Land&People, Vol. 28, No. 1 - Spring/Summer 2016 by Trust for Public Land

S P R I N G / S U M M E R 2 0 16 A BENEFIT TO MEMBERS OF THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND

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This issue of Land&People is made possible in part by a generous grant from Kimpton Hotels. Just as The Trust for Public Land preserves the special places that give our communities their unique character, Kimpton Hotels preserves special buildings as elegant and charming one-of-a-kind hotels. Kimpton Hotels is a proud supporter of Parks for People, The Trust for Public Land’s initiative to create close-to-home parks in cities across America. The Trust for Public Land thanks Kimpton Hotels for its support, as well as for its environmentally friendly way of doing business—including innovative eco-rooms, linen reuse policies, water conservation, and recycling programs.

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contents

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ch r is h in k l e

F EAT U R E S

“Everyone will love the new playground, so they’re going to care about it.” ~ samir s ix t h g rader at j . h .s . 1 8 9

30 Recess by Design ............................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Celebrating 20 years of greening New York City, one schoolyard at a time.

Trailblazers .... ............................................................ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Meet the women tasked with building the Southwest’s ﬁrst urban wildlife refuge.

Monumental ........................................................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Locals knew the San Gabriel Mountains were something special— now the nation does, too. T P L. O R G · 1

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

M AY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

Help conserve land for people every month of the year. It’s easy, automatic, and secure. Join today.

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D E PA RT M E NTS

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Three cheers for the trailblazers

l issa mo n b erg

From the President · 11

contents

Board Spotlight · 13 Ignacia Moreno

Contributors · 14 Mailroom · 15 First Look · 17

Insight · 26 Outdoor Afro’s Rue Mapp on inspiring new — and diverse — leaders

Member Center · 62 Ofﬁces · 63

hunt + capture

Raw oysters done right, alleys go verde, and how to turn lemons into ... playgrounds?

o n t h e cover What happens when you empower kids to design their dreams? Turn to page 30 to ﬁnd out.

JO IN U S ON FAC EB O O K Scan the QR code with your mobile device to stay tuned to the latest news, videos, contests, and more. facebook.com/tpl.org

T P L. O R G · 3

n omi e lle n son

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LA CIMA CHARTER SCHOOL, BROOKLYN, NEW YORK From its green-roofed gazebo to its thirsty garden planters, this schoolyard playground is built to ease strain on the city’s aging sewer system by soaking up stormwater. But for all its hardworking features, it is ﬁrst and foremost a great place for recess: no surprise, once you hear who designed it.

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chri s hi n k le

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VALLE DE ORO NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE, ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

With rain on the horizon, sandhill cranes and Canada geese come in for a landing at the Southwest’s ﬁrst urban wildlife refuge. Valle de Oro lies at a key stopover point for long-haul ﬂyers making their annual migration — and within a half hour’s drive of nearly half the state’s human population.

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ste ve n g n am

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HASKILL BASIN WHITEFISH, MONTANA

In February, a conservation easement here safeguarded locals’ most important source of drinking water and a cherished outdoor escape. It would prove to be the last work of The Trust for Public Land’s own Alex Diekmann — a negotiator of unmatched skill and passion who leaves behind a legacy of protected places across the Rocky Mountain West.

Page · 64

T P L. O R G · 9

our mission: p ub l i s h e r Sean Connolly

edito r i a l d i re cto r Eliza Sarasohn

art d i re cto r Matt Mullin

m an ag i n g e d i to r Alia Salim

p h oto g ra p h y co o rd i n ato r Elyse Leyenberger

p ro d u cti o n a ss i sta n t Skye Alexander

edito r i a l a ss i sta n t Shoshannah Flach

w ri te r s Allie Ferguson Julia Busiek

m ar ke ti n g Kristen Anderson

dig i ta l p ro d u cti o n Carrie Gotch Adele Wilson-Hamaker

con tr i b u ti n g e d i to r Bill Poole

A GREEN ER READ Land&People is printed in the United

THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND CREATES PARKS AND PROTECTS LAND FOR PEOPLE, ENSURING HEALTHY, LIVABLE COMMUNITIES FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. how you can help: Our work depends on the generous support of people like you.

States on chlorine-free, 30 percent postconsumer recycled paper and manu™

factured using Envirotech ink, which contains a high percentage of ingredients derived from renewable resources. Printed by Quad/Graphics Inc., Wisconsin.

donate: Use the envelope inside this magazine, or visit tpl.org/donate for other easy ways to give. learn more: Get timely updates on our park and conservation work near you. Sign up for our e-newsletter at tpl.org/enews. share: Help us make the case for parks and open space. When you’ve ﬁnished reading this issue, pass it on!

Land&People, LandVote, Northwoods Initiative, Our Land, Parks for People, ParkScore, The Trust for Our Land, The Trust for Public Land, TPL, and The Trust for Public Land and LandVote logos and

Land&People magazine is a beneﬁt to members of The Trust for Public Land.

all other names of The Trust for Public Land programs referenced

Free trial issues are available at tpl.org/freemag.

herein, as well as their logos, are registered or common law trademarks of The Trust for Public Land.

1 0 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

from the president

A few years ago, I was lucky enough to visit Albuquerque, New Mexico, to attend the dedica-

sara cozolino

THREE CHEERS FOR THE TRAILBLAZERS tion ceremony for the new Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge, created with help from The Trust for Public Land. The ﬁrst urban national wildlife refuge in the Southwest, Valle de Oro sits adjacent to densely populated neighborhoods much in need of parks and open space. It was deeply gratifying to see the crowd ﬁlled with park lovers of all stripes—from civic leaders and conservation officials to clergy, educators, moms, dads, and neighborhood kids. When U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell cut the ribbon,

New leaders are working to

the cheers were resounding.

bring parks to the communities

At The Trust for Public Land, we create parks and protect natural lands where everyone in

that need them most.

America can get outdoors, connect with nature, and stay healthy. From the beginning, that’s

Mapp is cultivating a new cadre of African

meant working in and near cities—where

American conservation leaders. Also in this issue,

more than 80 percent of us live. We believe

you will learn how the people of Los Angeles are

that everyone—regardless of income or circum-

working to protect the San Gabriel Mountains, a

stance—should be able to ﬁnd a park or natural

show-stopping wilderness on the very doorstep

area within a 10-minute walk of home.

of that dynamic, teeming city.

In this issue of Land&People you will meet

We hope you enjoy the stories you read here,

some of the new and emerging leaders who are

and we thank you for the essential role you play

working to bring parks to the communities that

in helping protect precious public lands, from

need them most. At Valle de Oro, refuge man-

neighborhood parks to national parks. Spending

ager Jennifer Owen-White is building a leader-

time in nature is a basic human need. Together,

ship team that reﬂects the diverse constituents

we can lead the country to equitable access to

it serves. And in New York City—where our

parks and open space for all.

schoolyards-to-playgrounds program is celebrating its 20th anniversary—Trust for Public Land staff are teaching tomorrow’s park advocates the real-world skills they’ll need to pursue careers in conservation and resource protection. This issue also includes a conversation with Rue Mapp, creator of Outdoor Afro, a national

Will Rogers president and ceo

network connecting African Americans to the outdoors. Through her work and her example,

T P L. O R G · 11

BE A LEADER. Connect more people to nature by becoming a Conservation Champion today. With your annual leadership-level contribution of $2,000 or more in general support you will receive invitations to special events and insider updates on our park and conservation strategies.

Learn more about the impact you will have as a Conservation Champion. Call Haley Nielsen at 415.800.5189.

co ns er vat i o n ch ampi o ns t pl . o r g/ c h a m p ions | cham p ions@tp l.org

O F F IC E R S

Ignacia Moreno sarah derag o n

p res i de n t a n d ch i e f exe c u t i v e o ff i c e r William B. Rogers s en i o r v i c e pre si de n t an d d i re cto r o f c i t y pa r k d e ve lop me n t Adrian Benepe

board spotlight

Get to know

CEO and a principal of The iMoreno Group, PLC, Ignacia Moreno is a nationally recognized leader in environmental and

s en i o r v i c e pre si de n t a n d di v i si o n di re cto r Raymond Christman

natural resources law. From 2009 to 2013,

s en i o r v i c e pre si de n t a n d c h i e f m a r ke t i n g off ice r Sean Connolly

ment and Natural Resources Division of

she served as the Senate-conﬁrmed assistant attorney general for the Environthe U.S. Department of Justice. She was previously in-house environmental counsel

s en i o r v i c e pre si de n t a n d di re cto r o f co n se r vat i o n st rat e g ie s Ernest Cook

at the General Electric Company and practiced at two prominent Washington, D.C., law ﬁrms, including as a partner. Moreno was born in Cartagena, Colombia,

s en i o r v i c e pre si de n t a n d di v i si o n di re cto r Jeff Danter

and grew up in New York City. She now lives in McLean, Virginia, with her husband and son. She joined The Trust for Public Land’s

v i ce pre si de n t a n d di re cto r o f f e deral affairs Kathy DeCoster s en i o r v i c e pre si de n t, gen e ra l co u n se l , a n d se cre tary D. Malcolm Carson s en i o r v i c e pre si de n t a n d c h i e f ph i l a n t hrop y off ice r Margie Kim

national board in 2015.

I JOINED THE BOARD BECAUSE … The Trust

I SUPPORT THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND

for Public Land works on issues that have

BECAUSE … I believe in its core mission: to

long been important to me. The more I

create parks and protect land for people.

learned about the mission to create parks

I believe it is our civic duty to protect our

and protect land for people, the more

environment for future generations.

s en i o r v i c e pre si de n t, chie f fi n a n c i a l o ff i c e r, a nd treasu re r Cynthia Scherer

certain I became that this would be a good ﬁt—and I was right!

