Spring 2014 - Solano Land Trust

Spring 2014
Vol. 21 #1
I n s i d e : Fish with FasTracks, local eggs, and a hearty thank you to donors!
Ken Poerner goes the extra mile as donor
Ken Poerner rescued this picturesque outhouse from Wilcox Ranch.
Photo: Tom Muehleisen
Why do I donate money to Solano Land Trust?
Probably for the same reasons I enjoy working for
Solano Land Trust.
Let me first say that I’m not rolling in the
dough, but I am comfortable and have just about
everything I need that costs money. Being a retired
Air Force enlisted guy who receives a check every
month as long as I’m still breathing sure helps a
lot. Oh yeah, I’m single and don’t have any kids
anywhere on this Earth.
Photo: Tom Muehleisen
Being an employee of Solano Land Trust for 16
years, and a volunteer before that for six, I think I
have a pretty good understanding of the organization. We do a lot for
not much expense when you think about it, except of course, for those
millions it takes to make the larger acquisitions. I would bet that the
employees, board members, committee members, and volunteers are
as dedicated to this community as any organization in our area.
I have watched the organization grow from having only an
executive director with a part-time secretary and a very small cadre
of volunteers to what we are now. We need to continue to grow,
however, because so much is expected of
us. Solano Land Trust protects farmlands
and open space, manages that land for
its habitat and agriculture values, and
provides public access where feasible.
But in many ways we also serve as the
county’s stand-in, unofficial park district.
Personally, I hope the political winds and
economy merge so we can have a park
district. When that happens all of our
accessible lands will be available to the
public.
Of course there are many other donation options out there, but
Solano County is my home. My donations to Solano Land Trust help
agriculture, habitat, and the county’s citizens. The lands that Solano
Land Trust protects now will be protected forever. That is a really, really
big deal in my mind. It has been a big deal to me for a long time. Now,
luckily, I have the wherewithal to help financially.
Ken Poerner, Land Steward
President’s Message
Linda Seifert, President
Greetings!
Despite a very dry winter, signs of spring
growth abound at Solano Land Trust.
First, the increase in Lynch Canyon’s hours
of operation is exciting. By popular demand,
the park is now open three days a week and 52
weeks a year! What a difference from only a
year ago when Lynch Canyon was closed at the beginning of 2013
and then open only two days a week. The extended hours are the
result of the Solano County Board of Supervisor’s commitment to
supporting more access to Lynch Canyon and the efforts and work
of both Solano County and Solano Land Trust staff. Well done all!
Additionally, our Rockville Trails Preserve hikes continue their
popularity. Last year, 22 hikes hosted hundreds of visitors. This
year even more will be offered, with at least 30 docent-led hikes
planned! A huge thank you to Volunteer Coordinator Natalie
DuMont and her docent team. Be sure to thank her if you see her
on our properties.
The board is also growing and we are pleased to welcome our
newest board member, Steve Pressley. Steve is a Vallejo resident
who recently retired from the Greater Vallejo Recreation District,
and continues to be a Lynch Canyon and Rockville Trails Preserve
docent. Come out and meet Steve on the trails!
Rush Ranch Roundup: It’s hip to be square at the
Rush Ranch Open House
Promenade, do-si-do, allemande… If you are of a certain
age you may remember these words from middle school
P.E. class. If not, I’d have to say you missed out. The words
are commands from a caller given to four couples that
face each other to make the four sides of a square. The
dancers who follow the commands are square dancing.
As demonstrated by Fairfield’s Twin City Steppers, square
dancing is just one of the many activities to observe or
take part in at the 24th Annual Rush Ranch Open
House on Saturday, April 26 from 10 a.m. to
3 p.m.
Square dancing is good for your health and can add
years to the lives of participants. Not only is it a great low
impact activity, it’s also fabulous for keeping the mind
sharp. Remembering all those calls exercises your brain and
can potentially stave off age-related memory loss. Square
dancing is a fun and regular social gathering and can be
beneficial for emotional health.
“I never met a stranger when square dancing,” said Jim
Diffie, a former caller for the VacaValley Ramblers. Square
dancing improves more aspects of your mental, physical,
and social health than any other fitness activity. It’s not
all country music, gingham, and petticoats either. These
days you’re likely to hear rock, oldies, or pop, and can
Join Twin City Steppers at the Rush Ranch Open House
wear just about anything you like as long as your shoes are Photo: Karen Vittorio
comfortable.
Local clubs give free instruction and always welcome
new members. Want to check out the action before showing up at a club dance?
Step out to the Rush Ranch Open House, a fundraiser for the
Come to the Rush Ranch Open House and see the Twin City Steppers. If you
all-volunteer Rush Ranch Educational Council. Go for a horse-drawn
dare, you can join the fun when the do-si-doers invite members of the audience to carriage ride, listen to old-time music, meet local craftspeople, and
dance.
take a scientist-led hike into the marsh.
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Karen Vittorio, Rush Ranch Educational Council Board Member
Executive Director’s Perspective
My grandmother loved the
high desert. She often told me
how my granddad taught her
how to look very closely to see
the desert’s beauty. She liked
that only those that took the
extra time would be able to
find and enjoy the desert’s tiny
wonders. At this writing, we
are having our first rains of the
winter, finally, in February. I don’t think Solano County is in danger
of becoming a desert, but this drought is having a huge impact on
our state and our county, as well as the Solano Land Trust lands,
programs, and partners. Here are a few ways that the drought is
affecting us.
