How long have you lived in the Bay Area?

Since May 2024.

How did you learn about Save Mount Diablo?

I was looking for information on outdoor volunteer options and saw Save Mount Diablo’s website.

When did you start volunteering with us, and why did you get involved?

I attended the volunteer docent orientation earlier this year and started actually volunteering in April.

Which Save Mount Diablo programs are you involved in?

I have mainly been a sweep on hikes but have also done some restoration work with DiRT.

What do you enjoy about the volunteer work you do?

First and foremost the beauty of Mount Diablo. Closely followed by the nice interesting people I get to meet.

What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?

This being early in my volunteer career everything I have done so far has been very enjoyable, but I look forward to helping out in more challenging endeavors.

Is there a memorable experience you’ve had as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?

I’ve had numerous repeat hikers on our outings and find it very satisfying how quickly you build relationships with them.

How do you spend your time beyond your volunteer work with us?

I retired last year after 30 years as a firefighter paramedic in SoCal. I have also been involved with scouting my whole life. I love backpacking, hiking, kayaking, and sports. The joy of my life is my family and my new grandchildren.

The post Volunteer of the Month | Alex Mistuloff appeared first on Save Mount Diablo.

The last nine years in the East Bay but 50 (!) years in the greater Bay Area starting with college at UC Berkeley.

How did you learn about Save Mount Diablo?

I don’t really remember, but we love supporting local organizations that protect land. It may have been from a Mount Diablo area map I picked up at the Marsh Creek State Park Heritage Days event.

When did you start volunteering with us, and why did you get involved?

Oddly, I started out helping with BioBlitzes. I saw a notice asking for volunteers to help out (probably in the Save Mount Diablo newsletter) and it sounded like fun—which it was.

When the Mangini Ranch Educational Preserve first opened, I saw a request in the email newsletter for volunteer docents to host groups. It sounded like fun, so I signed up.

Before we moved here, we lived next to a preserve on the peninsula where we volunteered, and I was looking for a way to get involved here.

Which Save Mount Diablo programs are you involved in?

I helped out with a few BioBlitzes before the pandemic. Lately I’ve been hosting at Mangini Ranch, and I started helping out as a sweep on the Discover Diablo hikes this year.

Most recently I’m helping out with tabling at [community] events.

What do you enjoy about the volunteer work you do?

I think it’s really important for people to get out in nature.

It helps people understand the importance of preserving what’s left of our native environment. It’s also a great stress relief for people.

I love talking with people out doing something they love—whether they’re experienced hikers or new to the trail. Plus, it gets me outdoors, which I love.

What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?

Not much has really been challenging. Finding a way to get into Mangini Ranch in the winter with the muddy trails is always a challenge.

Is there a memorable experience you’ve had as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?

A group of hikers visited Mangini Ranch and some of them had been hikers when they were younger but now have physical challenges that make hiking harder.

It was really fun to help them get access to some of the Mangini trails and see them enjoy being out in nature again. We took it slow, and I helped them manage some of the more challenging sections.

Everyone had a good time and enjoyed their time in nature.

How do you spend your time beyond your volunteer work with us?

I worked in software engineering leadership at startups and bigger tech companies for many years and have now been retired for a few years.

I enjoy lots of hiking in the beautiful local parks (many preserved thanks to Save Mount Diablo). We also do a fair amount of traveling since we’ve left the daily grind. I really don’t understand how I had time for a job!

The post Volunteer of the Month | Peter Alley appeared first on Save Mount Diablo.

How long have you lived in the Bay Area?

I was born and raised in the Bay Area, so a while now.

How did you learn about Save Mount Diablo?

I don’t remember for sure, but I think it was when I started participating in the Audible Mount Diablo series with Joan Hamilton.

When did you start volunteering with us, and why did you get involved?

I started volunteering about 10 years ago, and I did it to help folks get a perspective on what the mountain and its foothills mean to us here in the East Bay—all of the treasures hidden in plain sight.

Which Save Mount Diablo programs are you involved in?

I have been involved in the Audible Mount Diablo series, and these days I am leading [Discover Diablo] walks highlighting the long-standing relationship between Save Mount Diablo and the East Bay Regional Park District.

What do you enjoy about the volunteer work you do?

I enjoy introducing people to corners of the mountain they haven’t explored yet, with all their wonderful flora and fauna.

What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on as a volunteer?

Working with Joan Hamilton on videos was the most challenging, but also the most rewarding part of my volunteer work.

How do you spend your time beyond your volunteer work with us?

I am a Naturalist with the East Bay Regional Park District.