THE KEY CHALLENGE FACING THE TRUST FOR

v i ce pre si de n t a n d di re ctor o f co n se r vat i o n t ra nsactions Brenda Schick

MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENT AS A

expertise to continue to lead the way in

BOARD MEMBER WAS … moderating an

addressing climate change. Climate-Smart

energizing panel discussion on diversity

Cities™ is a remarkable program that

with Hilary Tompkins, the solicitor of the

should be deployed nationally.

v i ce pre si de n t a n d d i re cto r o f hu m a n re sou rce s Barbara Smith s en i o r v i c e pre si de n t a n d c h i e f o f sta ff Tim Wohlgenant

B OA R D OF D I R E CTOR S Page Knudsen Cowles (Chair), Stephen W. Baird, George Bell, William J. Cronon, Douglas Durst,

PUBLIC LAND IS … how to leverage its

Department of the Interior, and Avi Garbow, general counsel of the Environmental

I FIRST FELL IN LOVE WITH THE NATURAL

Protection Agency.

WORLD WHEN … as a child growing up in New York City I would walk with my

THE TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND’S WORK IS

sister and brother to Riverside Park on the

UNIQUE BECAUSE ... it works to make a dif-

Hudson River. The park’s calm and natural

ference in the lives of all Americans. The

beauty offered a respite from the hectic,

Trust for Public Land has long understood

concrete world in which we lived. It made

that all people—regardless of income,

us all very happy!

ethnicity, or geography—deserve parks,

F. Whitney Hatch, Ignacia S. Moreno, Caroline P.

and that all people need a place to rest,

Niemczyk, Michael E. Patterson, Thomas S. Reeve,

rejuvenate, and connect with nature and

Jeffrey A. Resnick, Laura Richards, Roy Richards Jr.,

each other.

William B. Rogers, Lex Sant, Sheryl Tishman, F. Jerome Tone, Ana Valdez, Susan D. Whiting

WHAT ABOUT YOU? Tell us how you connect with nature. Join the conversation on Facebook: facebook.com/tpl.org T P L. O R G · 13

contributors

April Reese

Chris Hinkle

George B. Sánchez-Tello

story:

Trailblazers

Monumental

Milwaukee-based journalist April Reese is

Photographer Chris Hinkle got his start

Sánchez-Tello is an award-winning reporter

an associate editor at Discover, where she

behind the camera in Flagstaff, Arizona,

from Los Angeles’ San Gabriel Valley. In 2011,

writes on topics including environmental

through a love of outdoor sports—especially

he was hired by The Wilderness Society to

science and medicine. She holds a master’s

mountain biking and rock climbing. His

work with San Gabriel Mountains Forever, a

degree from the Yale School of Forestry and

commercial and editorial work has appeared

coalition working to permanently protect the

Environmental Studies and has contributed

in Sunset, Running Times, Bicycling, and The New

region’s mountains and rivers. He teaches

to publications including High Country

York Times, among others.

environmental justice at California State

News, The Christian Science Monitor, and

chrishinkle.com

University, Los Angeles.

Smithsonian.com.

follow him on twitter @sancheztello

EVEN MORE LAND&PEOPLE Download the free Land&People iPad app—available now at the App Store. The digital edition includes all the stories you love in high resolution, plus bonus content like video, search tools, easy social media sharing, and instant links to learn more. If you don’t have an iPad, you can access the digital edition online at tpl.org/lpdigital. Wherever you see the pointer symbol below, you’ll ﬁnd bonus content in the digital edition. Download the app or go online to dive deeper into the story.

1 4 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

ipa d is a registered tra demark of ap ple inc ., registered in the u.s. and other countries. app store is a service mark of apple inc.

follow her on twitter @areesesantafe

mailroom

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JOI N OUR COMMUNI TY Looking for a virtual community that really gets you? You’ll ﬁnd lots to like— and share—when you follow The Trust for Public Land online.

There are some gifts only

ALL SMILES

Kids love monkeying around at Patton Street Park and Garden, our newest outdoor play space in the Echo Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.

can provide.

We love hearing from you! Tell us what you think of the stories you read here, and you just may ﬁnd yourself in the next issue. You can reach us by mail, on Facebook, or at mailroom@tpl.org.

#My606Story F A L L / W I N T E R 2 0 15 A BENEFIT TO MEMBERS OF TH

E TRUST FOR PUBLIC LAND

Adventures abound on

trail will be used for cross-country

Chicago’s new elevated

skiing in the winter; if that’s the case,

park and trail.

it’s almost like I never left home! Tori Mason, via Instagram

I recently moved from Maine to

WELCOME TO THE 606:

A PARK YOU CAN LOOK UP TO

+ RECLAIM THE WOODS + A CALIFORNIA CITY BREAKS ITS IRON TIES

Chicago. I thought I would be

Since The 606 opened it has brought

sacriﬁcing all my “green” time.

health to me and my family. We run,

But The 606 keeps me connected

walk, and bike more often than ever.

to my work, home, and most

We do not have to worry about cars

importantly, the natural world.

at all, and that is wonderful. It does

With hundreds of plant species

not matter if it’s raining, cold, hot—

and even some critter friends,

it is uplifting.

I didn’t lose touch with nature

Miguel, via Facebook

after all. I heard a rumor that the

+ 2015 YEAR IN REVIEW

T P L. O R G · 15

jer r y an d marcy mo n k m an

jerr y mo n k man

mailroom

I appreciate that the locals had input into this project. I hope they will beneﬁt from the food the farm produces and be able to sell some to local restaurants and businesses. Urban green space is vital to all communities. Bob Bartlett, via the blog WATCH THE VIDEO @

TPL.ORG/FROGTOWN

This is fantastic. Where in L.A. is it and can we expect to see more?

Walkers, joggers, cyclists, dog-walkers,

Think positive

strollers, wheelchairs, faster, slower,

I’m a longtime donor. I admire what

old, young, rainbow-hued, multilin-

you have been doing with the maga-

gual—we all ﬁnd outdoor joy along

zine—talking about what’s working

The 606 path.

versus showing the horrors. I teared up

Xanthoceph, via Instagram

several times reading the issue, amazed

soap star greg rikaart — better known to fans as kevin on the young and the restless — tweeted his praise for green alleys in south central los angeles. learn more on page 20. annie bang

Randolph Community Forest, New Hampshire

at the grandeur of humans caring for

The town forest grows up

others and making a difference.

Our story about reclaiming woodlands

William Wittmann, via email

for community forests resonated with readers across the country.

A one-of-a-kind park for Frogtown

Here in Oregon, we have many national

With dancing and drummers, St. Paul

forests, but I fear my grandchildren

celebrated the opening of Frogtown

will never see the wide open spaces

Park and Farm — now home to one of

and beautiful country that I have been

the largest urban demonstration farms

blessed to experience. There has to be

in the country.

a way to keep our open spaces from greedy business and government sell-

This sounds wonderful! Not surprised

offs. Keep up the great work you do!

it is in St. Paul!

Kate Strohm-Priesman, via the blog

Lorna Jansen-Schultz, via Facebook

1 6 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

LAND&PEOPLE IS LISTENING! Send letters to the editor or change your mailing address: mailroom@tpl.org.

“ YO U A R E N OT H E R E M E R E LY TO M A K E A L I V I N G . YO U A R E H E R E TO E N A B L E T H E W O R L D TO L I V E W I T H A FINER SPIRIT OF HOPE AND A C H I E V E M E N T. YO U A R E H E R E TO E N R I C H T H E W O R L D.” woodrow wilson

A family explores North of Highland Camping Area, a short walk from Cape Cod National Seashore in North Truro, Massachusetts. Thanks to your support, this beloved vacation spot is permanently protected.

t u r n t h e pag e fo r … so m e sau c y a d v ic e · an l . a. m ake ov e r · a m o u n tain yo u can d r in k to T P L. O R G · 17

S E A W AT E R and S U N S H I N E

edible conservation

hamma hamma river olympic peninsula, washington

Washington’s Hamma Hamma River

berg and her brothers took over the

owes its interesting moniker to the

family business a decade ago. Today,

Coast Salish, a Native American tribe

they employ about 30 people, and Hama

helped protect more than 8,000 acres of

that lived along its banks. According

Hama oysters are a prized delicacy in

working forest along Hood Canal from

to local lore, hamma hamma means

restaurants and markets throughout

further development. The deal was good

“stinky stinky”—a reference to the

the region.

news for the timber industry, a corner-

each spawning season.

Last year, The Trust for Public Land

Dominated by federal wilderness

stone of the region’s economy—and

and carefully managed timberland,

for shellﬁsh. “Timberland is a safer bet

the Olympic Peninsula is still a wild

than development,” says Monberg. She’d

down the West Coast, the name means

landscape. The eleven rivers that tumble

rather contend with logging than septic

something else entirely: fresh, delicious

from the interior are among the most

tanks or farm runoff. “It’s harvested on

oysters.

pristine streams on the West Coast,

a 40– to 60–year rotation, which means

bringing cold, clean water that’s critical

it’s quiet most of the time.”

But for adventurous eaters up and

“Our oysters don’t need anything but clean seawater and sunshine,” says Lissa James Monberg. She’s a ﬁfth-generation

to growing healthy oysters.

If you love oysters, Monberg says, you have a job to do. “Each of our customers

shellﬁsh farmer at the Hama Hama

microscopic nutrients from seawater. If

is a potential advocate for clean water,”

Oyster Company in Lilliwaup, just west

that water is polluted, the oysters grow-

she says. “By protecting habitat you’re

of Seattle—and she’s downplaying the

ing in it can get sick. “It can be scary—

also protecting a successful, sustainable

tough, wet work required to raise and

we really rely on other people to help us

business that ties together love of place,

harvest shellﬁsh commercially. Mon-

keep the water clean and the ocean safe

environmentalism, and quality of life.”

je nn repp

w yoming aero photography

Oysters are ﬁlter feeders—they get

jeff scott shaw

salmon carcasses that ﬁlled the river

for food production,” says Monberg.

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rin a jo rdan

buzzworthy

How to eat raw oysters “When you’ve carefully sourced fresh oysters, the best way to taste them is to keep condiments as simple as possible,” says Monberg. She eats hers with just a few drops of lemon—but for those looking to mix it up, she recommends these three classic pairings. MIGNONETTE Add chopped shallots and a hit of freshly cracked black pepper to some red wine vinegar, and you’ve got yourself a basic mignonette. From there, get creative with different vinegars, white pepper, or a squeeze of lime.