This year we anticipate that there will be very little grass on our
lands. This has a major impact on our grazers. Solano Land Trust
partners with cattle and sheep grazers of to keep our lands in working
agriculture and to use grazing management practices to care for our
important grasslands. Our grazers, along with many ranchers across
the state, will either need to provide feed to their cattle or reduce the
number of cattle that can graze on our dry lands. Those who rely on
stock ponds and creeks for livestock water may also need to truck in
water, or rely on water from wells this year.
Another unfortunate consequence of this year’s drought is that
the Jepson Prairie docents have decided not to offer tours this season.
There just won’t be the plethora of wildflowers and other vernal
pool creatures to share with visitors of Jepson Prairie. This has only
happened once since the Jepson Prairie docents started guiding
tours in the early 1980s. Of course there will likely be some resilient
wildflowers, but without enough water to fill the vernal pools, we
won’t have the beautiful flower rings that follow the pools’ slow
evaporation cycle.
Fire danger will likely be very high this summer. That means extra
precautions for maintenance trucks and visitors on our properties,
and likely more days when the fire marshal closes county parks.
This may seem like pretty bleak news, and we all know this
drought will have serious and long-reaching impacts. But, like
everything, the drought also poses opportunities. The docents and
scientists at Jepson Prairie will observe and learn from this extended
drought, and their observations of how the flowers and creatures
respond will add to the science data of vernal pools in California.
Data collected by the San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve at Rush Ranch is already showing increased salinity from last
year. Over the next few years we will learn how the marsh ecosystem
adapts to this drought and other changing conditions.
Solano Land Trust is committed to adapting our practices to
continue to be the best stewards of our lands we can be. We will use
the data collected by our staff and partners to help us manage our
lands during this drought and into the future.
And for all of us that have been spoiled by the wildflower
extravaganzas on Jepson Prairie and other Solano Land Trust
properties, we may have to take a cue from my
Welcome Field Steward
grandparents and learn to look a little closer to
find the beauty on what will likely be some very Jordan Knippenberg &
dry lands this summer. (You can find another of Board Member Steve Pressley
my grandmother’s favorites, a beautiful lilac tree,
next to the blacksmith shop at Rush Ranch. When it’s in bloom you
can’t miss the beauty or odor of this resplendent heritage tree.) Look
closely and you will not be disappointed when you get outside and
visit Solano Land Trust’s beautiful ranches and preserves.
Nicole Byrd, Executive Director
Carol Gilpin and Fleet Feet finishes first
Carol Gilpin opened Fleet Feet in
Vacaville in 2004. At the time there
was only one race in Solano County.
To increase that number, she supported
races and helped many race directors get
started. Fleet Feet now supports up to
twelve different races in Solano County.
“The Lynch Canyon run is probably
the hardest course in Solano County,”
she says. “People like me love it.”
Carol Gilpin on the trail
Carol has been a runner for 28 years
Photo: Ryan Bates Photography
and a trail runner since 2005. Fleet Feet
has supported the Lynch Canyon Trail Run and Community Hike
since the race began in 2008. Fleet Feet helps to advertise the event
on Facebook and in its newsletter to 13,000 members. They also
work with vendors to provide gifts to runners. Last year, Fleet Feet
and New Balance provided running shoes for the male and female
finishers for the 5K, 10K, and half-marathon. In the past, Fleet Feet
has contributed track jackets, running socks, and gym towels.
This mother of three has run the Lynch Canyon race when
temperatures were in the high 90s and when it was pouring rain.
“That’s the beauty of Northern California,” she says, referring to the
changeable weather on the first Saturday in June.
Carol says the number one reason that she supports Solano
Land Trust is because she loves to be out in nature, and because
it’s important to keep land open for people to enjoy. She has also
enjoyed the relationships she has developed with the all-volunteer
race committee and Solano Land Trust staff.
“I like to support people who support the values and things I
believe in,” she says.
Aleta George, Vistas editor
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Support Solano Land Trust
Science on the Land: UC Davis graduate student
combines old-fashioned fishing with new
technology to help native fish thrive
Every month for
over 30 years, Peter
Moyle and his team
from the Center for
Watershed Sciences
at the University of
California at Davis
have dropped a big
net off a boat and
trawled the waters
of Suisun Marsh in
precisely the same
locations.
De Carion installs a responder in a Sacramento splittail
On each visit,
Photo: Sarah Ferner
they follow a set
course for a specific length of time, haul in the heavy net, carefully
record the size and type of fish they catch, and then release their
catch back into the water. One of the sites they visit each month is
First Mallard Slough, a large tidal creek that connects Suisun Slough
with Rush Ranch. Their observations and data reveal something that
casual visitors to Rush Ranch often discover: Rush Ranch is special.
Year after year Moyle’s crews catch lots of juvenile Sacramento
splittail at Rush Ranch, suggesting that the marsh serves as a vital
nursery for these native fish.
One hypothesis for why young native fish frequent First Mallard
Slough is because they us e it to access the even smaller channels
that connect to it. These smaller channels are shallow, narrow,
and curvy. They are called intertidal channels because they are full
of water at high tide and expose deep oozy mud at low tide. The
channels loop and curve, and split into even smaller branches that
reach nearly all the way to the dry pastures that surround the marsh.