Some of the work I do with Save Mount Diablo is on my own time, because I want to learn and share more about Mount Diablo and the Diablo Range; other work is part of a collaborative effort between our two agencies, highlighting our corresponding goals and our love for the natural world.

The post Volunteer of the Month | Kevin Dixon appeared first on Save Mount Diablo.

How long have you lived in the Bay Area?

I moved here from Philadelphia in 1976 to take a job as an Assistant Professor at UC Berkeley in the Department of Physiology and Anatomy. I was trained as a cell biologist.

How did you learn about Save Mount Diablo?

My next-door neighbor in Kensington was Meredith Thomas [Save Mount Diablo’s former Land Programs Director, Meredith Hendricks].

She talked to me about her work with Save Mount Diablo and asked if I would be interested in serving on the Dr. Mary Bowerman Science and Research Committee. I said yes.

When did you start volunteering with us and why did you get involved?

I think I joined the committee in 2018.

I had served as Vice Chancellor for Research at the university for nine years before I retired and had struggled with rather massive research projects like the Energy Biosciences Institute with multimillion dollar budgets and casts of thousands.

I was attracted by the scale of the committee’s mandate and the focus on environmental biology and geology.

I was interested in learning about research projects trying to understand and further the preservation of the specific natural environment around Mount Diablo.

I looked forward to learning a lot and contributing whatever perspective I might bring to the discussions. It has been a delight and revelation to me to see how much can be accomplished with modest resources well managed.

Which Save Mount Diablo programs are you involved in?

The Dr. Mary Bowerman Science and Research Committee.

What do you enjoy about the volunteer work you do?

I much enjoy reading the applications for the committee’s small grants, and discussing their objectives, and I particularly enjoy the annual colloquium in which many of the grantees report on their work and other speakers talk about issues impacting the Diablo Range.

What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?

Deciding priorities when there are multiple competing good requests for funding research projects.

Is there a memorable experience you’ve had as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?

I would say that each of the Dr. Mary Bowerman Science and Research colloquia has been a memorable experience.

It has each time been a thrill to see the enthusiastic young scientists presenting their discoveries, to learn more about the biology and geology of the Diablo Range, and to hear from Save Mount Diablo’s thoughtful leadership about their efforts to understand and protect this environmental treasure.

How do you spend your time beyond your volunteer work with us?

After retiring from the university, I participated in the UC Botanical Garden’s Advisory Board for several years, leading an effort to create its current Strategic Plan, which is now in place.

I am also a Trustee of the Jepson Herbarium at the University. Right after retirement I served on the Board of Ashby Village for several years and participated in its early development.  Lately I’ve been involved in trying to organize my local Kensington neighborhood for disaster preparedness.

The post Volunteer of the Month | Beth Burnside appeared first on Save Mount Diablo.

How long have you lived in the Bay Area?

I have lived here for over 50 years. I am a fourth-generation native of San Francisco, and except for several years in Santa Barbara, have lived here all my life.

How did you learn about Save Mount Diablo?

I learned about Save Mount Diablo when I first started working at the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley in 1988. Dr. Barbara Ertter encouraged me to get to know the mountain and introduced me to Dr. Bowerman.

When did you start volunteering with us and why did you get involved?

I started volunteering with Save Mount Diablo in December 2023 when I was invited to serve on the Mary Bowerman Science and Research Committee.

I have worked in plant conservation throughout my career (now retired) and have always been impressed with the programs of Save Mount Diablo. It’s great to learn more about the programs and to participate.

Which Save Mount Diablo programs are you involved in?

Mary Bowerman Science and Research Committee

What do you enjoy about the volunteer work you do?

I most enjoy learning about the scientific and conservation work being performed in conjunction with Save Mount Diablo and meeting the people doing this work.

What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?

It can be challenging to determine the benefits and scientific merits of proposals for funding.

Is there a memorable experience you’ve had as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?

The Dr. Mary Bowerman Science and Research colloquium is always memorable!

How do you spend your time beyond your volunteer work with us?

I retired from my role as Curator and Conservation Officer at the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley in mid-2024, and I continue to volunteer there as well as with the California Native Plant Society–East Bay Chapter.

I enjoy hiking and being in nature as much as time allows.

The post Volunteer of the Month | Holly Forbes appeared first on Save Mount Diablo.

How long has he lived in the Bay Area?

He is a lifelong resident of Contra Costa County, raised in El Cerrito and a Moraga resident since 1986.

How did he learn about Save Mount Diablo?

Though he had known about Save Mount Diablo since he was young, even having a Save Mount Diablo bumper sticker in high school, it was when he moved from Berkeley and began advocating on behalf of the state parks that he decided to join Save Mount Diablo.