—Reno Keoni Franklin chairman of the kashia band of pomo indians of stewarts point rancheria The newly established Kashia Coastal

HORSERADISH

Reserve in Northern California restores ocean-

The grassy bite of freshly grated horseradish

front land to the native Kashia people, forced

is a great complement to the fruity saltiness of a fresh raw oyster.

WATCH THE VIDEO@

TPL.ORG/KASHIA

inland more than a century ago. The reserve’s bluffs and redwoods will allow the tribe to

BREAD AND SALTED BUTTER

resume traditional gathering and forestry

Make like the Europeans do, and eat your

practices—while the public gains access to

oysters with slices of thick and chewy bread (brown or white) topped with farmstead

dramatic Paciﬁc vistas through an extension of

butter and salt.

the California Coastal Trail. F I R ST LO O K · 19

good news

FIA

SON

IA R

RIG

UEZ

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Allies for alleys N

PE DR O

SONIA

AR IA S

SANT ANA

Sonia Rodriguez: Through the Equipo Verde,

them — for their safety. Before the alley was

we’ve built close friendships — and we’ve also

rebuilt, we never walked through. It was too

built relationships with city ofﬁcials. I see that

dirty and scary. Now we like coming here.

people care and want to make the community better. That gives me conﬁdence and makes me feel safer. Pedro Arias: When I was young, the alley was just disgusting. You’d see stray dogs and grafﬁti everywhere. My favorite part now is the murals. They bring out my inner artist.

Sophia Giron: I’m setting an example for my

kids to participate and improve the community. My daughter comes too—she plants trees and helps keep the alley clean. Nurin Miranda: People used to dump old furniture and mattresses in the alley. Now we work hard to keep this place clean for our

Sonia Santana: I have seven children and ﬁve

children. It was a great idea to plant fruit trees —

grandchildren. I joined the Equipo Verde for

they are beautiful!

2 0 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

Members of the Equipo Verde meet monthly to help keep the newly renovated alley clean and green.

WATCH THE VIDEO @

TPL.ORG/VERDE

what counts

“This alley is in front of my house. It used to be like a garbage dump. Now my kids can ride their bikes and scooters here until they are tired.” — Freddy Martinez, pictured below

Even in the densest cities, there’s room for green space if you know where to look. Take Los Angeles: the sprawling streets are interlaced with 900 miles of alleyways—the majority unused and unsafe.

87 … cups of lemonade sold by nineyear-old Parker Robinson, a fourth-grader at Lafayette Street Elementary School in Newark, New Jersey.

So why not turn that dead space—an area twice the size of New York’s Central Park—into an asset? That’s the idea behind our Avalon Green Alley

Parker’s schoolyard is a half acre of plain

demonstration project, which aims to repurpose nearly a mile of neglected

asphalt—not much fun at recess. So when

alleyways in South Los Angeles into walkable, bikeable, beautiful public

he heard that The Trust for Public Land was

space. Lush plantings and permeable pavement will keep alleys cool and en-

working to transform it into a real park, he

able them to absorb and ﬁlter stormwater—diverting thousands of gallons

took a refreshing approach to helping out.

of runoff a year before it can pollute local waterways.

From a makeshift stand built from refrig-

A group of dedicated locals are stepping up to make the vision a reality. Calling themselves the Equipo Verde (Green Team), they’ve been meeting monthly to organize cleanup days and knock on doors to recruit their neighbors. We recently joined the team to plant fruit trees, paint a mural,

erator boxes, he set up shop on a warm Friday afternoon. By the time the pitchers of fresh-squeezed lemonade ran dry, Parker had made $87 to donate to his school’s new playground.

and talk about their progress so far.

F I R ST LO O K · 21

word watch

meet our staff

nich ol as l ea b run o

“My work is about bringing nature to where the people are.”

JEN ISACOFF THE OPERATIONS DIRECTOR FOR CITY PARK DEVELOPMENT KNOWS

land swap /land'·swäp'/

THE BEST PARKS ARE BUILT ON TRUST.

When did you get your start with The Trust for Public Land? I was practicing landscape architecture, but what appealed to me most about the profession wasn’t the design details—like whether pathways

Trading spaces can be a handy approach to

should be brick or slate—but working with communities to help them

conservation when high property values make

make those decisions. I was drawn to The Trust for Public Land’s focus on

it difﬁcult for communities to buy land outright.

that engagement process, so in 2004 I began working on our park develop-

In December, one such swap became the ﬁnal step in The Trust for Public Land’s long effort to restore full access to Colorado’s Wilson Peak. At 14,023 feet, the mountain is far from the tallest of the state’s beloved “Fourteeners,” but

ment projects throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

You recently took on a new leadership position as operations director for city park development. What does that entail?

it’s among the most recognizable: the summit

We know there are many beneﬁts to being in nature, but not everyone has

is visible from the world-famous ski slopes of

the transportation, funds, or time to really get outside. So my work is about

Telluride — and, for that matter, on every can of

bringing nature to where the people are. In urban areas we want everyone

Coors beer.

to have access to a quality park within a 10-minute walk from home. My new role is to help staff nationwide create parks that provide the biggest possible impact for the local community.

2 2 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

jeremy b e e to n

Boeddeker Park in the heart of the Tenderloin, San Francisco, California

dozen different languages, really diverse. Over the winter holiday, vandals burned down the play structure. It was coming up on Martin Luther King’s birthday, and so instead of just being sad, the kids asked, well, what would he have done? And they staged a protest—the whole student body marched around the block singing. It was so powerful to see tiny kindergarteners standing up for their little patch of green.

What about your own kids? What do they think of the work you do? How did you ﬁrst become interested in the public-access side of environmental work?

is established. When people begin to

My children are very young—four and

trust, they open up about real prob-

six. So they know I build parks, I just

lems—and we can start designing real

don’t get into the details with them. But

My parents raised me with a strong

solutions.

the other day, they asked what meeting

sense of equity, peace, and justice.

I was going to and I said, “Well, today I have to tell some people why parks are

we were growing up feeling the threat

What do you try to learn in these design sessions?

of nuclear war. I remember thinking

We try to get past just asking about

I know why parks are important—be-

that if people could just get out and

what color swing-sets and slides people

cause kids like to play in them!” And

see the world, they wouldn’t want to

want. We want to build deeper con-

then my daughter chimed in with,

destroy it—they would be moved to

nections by asking more about their

“And because they have nature.” And

protect it. That’s what drew me to parks

childhood memories of parks, and their

I thought, wow! I’ve never explained

and placemaking.

vision for their park’s future. We hear

that to them. Our work has to be pretty

things like, I want to have my child’s

powerful and fundamental if even kids

What’s the best part of designing parks alongside the people who use them?

birthday party here, or our family re-

understand it intuitively.

When we start a project, communities

I had my ﬁrst kiss in a park. It’s these

What do you love most about your job?

can be wary—even if they want a park.

kinds of stories that inspire us to design

I feel really grateful to have found an

They want to know who we really are

a really special place that will be central

organization whose mission matches

and why we’re really there. Sometimes

to people’s lives.

my values. We all deserve nature, not

When I was in high school in the ’80s,

important.” And my son said, “Mama,

union. Or, my friends and I used to lie in the grass and look for lucky clovers. Or,

divorced from our daily lives but inte-

they see us as just another outsider

Those are experiences that make people invested in their parks.

grated into it—whether that’s going to

what’s best. But that’s not what we’re about. I live for the moment that people

Right—even a tiny park can play a huge

smelling the ﬂowers in bloom, or even

realize, oh, you’re actually listening

role in people’s daily lives. The ﬁrst park

just looking at it, for a moment of calm.

to us, you’re really here to help us get

I ever worked on was next to a school

Everyone deserves that.

what we need: that moment when trust

with about 600 students, speaking a

coming in thinking that we know

the park to exercise, or walking by and

F I R ST LO O K · 23

WE GIVE TO …

why we give

court esy t h e s. d. b ech t el , jr. foun dat ion

create opportunity

lauren bechtel dachs, san francisco, california

“The Trust for Public Land brings special places to people all across the country — and people to special places.”

WATCH THE VIDEO @

TPL.ORG/WHYWEGIVE

Before the tech boom, the Santa

tion—started by her father Stephen D.

to the person who best embodies our

Clara Valley was a fertile patchwork

Bechtel, Jr.—supports educational and

mission to create parks and protect land

of orchards and oak-shaded ranchland

environmental efforts across the state,

for people. Past recipients include Sally

rolling down to the south shore of the

including The Trust for Public Land’s

Jewell, U.S. secretary of the interior;

San Francisco Bay. As a child, Lauren

Parks for People program. Dachs and

Douglas Durst, chair of Durst Organiza-

Bechtel Dachs and her siblings roamed

her colleagues at the foundation believe

tion; and Michael Kowalski, chair of the

free there all summer. “We had our

the parks and public spaces created by

board of Tiffany & Co.

own outlaw gang,” she recalls. “We built

The Trust for Public Land are critical to

forts, rode horses, gathered cattle, and

community health and well-being.

As she expressed at the award ceremony, “The work of The Trust for Public

“We need to preserve some of the

Land is hugely important and increas-

land that provides our food and our

ingly urgent. Children need outdoor

clean water, and that is increasingly

places to learn, and to develop values

is better known as Silicon Valley, and

playing a role in providing resiliency in

such as a sense of self and responsibility

much of the region where Dachs ﬁrst

the face of climate change,” says Dachs.

for others. Adults also need a place to

fell in love with nature has been paved

“We also need to preserve the right

gather, to become a real community by

over to make way for data centers and

for all people to connect to the natural

planning, building, and sharing a sense

housing developments. As president of

resources which feed our souls in this

of place where they live.

the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, Dachs

fast-moving and urbanized world.”

ﬁshed in streams. We were outside from dawn to dusk and then some.” These days, the Santa Clara Valley

is working to ensure that future genera-

Late last year, in appreciation of her

“The Trust for Public Land brings special places to people all across the

tions of California kids don’t miss out

long record of service, The Trust for

country—and people to special places. I

on the life-changing opportunity to play

Public Land awarded Dachs the orga-

wish for some of this for every child, as

and explore in nature close to home.

nization’s highest honor, the Land for

I know it was a huge part of making me

Under her leadership, the founda-

People Award—presented annually

who I am today.”