To test the hypothesis that First Mallard Slough’s secret lies
in its connection to intertidal channels, graduate student Denise
De Carion created a research project that combines old-fashioned
fishing with high-tech tools. Her research will help explain why First
Mallard Slough is a refuge for native fish and how the natural tidal
marsh at Rush Ranch functions. With that knowledge, scientists
will be better equipped to mimic those functions in newly restored
marshes, protect them in existing marshes as sea level rises, and
bolster native fish populations.
The old-fashioned fishing part of De Carion’s research is hard
work. Each month, she installs a massive fyke net across the
opening of an intertidal channel. It is no easy task to install the
net held open by hoops, that needs to be anchored by hand into
deep mud under seven feet of cold water. Once installed, the
net blocks the main connection between a network of intertidal
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channels and First Mallard Slough. When the tide drains out, any
fish who had been meandering through the marsh are swept into
the net. After months of setting and retrieving this net, De Carion
has documented that native fish are indeed swimming through the
marsh’s narrower channels.
Each time De Carion and her colleagues catch a young
Sacramento splittail in the fyke net or in monthly trawls, they
temporarily anesthetize it with natural peppermint oil, weigh and
measure it, and then insert a tiny transponder inside its body. This
is the high-tech part of the project. The transponder works like the
FasTrak stuck to my car windshield, except these FishTraks are the
size of a grain of wild rice. De Carion installed four tollbooths, more
properly called arrays, in the marsh. Three are in adjacent intertidal
channels and one is where the largest of the channels meets First
Mallard Slough. Each time a fish travels through a tollbooth, a
nearby computer records which fish traveled through and when.
Combining data from all four tollbooths, De Carion can track
when a specific fish enters and exits the channels. Preliminary
results suggest that fish seem to be visiting the channels during
the same high tides each month. Just like a commuter crossing a
bridge, an individual fish may have its own particular travel routine
and schedule. Through an unlikely combination of good fishing,
muddy fieldwork, and utilizing the water-quality monitoring
data collected by San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve at Rush Ranch, De Carion is determined to discover their
routines and use that information to protect native fish and the
marshes they depend on.
Sarah Ferner, Education Coordinator, San Francisco
Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Tidal sloughs are nurseries for native fish
Photo: Heidi Weiskel
Where do you get your eggs?
If you want to serve fresh local eggs to your family, you can either
buy them at a farm stand, or like several Solano Land Trust staff
members, gather them from your own backyard.
Associate Director Deanna Mott’s interest in chickens began after
a visit to Alexis Koefoed at Soul Food Farm. “We are going to get a
goat, chickens, a cow, a pig, and plant a big garden,” she told her
family when she came home inspired.
The chickens arrived last Easter when her husband, Daman,
brought home 12 baby chicks, a galvanized tub, a heat lamp, and
three books on raising chickens. Deanna loves them. “They’re funny.
They follow us around and we give them treats. They’re like pets.”
The chickens roam free during the day on the Mott’s two-and-ahalf acres in Vacaville. In winter her chickens lay between nine and
twelve eggs a day. The family eats more omelets, deviled eggs, and
breakfast burritos than they used to.
Tracy Ellison, another Solano Land Trust staff member, says that
five of her six hens are laying and keep the family fed.
Solano Land Trust’s business manager, Anne DeLozier, and her
partner, Darrin Berardi, have about 20 chickens in Suisun Valley.
“We have a big garden, too,” says Anne. “It all goes together.” The
garden clippings go to the chickens and the chicken poop from the
coop goes to the garden.
Their favorite chicken is “Tuft,” an Araucana. The rump-less
breed has tufts, but Tuft only has one. “She makes blue-green eggs
and has the biggest attitude,” says Anne. “We love her. She’s got
personality.”
It doesn’t have to be the chicken before the egg. Personally, I
go straight for the eggs. One of my favorite rituals from May to
November is to drive out to Suisun Valley on Friday afternoons to
pick-up my CSA box from Shooting Star, and then get eggs from the
Hall brothers down the road.
Deanna Mott’s chickens out for a stroll
Photo: Deanna Mott
Isaac, 18, and Jacob, 15, sell eggs as a 4-H project started by
their father, Mark Hall, four years ago. The boys took the business
over and for several years now have headed to the coop to gather,
wash, and carton eggs seven days a week, 365 days a year. In
the summer they sell 1,150 dozen a month (13,800 eggs), and
in winter they sell 566 dozen (6,800 eggs). Thirty-five percent
of their eggs are sold on the farm from a
refrigerator (self-serve), and the rest are sold
to restaurants in Napa and San Francisco. In
Napa, their eggs go to Don Giovanis, Fumé,
Be Love Farm
7071 Bucktown Lane
ZuZu, and Grace’s Table. San Francisco chefs
Vacaville, CA 95688
crack open their eggs at RN 74, Bourbon
cafegratitude.com
Steak, Flour + Water, and Central Kitchen.
(Roadside stand on weekends
The Hall brothers have two flocks in their
starting in March)
open-air coop. The older flock has around 200
Grabish Farm
chickens. They started the newer flock with
7131 Batavia Rd.
700 chicks, and it’s now down to 400. (I saw
Dixon, CA 95620
grabishfarm.com
these chicks in special heated rooms when I
(Roadside stand on Sunday starting
went to get my eggs last summer!)
