Diablo Watch
Fall/Winter 2012 No. 54
Art Bonwell: Remembering Our Co-founder
A
rthur D. Bonwell, “Art” co-founded Save Mount Diablo on December 7, 1971 and served on its Board of Directors until he passed away on July 14, 2012 in Concord, California.
The Early Years
Costa County Conservation Committee of the Sierra Club’s San Francisco Bay Chapter. Botanist Mary Bowerman was also a member and she repeatedly brought attention to increasing threats to Mount Diablo and that the State was doing little to protect it or to enlarge the small State Park. Art suggested that they organize a group to work specifically on Mount Diablo issues. In 1971 Art and Mary co-founded Save Mount Diablo, which he considered the most important work of his life. Sandra Hoover and Saul Bromberger, Diablo Magazine
Born April 28, 1927 in Dana, Indiana, a town of about 700, Art moved to California in 1956. When he returned to Dana in 1987 to care for his elderly mother, he was elected to the town council in Saving Diablo 1988 and served as the town Save Mount Diablo has council’s President for several helped expand protected years before returning to lands on Mount Diablo California in 1993. from just one park of Between his junior and 6,788 acres in 1971 to senior years in high school more than forty parks Art worked for Western and preserves totaling Union. From April 1945 110,000 acres in 2012. to 1948 he served in the Bowerman was recognized U.S. Navy as an electronics for providing Save Mount technician. After graduating Diablo’s early vision but from Purdue University it was Art’s organizational Our Co-founders Mary Bowerman and Art Bonwell photographed in front of the mountain with a B.S.E.E. in 1951 they cared so deeply about for Diablo Magazine’s Threads of Hope Award in 2000. skills which created the he went to work for a organization and aided Dupont ordnance works in its growth to more than built at the start of World 8,000 supporters today. Art War II in Dana. In 1956, he served Save Mount Diablo transferred to the Organic in many roles over the Chemicals Department and last forty-one years including as its President, Vice-President, moved to California to help build and operate the Dupontmember of the Executive and Land Committees, as well as Antioch Works where he was a process control engineer. He the first webmaster. At the time of his death he was a Board retired in 1982 at age 55 but had already begun the equivalent of Member Emeritus and continued to serve on the organization’s a second career, in conservation. Land Committee. During Art’s tenure at Save Mount Diablo, well known areas of Mount Diablo such as Mitchell, Back and A Second Career Donner Canyons were preserved, as well as North Peak, Pine Art was active in both the Contra Costa Park Council and the Ridge and the Blackhills. Sierra Club. In 1969 he became Chairman of the Central Contra
“I didn’t think Mount Diablo was getting enough attention.”
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Self-Guided Hike: Lime Ridge Audible Guide Mapping Preservation Thomas Home Ranch
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Lot 25: Protecting Mt. Diablo Creek BioBlitz: What Calls Mount Diablo Home Thanks to our Supporters
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