2 4 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

Double your impact today! This year, an anonymous donor will generously match your gift—dollar-for-dollar—if you send it before December 15. Your donation will go even further to help The Trust for Public Land protect more parks, gardens, and other natural places. That’s one good thing made that much better.

ﬁg. 2

good.

better.

Give your EarthShare.

800.714.5263 donor.outreach@tpl.org tpl.org/match

An EarthShare payroll deduction is one simple way to donate to The Trust for Public Land or more than 400 other environmental and conservation charities. Many corporate and government employers support EarthShare payroll giving. If yours doesn’t, ask them to start. If they do, simply decide on a single deduction or a recurring small one from every paycheck. Then designate us, member number 11440, as one of your conservation charities. For more information visit earthshare.org or email donor.outreach@tpl.org.

T P L. O R G · 25

alex diekmann

ﬁg. 1

insight

C O N V E R S A T I O N

W I T H

RUE MAPP

THE

R O

2 6 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

court esy o u t do o r af ro

In the five years since those first few strokes of the keyboard, Mapp has become one of the nation’s most influential voices on diversity and the outdoors. When she’s not at a speaker’s podium, she’s on the trail amid the redwoods and rolling hills of the San Francisco Bay Area. We caught her in a rare moment of stillness at Outdoor Afro headquarters in uptown Oakland.

How did you ﬁrst form a connection to the natural world? I was raised to be outside all the time—and frankly I took it for granted. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized just how special my experiences were. I grew up on a deadend street in Oakland, and the unused end of the block was claimed exclusively by the neighborhood kids. We’d pilfer wood and nails from our garages and build hidden perches in the oak trees that grew back there. My parents also had a small ranch up near Clear Lake, north of Napa. Out there I could just be a kid: ride my bike on country roads, play around in the creek, watch the seasons change and the wildlife come and go.

So the outdoorsy trait runs in the family. I get it from my dad. He was a black cowboy who came from Texas to California and brought his love of the outdoors with him. He hunted and fished—I caught my first fish with him In years of hiking, biking, paddling, and exploring

when I was three years old. He taught me this everyday way

the outdoors, Rue Mapp found herself asking the same

of being in nature: it wasn’t an event, it was a way of life. We

question over and over:

made wine, jams, and preserves. We had pigs and cows. My dad built a smokehouse for sausages and hams and delicacies

Why am I the only black person here?

that we couldn’t buy in a store.

When she put the question to social media, Mapp found

Sounds like Little House on the Prairie.

her experience resonated with African Americans across the country. What started as a personal blog grew quickly into Outdoor Afro, a national network connecting and creating a new cadre of outdoor leaders.

You know what? I used to read those Laura Ingalls Wilder books while we were up on the ranch. I really connected to her characters in some ways, but there weren’t any stories about little girls who looked like me. That’s one reason Outdoor Afro exists—for me to tell my story so that black and brown girls can see themselves in nature and the outdoors.

I N SI G H T · 27

t eresa bake r

An attendee at a 2013 Outdoor Afro event explores the Consumnes River Preserve in California’s Central Valley

What other stories are out there? Who has inspired you? Well, African Americans have historical role models, but we don’t necessarily connect them with conservation or outdoor leadership. So what I’ve been doing is rebranding people. Think about Harriet Tubman. She was every bit a wilderness leader: how else could she have brought hundreds of people to freedom under cover of night? She knew how to read the landscape and navigate by the stars. When you think about someone like her as a wilderness leader, it situates us in nature—and as leaders in nature—in a way that we don’t typically have the opportunity to tap into.

Right. Because for much of your life in the outdoors, you were the only black person on the trail. Growing up, I was always with people who looked like me in nature because I was with my family. But as I got older and

Why do you think that was?

When you created Outdoor Afro, you were ﬁnishing your bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley while also working full-time at Morgan Stanley. Not to mention being a mother of three kids. How did you get your idea off the ground?

I was privileged because I had networks of friends who sup-

I was trying to ﬁgure out what would come next. A mentor

ported me getting out in nature. I could borrow gear, or ride

asked me, “If time and money were not an issue, what would

along with them. But if you don’t have that know-how or

you be doing?” And without really thinking about it, I said,

those networks, it can make it hard to do some things in the

“Oh, I’d probably start a website to reconnect African Ameri-

outdoors. When I hear people ask questions like, how come

cans to the outdoors.” It was like I opened my mouth and my

only white people go to Yellowstone?—I’m like, chill, it’s in

life fell out.

started getting out of the city, I’d join the hiking groups, go on biking trips, and ﬁnd I was always the only African American woman there.

Wyoming! It’s about where people can access. There’s a myth that people who look like me don’t have a

In two weeks, I registered the website and started writing and posting pictures, just telling my story. But Outdoor Afro

connection to nature. When we talk about communities of

was really born on social media. It wasn’t complicated; it

color in nature, the question tends to be, “Why don’t they go

didn’t take a focus group. It was simply the only way I could

out?” or “Why are they not doing these very speciﬁc activi-

get a message out to thousands of people from my kitchen

ties?” I ask different questions. How are people getting out?

table. I just started talking about why I love being outdoors,

What are they doing when they go? Busy working families

and pretty quickly, people started to say, “Hey, you’re not the

have a lot going on, so how do we make it easy for people to

only one.” Soon, Outdoor Afro became a place for people to

connect to nature, close to where they live? We need to lower

ﬁnd each other and share and post their experiences. Wonder-

the barriers between communities of color and the outdoors,

ful things started to happen. In the ﬁrst year, we were invited

whether they’re psychological barriers, or practical barriers

to the White House for President Obama’s signing of the

like gear and transportation.

America’s Great Outdoors initiative.

2 8 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

used co u rt esy n o rt h caro l in a stat e un iversit y , ral eig h , n o rt h caro l in a

“THERE’S A MYTH THAT PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME DON’T HAVE A CONNECTION TO NATURE.”

Camp Whispering Pines in Wake County, North Carolina, 1941.

What do your kids think about all this? I think a lot about the sacriﬁces they’ve made. Back when I was in school, they’d cry when I left to go to class. We had no idea what was on the other side of that, that it would become something as transformative as Outdoor Afro. My kids are 19, 14, and 13 now. They have been by my side, championing

You began by training trip leaders by conference call, and now you hold an annual retreat. What makes a great Outdoor Afro trip leader?

me, telling the story. My work allows me to include them in

Someone who has a heart and can connect. Participants on these trips may be going to a place they’ve never been, to do

What’s your advice to other parents for raising natureloving kids?

an activity they’ve never done, with people they’ve never met.

Trust them. And trust nature. We can be overprotective: we

They trust us with these ﬁrsts, and we want to honor that by

don’t want our kids to take risks, we don’t want them to get

making everybody feel welcome, seen, and cared for. That’s a

hurt. But kids are going to test their limits. Little scrapes and

key to our success.

moments of uncertainty are there to help kids learn who they

almost everything that I do—and they love the outdoors!

are. Nature is a generous teacher; it’s there for all of us.

Why do you focus on leadership training—versus just getting people exposed to the outdoors?

What are you working toward now?

People tell me time and time again that they appreciate hav-

My big, audacious goal for Outdoor Afro is to bring outdoor

ing leadership that looks like their community. There are

leadership back to the home. You can take a kid from a low-

many nature-based school groups and programs with black

income area and offer them one high-adventure experience in

and brown participants, but the trip leaders or class teach-

pristine nature—but then what happens when it’s over? I’m

ers—the ones with all the knowledge—are not people from

not hearing good enough answers, and that’s why Outdoor

the community. We’re here to shake that up a bit. It’s inspir-

Afro is focused on empowering everyday people—moms, dads,

ing to learn about birds, wildlife, and native plant restoration

grandmas—to lead in the outdoors.

from African Americans. We’re starting to shift the visual

We’re in the business of culture shift. There are all these

representation of what getting out into nature looks like—not

little indicators that we’re moving in the right direction—even

only who can be in nature, but who can lead.

this conversation wouldn’t have happened 10 years ago. I’m

I have seen so many examples of people who come out of

seeing a change in how we’re talking about communities of

Outdoor Afro leadership awakened to a whole different set of

color in the outdoors and whose voices are getting heard. But I

possibilities. They’ve been turned on to conservation, ecology,

think true success will happen so quietly that you won’t even

public speaking, and working for nonproﬁt organizations. We

notice. No balloons, no parade … just a moment of transfor-

are helping to change the face of conservation, one relation-

mation. We’ll see all communities enjoying nature as a part of

ship at a time.

everyday life, and it’ll be no big deal.

I N SI G H T · 29

3 0 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

BY ANDY ISAACSON Illustrations by the third-graders of The Harriet Tubman Learning Center—P.S. 154, Harlem, New York

T P L. O R G · 31

an drew f ede r m an

C Y P R E S S H I L L S , B R O O K LY N

3 2 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

Even if your memories of grade school have faded, you can probably still picture the playground. Large or small, asphalt or grass, it was your world and you knew every nook and cranny, from the quietest corner to whisper a secret to the straightest stretch to run a race. Where adults saw an empty schoolyard, you looked out on the landmarks of your own private map: the squeakiest swing-set, the most treacherous puddles, the fastest route back to class when the last bell chimed.

Nobody knows a playground like a child.

hat’s the idea behind The Trust for Public Land’s New York City playgrounds program,

picture of a square ﬂowerbed. “Pollen makes my eyes go ‘bleh’!” counters another. Like a

which taps students to help transform their recess

lot of city kids, she’s a little wary of the natural world. “We

areas into vibrant gathering spaces for the whole

shouldn’t have too many ﬂowers because some people might

neighborhood.

be allergic.”