Mother’s Day, 10-4. For heritage
Both boys are students at Justin-Siena
meat or duck eggs call or text Amy
High School in Napa. Isaac will start as a
at (707) 689-2960)
freshman at Colorado State University next
Isaac & Jacob Hall
year to study computer science. Jacob is
5181 Gordon Valley Road
active in sports and was voted MVP at his
Fairfield, CA 94534
school.
(Self-serve 7 days/week during
The future for these young men is bright,
daylight hours. Open now.)
and will likely pull them away from their egg
Soul Food Farm
business, but for now, the eggs come first.
Farm Fresh Eggs
Aleta George, Editor
Isaac and Jacob Hall inspect their eggs for sale
Photo: Aleta George
6046 Pleasants Valley Road
Vacaville, Ca 95688
soulfoodfarm.com
(Roadside stand starting mid-March.
Thursday to Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6
p.m. Farm olive oil on sale now.
Email soulfoodfarm@gmail.com
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Get Outside
Richard and Cathy Christo support Solano Land
Trust as donors, docents, and volunteers
Cathy Christo brings a unique perspective to Lynch Canyon. As an
appointed juror on the Solano County civil grand jury in the early
1980s, she and the other jurors were charged with investigating
whether or not Lynch Canyon should become a garbage dump. In
1984 the citizens of Solano County voted against the landfill, which
helped open the way for Solano Land Trust to purchase the property.
Cathy and her husband Richard have always loved to hike. Before
Lynch Canyon was open to the public they drove to Sugarloaf State
Park, Point Reyes National Seashore, Sunol Regional Wilderness,
Diablo State Park, and Napa Skyline. Now that Lynch Canyon is
open, they have a place in the hills to hike that is closer to their
home in Benicia.
When Solano Land Trust was looking for docents at Rockville
Trails Preserve, they applied. I joined Richard, 69, and Cathy, 67, for
a New Year’s Day Hike at Rockville Trails Preserve. My friends and I
were impressed with the pace these great-grandparents set. Richard
and Cathy are both retired. He was an electrical engineer and she ran a
computer lab at Mary Farmer Elementary School in Benicia.
In addition to being docents and helping on workdays, Richard
and Cathy are donors. “We like to have open space around so
that we can enjoy it, and that’s the best way to do it here in
Solano County,” says Cathy. Richard, who grew up in Benicia, says
that Solano County has always been an agricultural area and it’s
Cathy and Richard Christo in Gualala
Photo: Angelo Calub
important to make sure that at least some land remains agricultural.
Both of them miss the orchards that lined Interstate 80 where the
car dealerships, truck scales, and Budweiser plant now stand.
The Christos want to see more people getting out to enjoy our
open spaces. They suggest going to the Solano Land Trust event
calendar at solanolandtrust.org to find a hike or walk that sounds
interesting. “Solano County has so much diversity, and each docent
has a different interest” says Richard.
Aleta George, Vistas editor
Thank you Solano Land Trust contributors
With you as partners, we help farmers and ranchers keep their land in agriculture; we steward our lands and share them with the public;
and we connect the community to these lands.
Business partners
A & B Appraisal Service
All Star Rents
Alta Mesa Group, LLC
Anderson Ranches
Archer & Ficklin
Bay Area Ridge Trail Council
Berardi Chiropractic Clinic
California Endive Farms
Conservation Partners
Dixon Ridge Farms
EDF Renewable Energy
Favaro Lavezzo Gill Caretti &
Heppell
First Northern Bank
Fleet Feet Sports, Vacaville
Grant Bennett Associates
Intero Real Estate/Showcase
Properties
Kaiser Permanente
KUIC Radio
MagPies Catering
Medic Ambulance
Navy Federal Credit Union
Nomad Ecology
NorthBay Healthcare Foundation
Northern CA Carpenters
Regional Council
PG&E Corporation Foundation
Placer Title Company
Potrero Hills Landfill, Inc.
Recology Vacaville Solano
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solanolandtrust.org
Reveille Farms
Ring Hunter Holland &
Schenone, LLP
Robben Ranch
Sacramento Municipal Utilities
District
Solano Garbage Company Republic Services, Inc.
Superior Farms
Syar Industries
Symantec
Team Superstores
The Wiseman Company
Tolenas Spring Cattle Co.