He met Bob Doyle at a hearing that the California State Parks put on in 1988 to discuss expanding to the southeast of Mount Diablo State Park and that was when his involvement with Save Mount Diablo really began.

When did he start volunteering with Save Mount Diablo, and why did he get involved?

Malcolm began volunteering with Save Mount Diablo in 1988 and has been on Save Mount Diablo’s Board of Directors for 32 years, acting as Board President twice, for 15 of those 32 years.

He is the current Chair of the Mary Bowerman Science and Research Committee.

Which Save Mount Diablo programs is he involved in?

Not only has Malcolm served on the Board for 32 years, he has also served on many committees, especially the Executive Committee, Land Committee, and Mary Bowerman Science and Research Committee.

Because of his expertise, Malcolm is involved in every land acquisition and our response to every land use project. He’s brought extensive financial and management expertise to the organization, including the hiring of three different Executive Directors.

What does he enjoy about the volunteer work he does?

“There’s no other organization in Contra Costa County that’s as influential as we are, and I say that with a lot of pride, because we have built that,” Malcolm says.

What is the most challenging project he has worked on as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?

As Board President, Malcolm was a part of significant organizational change within Save Mount Diablo, helping to guide the organization through several expansions over the decades.

“So organizationally, there were real changes during that period of 15 years. Staff grew, our capacity grew, the number of events we did grew— everything grew,” he said. Moonlight on the Mountain, Save Mount Diablo’s largest fundraising event, started while Malcolm was President.

Is there a memorable experience he has had as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?

Save Mount Diablo sponsored a project, with Doug Bell (Wildlife Program Manager at East Bay Regional Park District) as lead, to put transmitters on nesting prairie falcons to see what they are doing.

We learned a lot about their foraging habits from these transmitters, and that was information no one else had at the time.

It was very satisfying for Malcolm to get involved with a research project that told us something about not only what’s on the mountain, but its relationship to the other lands that we are interested in.

How does he spend his time beyond his volunteer work with us?

He is an experienced field naturalist who spends his time exploring the parks and open spaces of the East Bay. In the summer, his interests shift to the High Sierra west of Lake Tahoe.

The post Volunteer of the Month | Malcolm Sproul appeared first on Save Mount Diablo.

How long have you lived in the Bay Area?

On and off for my entire life.

How did you learn about Save Mount Diablo?

Judy Adler connected me (and my previous colleague and friend Jane Kelson) with Save Mount Diablo. Jane and I taught AP environmental science together [at Campolindo High School] and Jane had been working with Judy for years through geology field trips on Mount Diablo.

I got to know Judy through attending Jane’s field trips and Judy put us in contact with Ted in 2017 to discuss a possible Diablo Conservation Experience (formerly Conservation Collaboration Agreement).

The first Save Mount Diablo and Campolindo Diablo Conservation Experience happened in 2018.

When did you start volunteering with us, and why did you get involved?

I started interacting with Save Mount Diablo in 2017 through some exploratory meetings to see if Campolindo might be a good fit for a Diablo Conservation Experience.

I initially got involved with Save Mount Diablo because I have always enjoyed giving my students opportunities to get out into nature. Judy Adler spoke highly of Save Mount Diablo and recommended we collaborate with one another.

From the first meeting with Ted, I knew my students could benefit greatly from getting outside with, and learning from, Save Mount Diablo staff.

Which Save Mount Diablo programs are you involved in?  

Diablo Conservation Experiences and Save Mount Diablo Education Committee.

What do you enjoy about the volunteer work you do?

I love watching my students have transformative experiences in nature. I have also had the privilege of watching some of my students share their nature journal entries with large groups of people at Save Mount Diablo fundraising events.

Watching my students speak and realize their words have immense power has been an incredible highlight.

What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?

All the projects have been enjoyable, and none have been particularly challenging. That being said, enticing today’s students to get outside has taken more effort over the past few years, but it is so worth it to see them interact positively with nature!

Is there a memorable experience you’ve had as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?

As I said above, watching my students share their journal entries from their Diablo Conservation Experience at a fundraising event and watching the crowd react so positively to their words was incredibly memorable.

Seeing the pride and confidence on the students’ faces when they realized their words had so much power was even more moving.

Lastly, I feel very fortunate to have been a part of the group that created the “SOS” picture on the hillside at Curry Canyon Ranch.

Human banner from the 2019 global climate strike by Save Mount Diablo and its partner schools. Photo by Sean D. Johnson

How do you spend your time beyond your volunteer work with us, or what did you do before you started volunteering with us?

I love spending time with my family and getting outdoors with my wife and young kids (two and a half and five years old). I also teach woodworking and enjoy making things out of wood and metal.

The post Volunteer of the Month | Tren Kauzer appeared first on Save Mount Diablo.