Among the most recent schools to enter the playground

The Trust for Public Land’s environmental education consul-

program is J.H.S. 189, a junior high in Flushing, Queens. Here,

tant Maddalena Polletta overhears the discussion and assures

the barred windows of a three-story, ’50s-era building over-

the group they can ﬁnd plants that go easy on allergies. Pol-

look an acre of barren asphalt surrounded by a chain-link

letta and landscape architects from the ﬁrm SiteWorks often

fence. On a typical day, much of the schoolyard is used for

step in to guide the students’ conversation this way. But it’s

parking. There’s a section left over that’s big enough for kids

mostly about broadening their perspective: in general, she

to run or toss a football—but teachers say they rarely see kids

says, kids rarely have to be told to keep the focus on learning.

playing there. Asked how it feels to be in the yard, sixth-grad-

Chatty 11-year-old Rosaura shares her diagram of an outdoor

er Samir answers only, “Lame.” Samir’s class is one of four taking part in the playground

classroom surrounded by greenery. She thinks it’ll be an inspiring setting for all their lessons—not just science. “Social

design curriculum. At seven weeks in, they’ve covered the

studies also has plants,” she points out, “and it helps math,

basics—measuring the schoolyard’s dimensions, recording

because you can say, ‘Okay, there are three plants in this row

shade patterns, and observing how water drains off the black-

and fourteen in this row, how many plants are there in all?

top. They know the space they’re working with. Now it’s time

And for English, we can make up stories based on the plants.”

to get creative. Seated around a table cluttered with colored pencils,

Most kids jump at the chance to help guide their own education, Polletta says, and they understand intuitively that

markers, and blank paper, Samir and his classmates are busy

a space they create themselves is one they’ll want to take care

sketching their latest ideas. For inspiration, Trust for Public

of. Samir, who’s carefully drawing a climbing structure made

Land staff have provided photographs of schoolyard renova-

of netting, explains it this way.

tions that have come before theirs: playgrounds with turf

“I see people throwing garbage on the ground because they

ﬁelds and green-roofed gazebos, outdoor classrooms and

don’t even like the playground. But the new playground is

climbing walls, custom benches and murals.

going to be colorful and will have a lot of room. Everyone will

“How about this?” suggests one student, holding up a

love it, so they’re going to care about it.”

T P L. O R G · 33

an dy isaacso n

FLUSHING, QUEENS

rainstorming sessions like these are at the heart of The Trust for Public Land’s three-month-long

set of benches or another drinking fountain? Once students and teachers have come to a consensus,

participatory design process, which involves students

professional designers compile the classroom sketches into

every step of the way.

technical renderings of what their new space might look like.

“As an educator, I’m constantly trying to tie in the curriculum to the real world,” says J.H.S. 189 science teacher Erica

SiteWorks principal designer Melissa Potter Ix has helped create these concept drawings for 20 years—and never tires of it.

Wahba. “With the emphasis on STEM these days, The Trust for

“What I ﬁnd inspirational as a designer is that although

Public Land found ways to integrate all those aspects—science,

many of these schoolyards are devoid of any amenities at all,

technology, engineering, and math. The students aren’t just

the students can see beyond the empty asphalt lot. Other cli-

sitting at their desks learning about design; they’re actually

ents don’t have the unbridled enthusiasm and creativity of the

involved.”

kids who are going to use the park themselves. That’s what

That involvement extends to the toughest part of any project on a budget: compromise. Students typically begin

pushes the boundaries of a conventional design project.” The Trust for Public Land supplies the technical expertise

with a long wish list of features, everything from roller coast-

to realize some of the kids’ more novel ideas. At P.S. 242 in

ers, go-karts, and zip lines to swimming pools, petting zoos,

Harlem, for instance, a group of girls wanted benches of

and chocolate fountains. Without dismissing anyone’s ideas

different heights speciﬁcally for braiding hair—a popular

outright, staff help students pare it down to what’s feasible.

recess activity at that school. The class scoured industry cata-

There’s a lot of voting, and an emphasis on negotiation and

logs of standard play equipment, but nothing on the market

trade-offs. Can the class live with a smaller track to make

matched the girls’ vision—so the architects designed a custom

room for the garden? Would they prefer to spend on an extra

structure that did.

3 4 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

n an a taim o r

before

KINGSBRIDGE, THE BRONX

after

In the mid 1990s, New York City had less green space per person than almost anywhere else in America. To address the shortage, The Trust for Public Land initially looked to build playgrounds on vacant lots. But as the city’s housing market heated up, that strategy faltered—and staff shifted their attention to a different type of real estate: schoolyards. Most public schools’ recess areas were (and remain) featureless asphalt, uninviting to students and closed to the rest of the community altogether. Taken as a whole, they represented a big opportunity to green neighborhoods without competing for pricey property. The city embraced the idea. When Mayor Michael Bloomberg took office in 2001, he included schoolyards in his 30-year livability plan. “PlaNYC” tapped The Trust for Public Land as its nonproﬁt partner, in part because the organization recognized the opportunity to involve children as co-creators. Installing “cookie-cutter” parks might be faster, but staff believed that incorporating the design process into school curriculum would motivate students—and produce better playgrounds. “There’s a schoolyard culture that adults have no idea about,” says The Trust for Public Land’s Joan Keener. “Instinctively, kids know where the light is, where it’s cold, where it’s noisy. If you give them the autonomy to suggest their own improvements, they come up with ideas that adults couldn’t imagine.”

T P L. O R G · 35

3 6 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

reating playgrounds that reﬂect the unique culture of each school means thinking about the surrounding community, too. The renovated schoolyards are open to the public after school hours, over the weekend, and during holidays—so Trust for Public Land staff attend PTA events and hold public meetings to gather input from locals who’ll use the space when classes aren’t in session. For their part, the student designers take their responsibility to their neighbors seriously. “They understand it’s a community project,” says Joan Keener, “that it’s not just for them.” They map and compare which portions of the schoolyard are

“The The kids kids understand unders rstand it s a community it’s it s project, that it’s them.” not just for them. joan keener

most inviting to different user groups, from younger siblings to residents in the nursing home nearby. They discuss how design choices like accessibility features and the languages used on signage can affect who feels welcome in the space.

Anticipating an uptick in severe weather as an effect of

A focus on inclusiveness and equity anchors not only the

climate change, the city is seeking ways to relieve pressure

content of the design curriculum, but the process of choosing

on its combined stormwater-sewer system—which is prone to

which schoolyards get renovated in the ﬁrst place.

overﬂowing during periods of heavy rain. Compared to storage

“From the beginning, we’ve looked for the areas that are

tanks or other conventional infrastructure, greening school-

most in need of a safe place to play,” says The Trust for Public

yards is a cost-efficient option for managing stormwater. By

Land’s Mary Alice Lee. As the program director, she works

replacing asphalt with more permeable surfaces like gravel,

with the organization’s GIS mapping team to identify can-

turf, or other greenery, a renovated schoolyard can keep up to

didate schools. Using data from government agencies, they

700,000 gallons of rainwater per year out of sewers.

pinpoint low– to moderate-income neighborhoods, short on

Angela Licata of the city’s Department of Environmental

parks, with a large student body and a half acre or more of

Protection (DEP) is pragmatic about her agency’s growing

undeveloped, underutilized outdoor space.

involvement with the playgrounds program. “The partner-

A more recent factor in site selection is environmental.

ship allows New York City a way to improve water quality in adjacent waterways while also providing community benefits through play spaces,” she says. “The Trust for Public Land ties it all together.” Of course, the green infrastructure features—whether that’s rain barrels, flower gardens, or tree groves—have to pass muster with the student designers before they can be included in playground plans. Fortunately for the DEP, it’s rarely a tough sell, especially once kids hear some of the gorier details of how the sewer system works. “Most people, children and adults, have never thought about where water goes when you flush a toilet or leave a faucet running,” says Lee. “But kids especially are willing to learn.”

T P L. O R G · 37

H E L L’ S K I T C H E N

ncorporating the DEP’s stormwater strategy is just the

Fellow teacher Michelle Sedlmaier teaches third grade at P.S.

latest evolution of a long and productive partnership

33. She’s had some time to observe the impact of the redesign

between the city and The Trust for Public Land. By the

on life at the school. “I think the kids are very proud of the

end of 2016, the program will have transformed 200

schoolyard,” she says. “We don’t just use it at recess—it gives

barren asphalt schoolyards into dream playgrounds, adding

them extra space for learning: the gym teacher uses it for

more than 150 acres of recreational space. Nearly 3.5 million

physical education, teachers bring kids out for gardening proj-

New Yorkers now live within a 10-minute walk of one of these

ects. We even have a lunchtime walking club. It’s a great thing

renovated sites.

because the girls will talk to me walking around the track

New schools sign on to the curriculum every year, with

more than they would talk to me in the classroom.”

each completed playground inspiring the next class of student

There’s a world of new possibilities on the playground—

designers. At the outset of their design work, the sixth graders

among them, the hope that this won’t be the last place its

at J.H.S. 189 took a ﬁeld trip to the renovated playground at

young designers pitch an idea, negotiate a deal, or watch a

P.S. 33, a Queens elementary school. J.H.S. 189’s Jamie Zucker

product of their imaginations built and realized. Wherever the

recalls the moment her visiting class arrived. Some kids

students’ lives take them, The Trust for Public Land’s ﬁrst ob-

rushed on to the ﬁeld and rolled around on the turf, “like pup-

jective is assured: their memories of the schoolyard will be of

pies.” Some gravitated to the web-climbing nets, while others

more than an asphalt lot. When they return to the space—in

beelined for badminton rackets or the basketball court. One

person or in mind’s eye—they’ll be able to say: Here is where

group clustered around the outdoor tables with books and

I walked with my teacher, where I scored a basket, where I

board games. “You really saw their personalities,” she says.

planted a tree. This was my playground—and I made it myself.