Valero Benicia Refinery
Valley Farm Transport
Wooden Valley Winery
Yumi Wilson Photography
Government
agencies and
other organizations
Access Adventure
Bank of America Matching Gifts
Brewster West Foundation
California Community
Foundation
California Department of Fish
and Wildlife
California State Coastal
Conservancy
California Waterfowl
Chevron Employee Match Fund
Contra Costa Hills Club
Genentech Givingstation
Jepson Prairie Docents
Land Trust Alliance
Rush Ranch Educational Council
S.D. Bechtel Jr. Foundation
Shell Oil Company Foundation
Matching Gifts Program
US Fish and Wildlife Service
Natural Resources Conservation
Service
SF Estuary Partnership
United Airlines Foundation
Eco-Skies
Members
Chris Abess
Lynn Abess
Linda Adams
Roland Adickes
Judith Adler
William & Anna Adorno
Jassen Aitkens
Mark Alburger
Arden “Chip” Anderson
Bruce R. Anderson
Ian & Margaret Anderson
John Anderson
Editha Aquino
Gary Archer
Harold & Charlene Archibald
Larry Ariyasu
Greg Arnold
Mike & Kathy Arnold
Terry Ash
Mark Atkinson
Gerald Aubert
Kari Auger
Joy & Robert Augusto
Thomas Backer
Mary Bahn
Lisa Baldwin
Larry & Lisa Balestra
Chris Bandy
Roger & Jeanne Bane
Les Barclay
Heath Bartosh
Barbara Basham
Jack & Leslie Batson
Bay Nature Magazine
Richard & Carolyn Beahrs
Carolyn Beck
Ruth & Rick Begell
Richard Beidleman
Sancha Belda
Bellato Grading
Daniel Bello
Magnus Bennedsen
Linn & Mona Benson
Darrin Berardi
Bob & Carol Berman
Elizabeth Berteaux
Tray Biasiolli
Blacksmith Cellars
Dale & Betsy Blackwell
M. Blanco
W. Bradley & Karrie Blewett
Rene Bojorquez
Tamara Bojorquez
Jordan Bonfante
Loyd & Michael Bonfante
Susan Bonilla, CA State
Assembly
Jeff Bonneville
Brian Bottari
Charles “Chip” Bouril
Bill Boyce
Eugene & Debra Boyce
Roy & Sonia Bradeson
Barbara Brady
Jane & Richard Braun
Christina Brennan
Mel Breshears
John Briggs, Jr.
John Briscoe
Mark & Nicole Brown
Diana Browning
Erik Bruce
Bob & Darlene Bruley Jr.
Ray & Beverly Brun
Craig Bryan
Carol Brydolf
Jo Anne Bucsko
Bud’s Pub & Grill
Dennis Bunting
Larry Burch
Moira Burke
Ricky & Elena Burnett
Michael Burns
Jill Butler
Nicole Byrd
Chris Cake
Cal Yee Farms
Califonia State Horsemen’s
Assoc. Region 1
Kris Callahan
Scott Callahan
Elnora Cameron
James & Dianne Campbell
Suzanne, Bridget, & Randy
Carlson
David & Ricki Carpenter
David Carroll
Carole Lynnie Carvalho
Phillip & Kelli Cary
Leslie Casazza
Dave Caseboldt
Bob Casillas
Thomas Casselberry
Cast Iron Grill
Castaneda Bros. Produce
David & Joanne Castro
James & Nancy Chang
Richard Changus
Brandon Charles
Lisa Chavez
William Chen
Continued on page 7
Thank you contributors:
Continued from page 3
Rob Chernosky
Alberta Chew
Hal Childs
Cathy & Richard Christo
Steven & Georgia Chun
Parker Cirillo
Gary Clark
Michael Clarke
Heather Coder
Richard & Molly E. Cohen
Guido Colla
Constance Collins
Rich Collins
Evelyn Colombo
Barbara Comfort
Terry Connolly
Cool Patch Pumpkins/2M
Enterprises
Mark Cooley
Matt Cooley
Patricia J. & Larry R. Coons
Lawrence & Crystal Cooper
Michael & Dallas Cooper
Patricia Cooper
Arletta Cortright
Jim Cotant & Franklin
Hernandez
Jean Courtney
J Ann Cousineau
Jim Coustier
Ken & Erin Cox
Anthony Craig
Craig Denisoff Consulting
Mary Beth Crittendon
Jean Crossley
Rick Crowell
Fortino Curiel
Margaret Curtis
David Curtiss
Andrea Custodio
Dora Dana
Arley Dann
David Danzeisen
Annalisa David
Ronnie Davis
Roger Day
Javier De La Garza
Ken & Heather de Vries
Allan & Jennifer Deal
Scott Decker
Jeremy DeGuzman
James & Laura Dekloe
Suzanne Dennis
Marlene Dessel
Verenise Di Salvi
Edgar Diaz
Michelle Dickey
Barbara Dillon
James Dirks
Jeff & Leslie Dittmer
Dan & Kathleen Dixon
The Doctors Group
Bill Dodd
Ellen Levine Dodd
Sarah Donovan
Debby Doolittle
Paul Doolittle
Roberta Dubois
Karl Dumas
Natalie DuMont
Jared Duncan
Ryan Duncan
Dunlop Manufacturing, Inc.