How long have you lived in the Bay Area?

I moved to the Bay Area (from Canada) when I was in eighth grade. I grew up in Walnut Creek and now live here with my husband and kids (35+ years later).

How did you learn about Save Mount Diablo? When did you start volunteering with us and why did you get involved?

I first worked with Save Mount Diablo as a teacher at De La Salle High School. For one of our professional development/retreat days at work, we could select different service sites to attend.

I volunteered at the Curry Canyon Ranch property.

When I was looking for a volunteer opportunity for my sophomore honors biology classes, I contacted Save Mount Diablo, and we participated in our first Diablo Conservation Experience [formerly known as Conservation Collaboration Agreement] in November 2018.

We’ve been participating every year since (even virtually during the pandemic). Students work on an environmental service project as part of their semester exam.

Which Save Mount Diablo programs are you involved in?

Diablo Conservation Experience program. I am also an Education Committee member.

What do you enjoy about the volunteer work you do?

I think that the thing that I enjoy most is hearing from my students about their experiences in nature. Many have not had time to hike or do restoration work, or even sit in nature and appreciate it.

I want to instill in them a love for nature so they can make choices in their future about caring for the environment around them.

What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?

The most challenging project was planting seedlings at one of the Curry Canyon properties. We were up on a hill and it was hard to balance and carefully plant. I’ve also cleared non-native plants from a streambed.

Is there a memorable experience you’ve had as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?

Watching my students sit under the oak trees, reflecting on Nature—no cell phones or devices for an entire day.

How do you spend your time beyond your volunteer work with us?

I teach biology at De La Salle High School. I’m a cubmaster for my daughter’s Cub Scout pack. I love hiking, running, and being in nature.

The post Volunteer of the Month | Henriette Howett appeared first on Save Mount Diablo.

How long have you lived in the Bay Area?

I moved to the Bay Area in 1997.

How did you learn about Save Mount Diablo?

I learned about Save Mount Diablo when I became Executive Director of Cal State East Bay’s campus in Concord.

Save Mount Diablo hosted the annual Pearl Harbor Beacon lighting at the summit of Mount Diablo.

One year, I believe it was in 2013, it snowed at the summit, and it would have been extremely difficult for veterans participating in the ceremony, who were in their 80s and 90s, to make the journey.

Save Mount Diablo Board members contacted me and requested use of the campus as an alternate ceremony site. Of course we said yes, in spite of a very tight time table.

The ceremony was conducted in our largest lecture hall, and veterans activated the Beacon remotely from a site on the campus where they had an unobstructed view of the mountain.

When did you start volunteering with us, and why did you get involved?

After that first Beacon lighting, Save Mount Diablo decided to conduct the ceremony annually on the campus, and we happily partnered to make it happen.

From that point on, my staff and I worked on a number of collaborative efforts with Save Mount Diablo, and I decided to become a member. A few years later I was asked to join the Board of Directors (I think it was 2018 though not sure), and I’ve been there ever since.

Which Save Mount Diablo programs are you involved in?

I’m a member of the Board of Directors as well as the Board’s Executive Committee. I also chair Save Mount Diablo’s Education Committee, which is composed of a wonderful group of educators heralding from a number of institutions, from K-12 to community colleges and universities.

What do you enjoy about the volunteer work you do?

That’s easy: working with such dedicated people who believe wholeheartedly in the mission of our organization. Their passion is contagious!

What is the most challenging project you’ve worked on as a volunteer?

The pandemic. . . . participating in organizational meetings and organizational projects without ever seeing your colleagues was definitely the most challenging part of my time with Save Mount Diablo.

Is there a memorable experience you’ve had as a Save Mount Diablo volunteer?

I think the recent talk I did with Executive Director Ted Clement for Save Mount Diablo donors.

Discussing the history of my tribe and linking indigenous views of nature with the work we do here at Save Mount Diablo was both professionally and personally fulfilling. The audience was extremely engaged and dedicated to the cause of environmental conservation.

How do you spend your time beyond your volunteer work with us?

I am a retired administrator and Associate Professor of History at Cal State East Bay.

Currently, I spend my time assisting my son Aaron who suffers from a severe form of muscular dystrophy. In spite of his physical challenges, Aaron is now a junior in high school and has won multiple awards for his video production work.

Beyond that, I am actively involved in a number of projects with my tribe, the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians. Our reservation is located in northern San Diego County. And of course there is my work with Save Mount Diablo, which I enjoy immensely.

The post Volunteer of the Month | Robert Phelps appeared first on Save Mount Diablo.

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.

The post Volunteer of the Month | Lily Parry appeared first on Save Mount Diablo.