3 8 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

at the southwest’s first urban wildlife refuge, one pioneering scientist is restoring the land — and nurturing the next generation of conservation leaders

by April Reese

photos by Chris Hinkle T P L. O R G · 39

ennifer Owen-White

neighbor over everything from water rights to college football.

is running a national

But to the 36-year-old Owen-White, it’s a dream job. “I still pinch myself every

wildlife refuge—but

day,” she says. She’s sitting on a faded couch in a one-story stucco that will soon be

you might not know

torn down to make way for a new office and visitor center. Today, Owen-White and

it from the view out

her team are busy preparing crafts for a public open house—bird feeders fashioned

the window of her makeshift office.

from pinecones and mandala designs made out of seeds. Outside the building,

The land she oversees, 570 acres along

cranes and Canada geese pick at stubbly grass in ﬁelds that shine in the early morn-

the Middle Rio Grande in Albuquerque’s

ing sun. The community chose to name the refuge Valle de Oro—it means “valley

South Valley, gained federal protection

of gold.”

in late 2011. Today it still looks more

In her three years as manager, Owen-White has drafted a long-range plan for the

like the dairy farm it used to be than

refuge and built a support network of more than a hundred partners, from the Na-

the outdoor destination it’s striving

tive American community of the neighboring Isleta Pueblo to The Trust for Public

to become.

Land, which worked to protect the refuge site. She’s orchestrated the demolition

To fully transform the property into

of old farm buildings and removed rows of nonnative Siberian elms. But perhaps

Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge

her proudest achievement is assembling her six-member staff—cobbled together

will take an army of dedicated conser-

despite receiving funding for just two full-time positions. All young women, with

vationists, mostly volunteers. During

backgrounds as diverse as the community they now serve, they’re not your typical

her ﬁrst year at the refuge, Owen-White

conservation professionals. And that’s no accident.

was its sole employee. As manager of

Despite environmental organizations’ attempts to diversify, white males still

one of the country’s few urban wildlife

dominate the ranks, Owen-White says. “So many young women and young people

refuges and the ﬁrst in the Southwest,

of color might love a career in conservation, but they never get a chance to pursue

she’s under pressure from all sides—

it—in many cases because they’re not even aware it’s an option,” she explains. Her

local residents, government officials,

hiring strategy was as much about creating opportunities for visitors as for the staff

environmental groups—to succeed. And

themselves. “One of our goals at Valle de Oro is to make the public feel like this

she’s a Texan, which raises eyebrows

is their refuge—because it is. Hiring a team that reﬂects the broader community

in a state that has clashed with its

makes sense.”

jennifer owen-white

Entrance to the 17-mile Paseo de Bosque trail

4 0 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

T P L. O R G · 41

migrating sandhill cranes

julia bernal, 24, serves as the refuge’s water resources technician through the bureau of indian affairs native american water corps.

he Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge was an aspiration long before it was a place. For years, locals had sought protection for the onetime dairy farm, one of Albuquerque’s larg-

est undeveloped riverside tracts in private hands. The property came with water rights—crucial for restoring wetland habitat. Most importantly, it was perfectly situated to make nature more accessible to people in New Mexico’s most populous city. “Residents here were very vocal. They told us, ‘We want to

see this happen,’” says The Trust for Public Land’s Greg Hiner. “Historically, the South Valley was where businesses put everything that nobody wanted to live next to—salvage yards, a fuel depot. This community has been forced to contend with an unfair share of environmental justice issues, and it was in dire need of green space.” Conserving the land was a “no-brainer” for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, says its southwest regional director, Dr. Benjamin Tuggle. “We had a lot of partners, a lot of community support, and it was in line with our focus on urban constituents.” After The Trust for Public Land helped negotiate and execute the land transaction, the next step was for Fish and Wildlife to ﬁnd the right refuge manager to take the helm—someone up for the challenge of restoring the property, with experience connecting city dwellers to nature. Tuggle didn’t have to look far. A few hundred miles down the river in neighboring Texas, Owen-White, then manager of Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge, was ideally qualiﬁed. “This is a calling for her, and she’s been a godsend,” says Tuggle. “Her ability to talk to a variety of people, to attract youth and youth programs to the refuge—that’s why she’s the right person for the job.” The outdoor classroom

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T P L. O R G · 43

Education specialist Teresa Skiba, 28, grew up in the South Valley.

wen-White took a few detours along the way to ﬁnding her calling. As a

child growing up in Houston, she spent her afternoons exploring the bayous, catching snakes, frogs, and bugs. An A+ science student, she enrolled in the pre-

After some soul-searching, Owen-

med track at Texas Tech at the urging of

White found the conﬁdence to switch

her parents and teachers. But by senior

majors, earning a bachelor’s degree in

year, she was ﬂoundering.

biology and then a master’s in wildlife

Lab work, she discovered, was isolat-

and museum science. She went on to

ing and lonely. As she recounted in a

work as a birding tour guide, park biolo-

widely circulated 2015 TEDx talk cheer-

gist, and state park outreach and educa-

fully titled, Why I Gave Up On Becoming a

tion specialist before Fish and Wildlife

Doctor to Play in the Dirt, “I was far more

tapped her to manage the Santa Ana

excited about my weekend hiking,

National Wildlife Refuge.

birding, and volunteer adventures than

“I think we are doing a disservice to

the genetics and chemistry I studied in

our girls and young women by pushing

class. But I thought everyone would be

them into careers in engineering and

disappointed that I didn’t want to be a

medicine,” Jennifer continues. “Don’t

doctor—disappointed that I was giving

get me wrong, I certainly think we need

up on my ‘potential.’”

more women in all of the science, technology, engineering, and math ﬁelds. But I think we’re missing one crucial contingent of STEM—one ﬁeld that has more impact on our daily lives and the future of life on this planet. We need more women in conservation.”

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T P L. O R G · 45

“we need more women in conservation.”

Jennifer Owen-White

4 6 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

t Valle de Oro, Owen-White found the opportunity she had been looking for—the chance to mentor young people finding their way in the conservation world, just as she once had. Ariel Elliott, a recent graduate of the University of Tennessee, joined the Valle de Oro team this past summer as a wildlife biologist. The 22-year-old sees Owen-White as a kindred spirit. “I learn a lot from her every day—she’s what I envision a refuge manager should be. Most managers are focused on the biological work, but she’s focused on talking to the public.” Elliott knows from personal experience how chance encounters with nature can make a big difference. “When I was a kid, I spent most of my time indoors. I didn’t go outside a lot, but I watched nature documentaries on TV,” says Elliott. “Then one day in elementary school, a guy brought some parrots to show my class. They were flying around the room, and I thought, ‘This is amazing!’” Years later, a college advisor set the budding bird enthusiast on the right career path. “He said, ‘You know we have a wildlife and fisheries program, right?’” Elliott recalls. “I changed my major the next day.” Albuquerque local Teresa Skiba, 28, was one of OwenWhite’s first hires. “Growing up here in the South Valley, we didn’t have much money, so we spent a lot of time in the outdoors,” Skiba explains. “We went mushroom hunting, we visited the river and the mountains. I spent a lot of time

She envisions a trail for cyclists and

playing on this property as a kid, so it has a special place in

pedestrians along the refuge’s eastern

my heart.”

edge, convenient to a nearby elemen-

Today, Skiba is the refuge’s environmental education

Valle de Oro is a haven for migratory birds.

tary school. A separate project would

specialist, guiding young visitors as they discover the natural

extend the Paseo de Bosque trail, which

world. “Many of the kids have never been to the river, even

runs along the river, through a stretch

though they live less than a mile away. We bring them out

of low woodland adjacent to the refuge.

and there’s a lot of oohs and aahs. Some of them are even

“At Valle de Oro, the nearest bus stop

afraid—they don’t know what to expect—so we reassure them

is two miles away,” Parrish says. “And

that it’s a safe place. But by the end of the day, they’re having

I don’t blame people for not walking

so much fun, they want to come back with their families.”

or biking here—I do it, and I’ve almost

Making it easier for those families to visit—especially if

been hit by a car. I think accessibility is

they don’t own a car—is Corrie Parrish’s job. Parrish, 26,

a big part of the challenge here, and for

serves as the refuge’s outreach coordinator through the

many public lands. People need to know

Americorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program,

not only that they have beautiful places

applying a background in transportation planning toward

in their own communities, but that they

building connections between the refuge and the surrounding

can get there.”

neighborhoods.

T P L. O R G · 47

from left to right: julia bernal, ariel elliott, corrie parrish, jessica allen, teresa skiba.

hose who do visit the infant refuge are welcomed with the full attention of Owen-White and her team. At the open house, 11-year-old Sarah spent hours running through the bosque forest and playing under the cottonwoods with Skiba, Elliott, and the

rest of the staff. Now, she’s back inside the stucco house with a fistful of crayons, focused intently on drawing a tree. It’s a scene to make Jennifer Owen-White proud: one more South Valley girl who won’t have to wait until she grows up to discover a passion for the outdoors, or to meet other young women who’ve turned that passion into a rewarding career. Valle de Oro still has a long way to go to fulfill its potential. There are old gas lines to decommission, trails and facilities to build, and years of habitat restoration ahead. But Owen-White is confident they’ll get there. “Every day I step back and see little things that have made a difference,” she says. “We are growing this refuge together.”

4 8 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

YOUR LEGACY

Protecct th Protect the he places you love by making a gift to The Trust for Public Land in you your o r es esta estate ate plans. By naming The Th he Trust Trus Tr u t for Public Land as a beneﬁciary of your will, living trust, trust st, orr rretirement etirement account, you can n make m ke a visionary gift that will conserve land for generations ma genera ge rati tions to come. For more information, infforma mati tion on,, pl pplease ease contact Gardner Gardn dner er Trimble Trimble b at 415.800.5208. t pl . o rg /pl ann ed g i v i n g · p la n n ed g i v i n g @ tp l.org rg/pl

The Trust for Public Lan Land d

T P L. O R G · 49

MONUM For years, Los Angeles communities fought to gain national monument status for the San Gabriel Mountains. This is why.

BY G E O R G E B . S A N C H E Z - T E L LO . P H OTO S BY A N N I E B A N G

5 0 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

MENTAL T P L. O R G · 51

rowing up, Brenda Kyle could see the San Gabriel Mountains from her backyard. But she wouldn’t set foot in them until she was 40. Her parents had chosen to settle in Duarte, California—a quiet community at the base of the range—because the chaparral, oaks, and willows of the San Gabriels reminded them of their native Mexico. But to Brenda and her siblings, all wilderness looked the same. Born in Chihuahua and raised in Los Angeles County, Kyle thought of the mountains as little more than a point of reference—the backdrop to a Dodgers game, a familiar silhouette on her drive home. “They weren’t real,” she says. “The mountains were right there, but it seemed like a faraway place.” Slowly, though, her perception changed. A chance visit to the waterfall at Eaton Canyon led her to take her daughter on weekend hikes. Then Kyle started jogging in the canyon after work. In 2010, she enrolled in a ﬁeld

biology class at a local community college and brought into focus what had been right in front of her face since childhood. “It was an ‘a-ha!’ moment,” says Kyle. “I discovered I like this kind of work.”