Steven Dunsky
John Dutcher
Martin Duvall
Michael Dyett
Eagle Eye Engraving
Eatwell Farm
Marge Edman
Gene Ekenstam
Bob & Margaret Eldred
John Ellison
William & Marisa Emlen
Harry Englebright & Eve
Somjen
Frances Enkoji
Erickson Ranch
Adrian & Alison Espinoza
Malcolm Evett
Mike & Deborah Faaborg
Mike & Lorna Fadden
Gian L Fagan
Martin R. Falarski
Gary Falati
Marilyn Farley & Duane
Kromm
Farmers/Millhollin Insurance
Veronica Favela-Diaz
Favela’s Fusion
Mark Feighner & Major
Woolard
Dave & Diane Feinstein
Joseph Feller & AmyNoel
Coughran
Harvey Felt
Tim Finley
Five Dot Land & Cattle
Jorg & Mimi Fleige
Daryl Fletcher
Donna Fletcher
Burt Foon
Ed Forbush
Michael Fortney
John Foster
Foster’s Big Horn
Bodil Fox
Zachary Franklin
Jim Frazier
Ellen Fred
Nancy Friedman
Todd Frigard
Dean Frisbie
Eric Fromer
Donald & Michele Frost
Robert Frost
Edward Fry
Elizabeth Fry
Sarah Futterman-Devies
Theresa Gabel
Craig & Sandy Gainza
Alicia Gallagher
Galvan Wine Services/Galvan
Family Cellars
Susan Garbini & Ian
MacGregor
John & Susana Gardner
Ron & Lena Garland
Garland & Associates
Celeste Garrett
Louise Garrison
Gates Ranch
Annette Gaul
Maureen Geiger
Aleta & Dave George
Erik Gholson
Gibson Canyon Farms
Nancy Giffin
Roy & Cindy Gill
Craig Gillespie
Gillespie & Verady MD’s
James Gladfelter & Bill Chiat
Valerie Glass
Glasshoff Farms
James Gloege
Jan Cox Golovich
Jerry Gonzales
Glen & Sheila Grant
Green Valley Painting, Inc.
GreenValley Cigars
Joy Gridley
Kitty Griffin
Warner Griggs
Dr. Hank & Alice Grill
Daniel Grimes
Nancy Gronert
Judith & Charles Gronroos
Paul Grunland
Dirk Gullion
Arthur & Geraldi Hacker
Robert Hale
Mark Hall
Brian Ham
Neil & Elaine Hamilton
Richard & Stacy Hamilton
Neil Hamilton, III & Janet
Gusukama
Douglas Hammer
Gary Hansen
James Hanser
Margaret Hargas, D.C.
Eileen Harmon
Martha Harnley
Dilenna & Rob Harris
John & Erin Hasbrook
Neil & Ann Havlik
William & Dorothy Hawkes
Phil Hawtin
Bonnie Hayes
Maryellen Hayes
Michael Hayes
Hearing Services of Fairfield
Barry & Ellen Hecht
Heffernan Insurance Brokers
Carol Heim
Alison Helms
Hemostat Laboratories
Dorothy Herger
Paul Gary Herman
George Hicks
Jane Hicks
Nancy Hiestand & Dean Vogel
Grace Hindes
William & Phyllis Hinson
Kathy Hoffman
Howard Hoffman & Nancy
McCoy
Phil Hofland
Don Holman
Diane & Julian Holt
Monte Hoover
Kyle Hopkins
Steven Horn
Sara Hostetter
Mary Houghteling
Clyde Huff
Dave Humes
Lee Humes
Archie Humphrey
Frank Huzel
James & Bruncelia Hynson
Iron Steed Harley Davidson
John & Valain Isaacson
Johnny Jackson
Tiffani Jacobs
Alfred & Bonnie Janssen
Susan Jellema
John “Mich” Jessop
Paul & Stacey Jeuris
Bert Johnson
Beth Johnson
Brandon Johnson
Brett Johnson
Dylan Johnson
Laurie Johnson
Mike Johnson
Sarah Johnson
William & Nancy Johnston
Carol Kalamaras Family
Gerald & Theresa Karr
Albert Katz
Katz and Company
Ken Keeler
Kristine Kelleher
John & Diane Kelly
Jerrold Kemp
Christine & Nick Kenaston
Anne Kent
Jeff Keppert
Kim Kevan
A. Jerru Keyser
Mahmoud Khojasteh
Dave & Sue Killian
Ernest Kimme
Barbara Kimsey
Angie Colla King
Brian Kinnaird
Jason Kirgan
Steve Kirnig
Michelle Kitts
Bobby Klein
Doris Klein
Phil Kohlmetz
Theodore Kolda
Steve Korn
Ruth Korte
Grant Kreinberg
La Ferme Soleil
Carol La Russa
Ryan Labar
Joey Lafoni
Ray & Nancie Lagomarsino
Jody Lane
Dorothy & Blaine Laney
Mitch Larkin
Marty Larsson
Albert Lavezzo
John David Lawson
Zachary Leary
Tom Ledig
Ron Lei
Saskia Lembesis
Marlies Lenigk
Robin Leong
Steve Lessler
Paul Lester
Russell Lester
Janet Leventhal
Geoffrey Lewis
Karlyn Lewis
Irma Liberty
C. E. Lillevang
Ian Lillibridge
Dave Lindsay & Maggie Ingalls
Ed & Susan Lippstreu
Todd Lipson
Dorothy & Wayne Little
Susan Lloyd
Tom Lockard
Lockard-Marduel
David Loeb
Roberta Logan
John Long
Robert Loomis
Michael & Tony Loscotoff
Richard Lotsch
Lowe’s Fairfield
Lowe’s Vallejo
David Lydick
Matt Lynch
Robin & Dan Lynde
Bruce & Cindy Lyon
Janet Mackey & Ronald Ketter
Macroplastics, Inc.
