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The History of the
Lake County Land Trust |
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The Lake County Land Trust
was formed and officially incorporated as a 501 (c) (3)
charitable non-profit organization in 1993. The Trust is
directly involved in protecting important land resources in
Lake County, CA.These
resources include: wetlands, wildlife habitats, parks, forests,
watersheds, riparian stream corridors, lakeside areas, and trails.
The trust is also concerned with property that has unique scenic,
cultural, agricultural, educational, or historical values. The goal
of the Lake County Land Trust is to preserve land permanently and
when possible provide public access for aesthetic and recreational
uses. We are a Non-Governmental organization that works
cooperatively with landowners, private groups and governmental
agencies.
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Wetlands at Rodman
Slough
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The Land Trust owns and
operates the 132-acre Rodman Slough Preserve on the north end of
Clear Lake and facilitated the purchase of a total of 280 acres that
remains protected wildlife habitat near Rodman Slough. The trust
owns the 9.5-acre Rabbit Hill and Chaparral Preserve in Middletown, facilitated
the acquisition of the Black Forest, a 255-acre forest on the slopes
of Mt. Konocti; and started the project to purchase the majority of
parcels on Mt. Konocti, which is now being purchased by the County
of Lake for a county park.
To
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Land Trust
Welcomes New Executive Director |
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The Lake County Land
Trust's new executive director
is pictured at the Rodman Slough Preserve Nature
Education Center. |
The Lake County Land Trust is pleased to
welcome its new Executive Director, Catherine Koehler. After
Executive Director (ED) Susanne Scholz announced her retirement
plans for March of 2010, the trust began
searching for someone to fill her
shoes, “Not an easy task!” noted one board member. But, as it
turned out, Koehler with a strong background in science, and most
importantly, a love for Lake County, was among the many qualified
applicants who applied for the position.
Our new ED has a
BS in Zoology and an MS in Behavioral Ecology. She currently works
as the resident co-director, along with her husband Paul Aigner, for
the Donald and Sylvia McLaughlin Reserve in Eastern Lake County.
She will continue in this position as both it and the land trust ED
positions are half-time.
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Koehler has an
impressive background in the biological sciences and a deep
appreciation of the combinations of geology and ecology that
comprise the often rare and unique ecosystems of Lake County. She
is proud of her ability to work with diverse groups of people,
fostering positive outcomes for common goals. She is currently
Chair of the Blue Ridge Berryessa Natural Area Conservation
Partnership and has a background in developing and conducting
science and natural history based public outreach and education.
Koehler has
worked on projects ranging from restoration projects for Inland
Coastal Sage Scrub, to bird inventories on U.S. Navy Lands in
Southern California and Arizona. She was also involved with an
endangered species recovery project for the San Clemente Island
Loggerhead Shrike, and developed community outreach programs for
Rancho Santa Ana botanic Garden. Locally, in addition to managing
research and land stewardship at the McLaughlin Reserve, Koehler has
conducted many outreach programs at the Reserve, worked with
educators to develop and implement science workshops for grades 4 –
6, and mentored teachers. She has also been successful in acquiring
grants for public outreach and facilities at the Reserve.
“We are
extremely pleased to welcome Cathy as our new Executive Director and
look forward to her working with us on our many projects,” noted the
trust’s president, Pete McGee.
“Lake County is
a wonderful place, with a great mix of cities and small communities,
agriculture, natural lands, and intact historical and prehistoric
sites. I look forward to playing a part in helping ensure that our
county continues to be a great place to live for generations to
come,” Koehler stated.
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Board of Directors |
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Our
Board of Directors consists of community residents who are concerned
about the future of the environment.
In photo at right:
left to right, front row: Nina Marino,
Roberta Lyons, Susanne La Faver.
Left to right, back row: Michael Friel,
Pete McGee, Christian Ahlmann,
Tom Gilliam, Jon Ambrose,
Tom Smythe, Brad Barnwell.
Not pictured is Kristi Groff.
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Volunteers
and Supporters |
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Hikers at Rodman Slough
Preserve
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Volunteers
have been instrumental in several of the Land Trust's projects and
help us during our fundraising events, including our annual dinner.
Volunteers organize and lead walks at our Rodman Slough Preserve and
have helped clean up and monitor our Rabbit Hill park in Middletown.
If you are interested in
volunteering for the Lake County Land Trust, please contact our
executive director, Catherine Koehler at (707) 262-0707, or complete
the form
on our Support page.
The Lake County Land Trust
receives help from many volunteers. They help with a wide range of
tasks including fundraising activities, property clean up, and
office work.
To
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What We Have Accomplished |
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Through
hard work, the Lake County Land Trust has quite a list of
accomplishments:
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Acquisition of the Rodman Ranch and
Slough, now called the Rodman Slough Preserve. Total preservation
of 280 acres of wetland and upland oak habitat.
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Construction and operation of the Rodman Slough Preserve Nature
Education Center.
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Nature Walks offered at Rodman Slough Preserve.
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Preservation of the 255 acre Black Forest on the northeastern
slope of Mt. Konocti.
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Operation and ownership of the 9.5-acre Rabbit Hill chaparral
preserve in Middletown.
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Creation of a Land Conservation Priority Plan to guide
conservation planning in Lake County.
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Spearheaded the initial acquisition effort for Mt. Konocti
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Participation on various planning and resource management
committees for Lake County, including: the Resource Advisory
Committee (RAC) for the Mendocino National Forest; the Lake County
Grading Ordinance Committee, the Blueprint Planning Advisory
Committee, and two Area Plan committees for updating the Lake
County General Plan.
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Community Outreach
To
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Pete McGee, LCLT
President, board member Nina
Marino, and former Executive Director Susanne Scholz
Oak woodlands at Rodman
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Susanne Scholz discusses
local conservation priorities with Ed Stanton of
the American Lands
Conservancy. |
Former Executive
Director
Susanne Scholz
and past president Michael Friel
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