Kyle is now a volunteer docent with Eaton Canyon Nature

Center and a staffer at Amigos de Los Ríos, a local nonproﬁt dedicated to connecting underserved Angelenos to parks. I met her through San Gabriel Mountains Forever, a coalition of environmental justice organizations, youth and immigrant advocates, and national environmental groups like the Wilderness Society, my employer at the time. Together, we worked to create a national monument in the San Gabriels—to channel the community’s love for the natural wonder at our back door into a plan to protect it for future generations. Through the coalition, I’ve met hundreds of people with stories like Kyle’s. A ﬁrst foray into the mountains inspires return visits. Day hikes lead to backpacking trips. And gradually, as each visitor falls in love with the mountains—the escape they provide from the pollution, concrete, and gridlock below—a conservationist is born.

5 2 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

“THEY WEREN’T REAL. T H E M O U N TA I N S W E R E R I G H T T H E R E , B U T I T S E E M E D L I K E A FA R AWAY P L AC E . ”

National monument designations protect America’s most celebrated and iconic destinations—from the Grand Canyon to the Statue of Liberty. Monuments can be established by Congress through legislation or created by the president through the Antiquities Act, signed by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.

T P L. O R G · 53

5 4 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

“You can still ﬁnd woodpeckers, wild cats, bighorn sheep — even black bears.

ike Brenda Kyle, I also grew up in the San Gabriel Valley. Home to a ﬁfth of the population of Los Angeles County, it’s a spectacularly diverse place—both demographically and geographically. Here, 45 percent of the 2 million residents identify as Latino and 28 percent identify as Asian; in many of the region’s cities, more than half of residents are foreign born. Towering above them all is the San Gabriel mountain range, as varied and idiosyncratic as the neighborhoods below. A vast and wild collection of streams, waterfalls, old mines, steep gorges, and rolling peaks—the highest, Mount Baldy, topping out at 10,069 feet—the San Gabriels represent more than 70 percent of Los Angeles County’s public open space and supply a third of the region’s fresh water.

For 20 years, The Trust for Public Land has worked to

conserve key sites throughout the San Gabriels and the surrounding Angeles and San Bernardino national forests. “The

A L L J U ST A F E W M I L E S F R O M D OW N TOW N PA SA D E N A . ”

naturalist John Muir once described these mountains as ‘pure and untamable … ruggedly, thornily savage,’” says Trust for Public Land Project Manager Paulo Perrone. “A lot has changed since Muir’s day, but you can still ﬁnd woodpeckers, wild cats, bighorn sheep—even black bears. All just a few miles from downtown Pasadena.” Angeles National Forest welcomes more than three million people each year—more visitors than icons like Mount Rushmore or the Grand Tetons. But local advocates saw its potential to play an even greater role. “Some 17 million people live within a 90-minute drive of the San Gabriels. That makes it one of America’s most important open spaces,” says Trust for Public Land Program Director Tori Kjer. “With the right investment—improved facilities, better programming and publictransit connections, more extensive community outreach—it could easily become one of the nation’s most well used.” But, Kjer says, that investment doesn’t happen just because it’s a good idea. It happens when people come together and push for it.

T P L. O R G · 55

n October of 2014, Brenda Kyle stood alongside President Barack Obama at a podium at a park in San Dimas. The

Los Angeles, many neighborhoods have no green space at all. “Large open spaces and federal lands are key to alleviating

president was there to sign a proclamation designating

some of the most serious issues facing our community,”

the San Gabriel Mountains a national monument. And he

says Omar Gomez, director of programs and public policy

was telling her story.

for El Consejo de Federaciones Mexicanas en Norteamérica.

“We heard from the community that for a lot of

COFEM is not an environmental organization—its mission is

urban families this is their only big, outdoor space,” the

to create opportunities for Latino immigrants. Yet it galva-

president told the crowd. “And too many children in L.A.

nized hundreds of its members—many from densely populat-

County, especially children of color, don’t have access to

ed Los Angeles neighborhoods like Pico Union, Southeast Los

parks where they can run free and breathe fresh air, expe-

Angeles, and Ramona Gardens—in the ﬁght to safeguard the

rience nature, and learn about their own environment.

San Gabriels, by framing the issue of conservation around the

“That was Brenda Kyle’s experience. Today she devotes her

time to taking Latino youth to discover the San Gabriels, many

concerns facing working families. Rather than the standard environmental call for wilderness

for the ﬁrst time in their lives. She takes her nephews up

protection, COFEM members gravitated to a different rally-

there to wade in the river and play in the waterfall, and spot

ing cry: familia. “We talked about la madre tierra, preserving

new birds, and learn from the incredible natural classroom

Mother Earth and the San Gabriel Mountains for our children

that surrounds them. And she hopes that one day they’ll take

and grandchildren,” says Gomez. “People would say ‘When

their own families to the San Gabriel Mountains and say,

I was a kid in Mexico, I went to the forest or the river every

‘We’re thankful our forest is a national monument. We always

day.’ Today, maybe they’re not going on a 10-mile hike, but

knew it was awesome.’”

they’re having a picnic or carne asada, which you need after a

In his speech, the president called the national monument designation “an issue of social justice.” His words were a vindication for many of us who advocate for chronically park-poor

60-hour workweek. We also see a spiritual connection, with churches doing baptisms in the San Gabriel River. “In our communities there are not enough parks, and not

neighborhoods. By deﬁnition, to be “park poor” is to have less

enough access to them,” Gomez continues. “There are the

than three acres of green space per thousand residents. In

high rates of obesity, diabetes, and asthma. When we put it in terms of wellness, there was overwhelming support.”

5 6 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

In Los Angeles, many neighborhoods have

NO GREEN S PAC E AT ALL.

T P L. O R G · 57

onar Rodrigo knows from personal experience: the

is, ‘Tell me which national park or national forest is closest to

mountains can change your life. Growing up in High-

where you live,’” Rodrigo says. “Most kids name a local park

land Park, just south of Pasadena, the only national

like Griffith Park. How can we get our future leaders to care

parks he knew were the ones he heard about on TV.

about a place they’re so unfamiliar with?”

“Like Yellowstone or Yosemite,” Rodrigo remembers.

The answer can be as simple as taking them there, says

“Those places seemed like they weren’t for me be-

Rodrigo. Once on the trail, the students come alive. “I’ve per-

cause—as a Filipino kid from the city—I didn’t ﬁt the

sonally witnessed youth who seemed to have no direction in

description of the typical park visitor.”

life take on challenges they never thought possible,” Rodrigo

But he did spend plenty of time in the outdoors. Rodrigo’s

father, a 27-year Navy veteran, had once dreamed of becoming

recounts. “They set a personal goal and they’re able to raise not only their grades, but their self-esteem.”

a forest ranger. On weekends, the whole family would pile into the car to visit what Rodrigo later learned was Angeles

It’s hard to visit the San Gabriel Mountains and not feel

National Forest. “One of my earliest memories of the San

moved in some way. The smell of the white sage, the sound of

Gabriels is driving along State Route 2 to look at the snow—

a red-tailed hawk beating the air with its wings, the view from

a very L.A. wilderness experience,” he recalls.

Henninger Flats of the Los Angeles basin sprawled out 2,600

In the mountains, Rodrigo felt energized and connected to something bigger. It was a feeling he rarely had in the

feet below—these moments are powerful. But for all of their majesty, the mountains also serve practi-

classroom—and a marked counterpoint to the gang violence

cal purpose. For Brenda Kyle, they’re a great place to take her

and crime he saw in his neighborhood. “I learned life lessons:

niece and nephews. On a hike in Eaton Canyon, Vicente, age

be happy with what you have, make do with what is available,

7, scouts for interesting rocks while Viviana and Angel, both

take time to breathe in the fresh air and enjoy your surround-

age 6, examine animal tracks. “I teach them the English name,

ings, and always strive to be your best,” Rodrigo says. “They’re

the Spanish name, and the Tongva name,” says Kyle. “We

some of my most vivid memories.”

talk about how the native cultures used each plant for food

Those early teachings carried Rodrigo through a rocky ado-

or medicine.” If Brenda has her way, these kids will grow up

lescence. Today, he’s an urban outreach coordinator with the

thinking of the San Gabriels as the boundless adventure just

Forest Service, providing leadership training and paid outdoor

outside their door.

work to local youth. “I spend more time at my old high school

“One time they told me they wanted to touch the moun-

now than when I was a student,” Rodrigo jokes. “If I had these

tain, so we went up behind the meadow and they just kept

opportunities growing up, I might not have gotten expelled.”

running and running until there was nowhere for them to

In the classroom, Rodrigo’s ﬁrst task is to remind city kids

run,” says Kyle. “They were wondering where the mountain

that they live next to one of the most spectacular national

went. I said, ‘Think real hard. We saw it. We went closer.’

forests in the country. “One of the ﬁrst questions I always ask

Then it dawned on them: we’re here.”

Brenda Kyle, niece Viviana, and nephews Angel (left) and Vicente.

5 8 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

SPECIAL THANKS TO LOS ANGELES–BASED OUTDOOR EDUCATOR ROBERTO MORALES, WHO LED THE HIKE PICTURED IN THIS STORY. LEARN MORE @ TPL.ORG/LPDIGITAL

They were wondering where the mountain went. Then it dawned on them:

WE’RE HERE.

T P L. O R G · 59

The Power of Place

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At The Trust for Public Land, we don’t just save land—we save land for people to enjoy. That’s why we’ve launched our ﬁrst-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign to connect more people to nature and the outdoors. We call it The Power of Place—the power of parks and open spaces to improve our cities, our communities, and ourselves. Help us transform communities across the nation by making a private investment in the public good.