Suzanne Maddux
Joy Malinowski
Joyce Mamer
Rudy & Marilyn Manfredi
Mangels Vineyard
Mankas Hills Vineyards
Mankas Tapas Bar &
Steakhouse
David & Kathleen Marianno
David Maroney
Martell Ranch
Lewis & Rhonda Martin
John Mason
Ian Massey
Ginny Matchette
Greg Matthews
Katherine Mawdsley
Leager McBroom
Randie McCarthy
Don McDonald
Monatte McGee
Sherry McKillop
Kathy McKinney-Tovar
Morland McManigal
Eleanor Meadows
Ivan & Robin Meadows
Meeks Lumber & Hardware
Roger Mendelson, M.D.
Carol Mendoza
Merchant & Main Grill & Bar
Meridian Jacobs
Sharon Millan
Donald Miller
JD Miller
Beth Miller & Michael
Friedman
Louis Millhollin
James Milner
Jane Mitchell
Karl & Sharon Molin
Eileen Mols
Joseph & Penny Moore
Melissa Moore
Fidel Moralez
Nancy Morin
Lane & Linda Morrison
Danielle Moser
Deanna & Daman Mott
Scott Moyer
Pamela Muick
Carla Murphy
Gordon Murphy
Carol Muscolino
Sylvie Nalezny
Robbie Nash
Natural Science Guild of the
Oakland Museum
Cord Neal
Nancy & John Nelson
Pam Nelson
Larry Newhall
Laurel & Dru Nielson
Noble Apiaries LLC
John Nogue
NorthBay Healthcare Trauma
Dept.
Northern California Driving
Club
Mary Ann Nortier
Donna Nunes
Jim Oakham
Marlowe & Lou Oberti
Ocho Verde Farm
O’Connor Lumber & Ace
Hardware
Gayla Odle
Bill Oliver
John & Rita Onsum
Daniel & Sannie Osborn
William Ostrander & Janice
Johnson
Eva Palm
Jennifer Palmer
Marc Pandone
Tracie Pannell
Bob Parker
Ann Parkinson
Ron & Patty Parmele
Carole & Craig Paterson
Elizabeth Patterson
Barbara Pearce
Ronald Peck
Constance Pedron
Karen Peitz
Joel Perlstein
Richard Perry
Ken & Sue Peters
Betty Phillips
Bob Phillips
Roy Phillips
VIncent & Wendy Phillips
Cynthia Pike
Gary & Leslie Pilkington
Jeannine Pires
Alan & Alice Plutchok
Robin C. Plutchok
Todd Plutchok
Ken Poerner
Harry Pollack
Mickey Porfumo
Stephen Power
Steve Pressley & Jody Lane
Doris Procter
Esther Pryor
Purple Pearl Vineyards
Lt. Col. James L. Quarry
Richard Quinn
Sean & Jan Quinn
Dawn & John Ramm
Mark & Cheryl Raudelunas
James & Patricia Reikowsky
Genele Rhoads
Rhett Richardson
Everett & Jean Riehl
Shannon Riggs
Jennifer Riley
Jon Riley
George Rivera
Gene Robben
William Robbins
Garret Roberts
Rock Creek Vineyard
Julie Rodriguez
Sandy Rodriguez
Marie Roehm
Chet & Phyllis Rogaski
Terry Rogers
John Rosenberger
Peter Rosenfield
David Rossi
Nancy Rossi
Sheila Ruhl
Cindy Rutledge
Linda Rydjord
Shuny Sagara
Sailor Jacks
Lawrence Sander
Jesse Santos
Martin Sargent
Phillip & Annette Saroyan
Christopher & Mary
Scharenbrock
Marvin & Jeri Schechtman
Tom Schene, Schene
Enterprises, Inc.
Susan Schneider
Sean Schneidewind
Darrell Schramm
Laurie Schremp
Linda Schrupp
SCI Consulting Group
Mary Scibek
J. Donald Seaver
Mike Segala
Linda Seifert
Sepay Groves
Stephanie Serbe
David & Rebecca Sgambati
Nancy Shaffer & Bud Siemens
Alvina Sheeley
Brooks Sherman
Walter Sherwood
Sam Shin
Mike Shipley
Randy Shoopman
Mark & Ann Sievers
Betty Silva
John Simms
Brad Simonds
Ray Simonds
Todd Simonds
Igor Skaredoff
Brian Slattengren
Rena Smilkstein
Matt Smith
Gregory Smith
Pete Smith
Barbara Smithson
Marilee Snider
Solano Mushroom Farm
Linda Sonner
Mario Soriano
Gale D. Spears
Don Springer
Jeffrey Stanhope
Barbara Steinberg
Debra & Robert Steiner
Ward Stewart
Sticky Rice Chinese Bistro
Peter S. Straub
Stephen Stringer
Carolyn Strout
Barry & Cathleen Sugarman
Summit Properties
Dave Sunseri
Katherine & Stuart Swabacker
Earl Swenerton Family
Todd & Loretta Swickard
Dan Sykes
Jaan & Leann Taagepera
Mary & John Takeuchi
Nick Tavenier
Brian Taylor
Richard Taylor
Stuart & Kelly Taylor
Nathan Temple
Tenbrink Family Vineyards
Chris Terry
The Lessler Group
Mike Thompson,
U.S. Congressman
Jody Tice
Daniel Tilly
Susan Timm
Bud & Lenny Tonnesen
Marc Tonnesen
Scott Tonnesen
Mary Tooby & Alex Aiu
Jim Tovar
Carol Tranter
Sarah Trimble
Pia Tucker, DVM
Russell Turnbull
Tom Turpen
Unitarian Universalist
Fellowship of North Bay
Valentine Capital Asset
Management
Vern Van Buskirk, LtCol,
USAF (RET)
Nicholas Van Male & Susan
Wilkinson
Robert Van Vranken
Steve & Sanae Vancil
Matt Vander Sluis
Kary Vangorder
Elizabeth Varnhagen
Gayle Vaughan
Kyle Vernon
Linda Vest
Donald Victery
Viking Propane, Inc.
