: http://bit.ly/Discover-Diablo_PR
Image Credits & Captions:
- Photo at top: Discover Diablo hikers enjoy the trails on a guided hike through Perkins Canyon in October 2016. Photo Credit: Roxana Lucero, Land Stewardship Associate, Save Mount Diablo.
- Inline photo: Hikers explore Lime Ridge for a Discover Diablo “fire followers” hike to view wildflower regeneration in March 2019 after fires scorched the area in the summer of 2018. Credit: Laura Kindsvater, Communications Intern, Save Mount Diablo.
- All other photos: Hikers enjoy the trails on Save Mount Diablo’s Four Days Diablo group camping trip, a 30-mile trek along the Diablo Trail over four days leading them on an adventure through rarely seen Mount Diablo landscapes. Discover Diablo, Save Mount Diablo’s series of free guided hikes, shares a taste of Diablo’s wild lands in just a morning, evening, or afternoon. Photo credit: Scott Hein, Save Mount Diablo Board of Directors.
Questions about hike program details and RSVP information:
Denise Castro, Education and Outreach Associate, Save Mount Diablo;
T: (925) 947-3535 x36, C: (925) 286-9327, dcastro@savemountdiablo.org
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