Learn more at tpl.org/powerofplace.

T P L. O R G · 61

Member Center When you become a member of The Trust for Public Land, you join a community of committed conservationists who care deeply about protecting the places that make our country special—from small neighborhood parks to vast wilderness escapes. As a member, you’ll receive beneﬁts including: • Insider updates on our work in your community and beyond • A full-color wall calendar ﬁlled with beautiful photos of places protected with your help • A subscription to Land&People, the awardwinning magazine for people who love the land Join or renew your membership today!

Ways to give Monthly giving Support The Trust for Public Land’s mission with convenient, automatic, and secure monthly giving. Visit tpl.org/

contact us For questions about our work or to change your Land&People subscription address, call 415.495.4014, or email donor.outreach@tpl.org.

monthlygiving, call 800.714.5263, or email donor.outreach@tpl.org.

Charity ratings The Trust for Public Land is a registered

Conservation Champions

501(c)(3) public charity. We’re among the

Donate $2,000 or more annually and

nation’s most efficient nonproﬁts, conserv-

receive the recognition due a champion.

ing $4 worth of land for every $1 donated.

Visit tpl.org/champions, contact Haley

Charity Watch (formerly the American

Nielsen at 415.800.5189, or email

Institute of Philanthropy) gives The Trust

champions@tpl.org.

for Public Land an “A” for efficiency for putting 84 cents of every dollar donated

Gift and estate planning

directly into our land conservation

Please let us know if you have remem-

programs.

bered The Trust for Public Land in your will or estate plans so we can welcome you

For all our charity ratings, go to

to our Stegner Society of legacy donors.

tpl.org/efﬁciency.

Contact Gardner Trimble at 415.800.5208 or gardner.trimble@tpl.org. See more giving options at tpl.org/ways-to-give.

6 2 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

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Also serves: New Hampshire

California State Ofﬁce

600 W. Peachtree St. NW

Dakota, Wisconsin

808 SW 3rd Ave.

101 Montgomery St.

Suite 1840

Suite 570

washington

Suite 900

Atlanta, GA 30308

montana

Portland, OR 97204

Washington State Ofﬁce

San Francisco, CA 94104

404.873.7306

Northern Rockies Ofﬁce

503.228.6620

901 5th Ave.

Montpelier, VT 05602

1007 E. Main St.

415.495.4014

Suite 1520

hawaii

Suite 300

Bend Ofﬁce

Seattle, WA 98164

Hawaii State Ofﬁce

Bozeman, MT 59715

805 SW Industrial Way

206.587.2447

Los Angeles Ofﬁce

1003 Bishop St.

406.522.7450

Suite 1

Also serves: Alaska

135 West Green St.

Pauahi Tower, Suite 740

Also serves: Idaho

Bend, OR 97702

2nd Floor

Honolulu, HI 96813

Pasadena, CA 91105

808.524.8560

Also serves: Nevada

541.322.0133

Eastern Washington Ofﬁce 18 North Wenatchee Ave.

new jersey New Jersey State Ofﬁce

pennsylvania

2nd Floor

illinois

20 Community Place

Parks for People—

Wenatchee, WA 98801

Sacramento Ofﬁce

Illinois State Ofﬁce

Suite 7

Philadelphia

509.888.0844

1107 9th St.

120 S. LaSalle St.

Morristown, NJ 07960

1501 Cherry St.

Suite 1050

Suite 2000

973.292.1100

Philadelphia, PA 19102

washington, d.c.

Sacramento, CA 95814

Chicago, IL 60603

267.519.5303

Chesapeake and

916.557.1673

312.750.9820

323.223.0441

Parks for People—

Carolinas Ofﬁce

New Jersey

tennessee

100 M Street SE, Suite 700

colorado

louisiana

60 Park Place

Tennessee State Ofﬁce

Washington, D.C. 20003

Colorado State Ofﬁce

Louisiana State Ofﬁce

Suite 203

202 Tremont St.

202.543.7552

1410 Grant St.

1137 Baronne St.

Newark, NJ 07102

Chattanooga, TN 37405

Also serves: Delaware, Kentucky,

Suite D210

New Orleans, LA 70113

973.998.9440

423.265.5229

Maryland, North Carolina, South

Denver, CO 80203

504.620.5142 new mexico

texas

303.837.1414

Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia

maine

New Mexico State Ofﬁce

Texas State Ofﬁce

wyoming

connecticut

Maine State Ofﬁce

607 Cerrillos Rd.

2579 Western Trails Blvd.

Northern Rockies Ofﬁce

Connecticut State Ofﬁce

30 Danforth St.

Suite F1

Suite 130

690 S. Hwy. 89

101 Whitney Ave.

Suite 106

Santa Fe, NM 87505

Austin, TX 78745

Suite 200

2nd Floor

Portland, ME 04101

505.988.5922

415.269.4231

Jackson, WY 83001

New Haven, CT 06510

207.772.7424

Also serves: Arizona

307.739.3941

203.777.7367

T P L. O R G · 63

photo courtesy the diekmann family

REMEMBERING

ALEX DIEKMANN

lex and I were the same age, living on the same street, raising kids who went to the same schools. He died from a rare form of cancer in February, a

week before he would have turned 53. I still can’t believe he’s gone. Thinking about him, I’ve been

Trust for Public Land Project Manager Alex Diekmann

Rancher Jeff Laszlo collaborated with Alex to protect O’Dell

wrestling with this question: In the highest public sense—in

Creek, a habitat critical for trout and trumpeter swans. He

the way we strive to be good neighbors, engaged citizens,

says the agreements Alex forged solidiﬁed the Madison Valley

patriots, joint stakeholders in the future of the world our kids

as a miracle of open space protection in the West. Fly-ﬁsher

will inherit—what does “in perpetuity” mean?

and conservationist Craig Mathews ranks Alex among the

Alex delighted in providing answers by taking you to places on maps, reminding you that you—we—hold title to the deed.

greatest protectors of public land our region has ever seen. Whiteﬁsh, Montana Mayor John Muhlfeld cites Alex’s nego-

He wasn’t widely known outside Bozeman, but the work

tiations with a lumber company to protect the source of his

Alex did for The Trust for Public Land in greater Yellowstone

town’s drinking water. Alan Front, one of Alex’s former col-

and the Rockies was extraordinary. He graduated from Yale,

leagues, says that Alex, by force of personality, ﬁnancial savvy,

where he was a nationally ranked varsity swimmer, and went

and charm, completed land deals that no one else could.

on to earn a master’s from UCLA. Along the way, he worked

Alex’s fans included the late U.S. Senator Craig Thomas

on Wall Street and brokered real estate in Seattle. He was an

of Wyoming, who worked with him to safeguard land on the

unrivaled deal-maker. He could have easily become a cocky

ﬂanks of the Bighorn Mountains, and former U.S. Senator

hotshot. Instead, he discovered conservation. Lucky for us.

Conrad Burns of Montana. Both senators served on Capitol Hill

Ten years ago, I was hiking with Alex and his then-eight-

as Republicans, but Alex always said that when it comes to

year-old son, Logan, through a rugged valley called the Taylor

experiencing nature with loved ones, politics don’t matter.

Fork. The drainage is a passageway for wildlife, including

“So often you read about intractable environmental prob-

elk moving seasonally between the Gallatin Range and

lems,” Alex said as we wandered the Taylor Fork a decade ago.

Madison Valley.

“But protection of the greater Yellowstone region is about

“Isn’t this place great?” Alex said. “We’re standing at the spot where it all comes together.” “Who owns this land, Dad?” Logan asked. “You do,” Alex said. “We do. We all do.”

ﬁnding win-win solutions. We have a lot of work to do, but I’m optimistic. You have to be optimistic if you want to accomplish anything worthwhile.” Every one of us wants to do something that will outlive us.

I was there to research a story about land purchases and

Alex wasn’t seeking immortality or accolades for his efforts;

exchanges to protect the Taylor Fork—transactions in which

he believed in public lands and access to them. He invited us

Alex was instrumental. The deal consolidated public owner-

to think beyond generations for the public good. He showed

ship, preventing the valley from becoming checkered with

us what “in perpetuity” means. My dear friend’s spirit is re-

development.

ﬂected in the extraordinary parts of terra ﬁrma he protected.

The Taylor Fork alone would have made Alex’s career, but it was just the beginning. In 16 years, he would oversee 55 projects that conserved more than 100,000 acres for the public.

6 4 · LAND &PE OPL E · SPR I NG /SUMMER 2016

todd wilkinson has been writing about the environment for 30 years. he is author of several books, including grizzlies of pilgrim creek, an intimate portrait of 399, the most famous bear of greater yellowstone.

nomi ellenson

we h opp e yo you en n jo joye yed th t iss issu is s e off la su a nd d &p &peo eopll e .

Thank you. Thank you for all you do for parks and conservation in your community — and for your ongoing support of The Trust for Public Land. As a Trust for Public Land member, you’re a leader in the effort to save the places we all love — from neighborhood parks to national parks. For 40 years, we’ve worked with members like you to protect more than 3.3 million acres from the inner city to the wilderness, and to generate more than $57 billion in public funds for healthy land and water. Today, millions of Americans live within a 10-minute walk of a park, garden, or natural area created with your help, and millions more visit these sites each year.

the trust for public land c reating pa r ks a n d p rot e ct i n g l and for p e op l e

nonprofit us postage

National Ofﬁce 101 Montgomery St. Suite 900 San Francisco, CA 94104

paid

andy richter

the trust for public land

Conserve land … and your retirement.

charitable gift annuity rates by age A charitable gift annuity with The Trust for Public Land can provide you with income for life while helping to conserve

4.7%

5.1%

5.8%

6.8%

7.8%

9.0%

land for generations to come. Here’s how: 1. Make a gift to The Trust for Public Land. 2. Receive a charitable deduction. 3. We invest your gift. 4. We pay you a percentage of the original gift for the rest of your life. 5. We apply the remainder toward achieving our mission of creating parks and protecting land for people.

To learn more, please contact: Gardner Trimble, Director of Planned Giving 415.800.5208 or plannedgiving@tpl.org