Max Villalobos
John M. & Gail Vincent
Karen Vittorio
John & Annie Vogelpohl
James & Margaret Volpe
George Vorce
Jeanne Wade Evans
Jeannie Walker
Ben Wallace
Neil Wallace
Walmart #2048 Fairfield
Janet & John Walters
Stephen Wampler
Thomas & Carol Warne
Elena Warner
John Watson
Joseph & Kathleen Watson
Pam Watson
Ron Wear
Larry & Dusty Weaver
Tim & Roxane Wellman
Judy Wendte
Katelynn Wendte
Mark Werner
Tom & Carolyn West
Mary Westergaard
Western International Trading
Donald & Dorothy Whitteaker
Family
Charles Widenmann
Chris Wilburn
Jerry Wilcox
Wildfire Prevention Services
Colleen Williams
Judy & Mark Williams
Aileen Williamson
Lisa Wilson
Winterhawk Winery
Winters Cheese Company
Doug Wirtz
Carol Witham
David & Lynne Witte
Rebecca Witty
Richard Wood & Mary
Bourguignon
David Woodhouse
Christopher Woods
Murray Woolf
Michael & Eileen Wray
Lydia Wulfe
Janet Wyllie
Jean & Sabina Yates
Elwood & Elsa Youman
Constance Young
Min Young Lee
Wendy Yun
Denise & Marshall Zavat
Meghan & Mwatt Zavod
Kenneth Zukin
7
Protect and Connect
Solano Land Trust
1001 Texas Street, Suite C
Fairfield, CA 94533
(707) 432-0150
Non–Profit
Organization
US Postage
Paid
Fairfield,
CA 94533
Permit # 00234
Board Members
Linda Seifert, President
Carole Paterson, Vice President
Jeff Dittmer, Treasurer
Michael Fortney, Secretary
Ian Anderson, Immediate Past President
Larry Burch
Jim Campbell
Elizabeth Fry
Albert Lavezzo
Russell Lester
Steve Pressley
Gale D. Spears
Staff
Nicole Byrd,
Executive Director
Deanna Mott,
Associate Director
Anne DeLozier,
Business Services Manager
Natalie DuMont,
Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator
Tracy Ellison,
Conservation Project Coordinator
Debi Lucas,
Administrative Assistant
Jordan Knippenberg,
Field Steward
Janet Mackey,
Conservation Director
Monatte McGee,
Rush Ranch Steward
Ken Poerner,
Land Steward
Sue Wickham,
Project Manager
Aleta George,
Editor, SLT Vistas
WG Design Group,
Graphics, SLT Vistas
Logo design based on
original art by Don Birrell
Our Mission Statement
Solano Land Trust permanently
protects natural areas, working
farms, and ranchlands in Solano
County and connects our
community to these lands.
facebook.com/Solano.Land.Trust
solanolandtrust.org
8
Your 501(c)3 public benefit organization since 1986.
Get Outside: Lynch Canyon inspires
mother and daughter to hike the
nation’s grandest canyon
On an unseasonably warm and sunny winter day, my
youngest daughter, Delaney, and I headed out to Lynch
Canyon for some nature-focused recreation. It’s always
a gift to have one-on-one time with my daughters. I’ve
learned that they need it as much as I do, although I’m
not sure they recognize that just yet. As we headed
toward the reservoir on Lynch
Road we talked about Temple
Grandin as we passed a cattle
chute, discussed how the trees
that canopied the road reminded
us of hiking through a forest
in Germany, and debated over
whether a small cow lying down
was dead or alive.
As we pushed ourselves
up the steepest part of Tower
Trail I was acutely aware of
the fact that not working out
and running lately has greatly
impacted my endurance. I was
also grateful that this body can
still keep up with my 16-year-old
who is in stellar shape! It was
at this moment that Delaney
suggested we hike the Grand
Canyon rim-to-rim. I’m always up for a challenge and
thus the planning began! We talked about a training
plan, how to pack, what kind of a first-aid kit we
would need, how much water and what kind of food
we would take, where we would sleep, and whether
we could stand each other if we went for four days
without a shower. We wondered
what wildlife we would see, and
discussed the potential risks and
dangers of such a trip.
No matter what’s on my
to-do list, I never turn down an
opportunity to be out in nature
with my kids. It doesn’t happen
as often as I’d like, but it’s always
a memorable occasion. If we’re
going to get across the Grand
Canyon, we better start making
these hikes a priority!
About the small cow we saw
lying so still earlier – he was
alive, after all.
Delaney Mott above Lynch Canyon reservoir
Photo: Deanna Mott
For all upcoming events go to
solanolandtrust.org
Deanna Mott, Associate Director