April 28, 2000
In our shared conservation work, there seem to be three dimensions: Activism, Advocacy, and Education. These dimensions are defined by what role an organization plays in a particular campaign, issue, or cause. Involvement in the challenges of environmental protection requires the use of all three of these elements. If we take each one of these individually, we see that each can be extremely useful, relative to its timing. Activism, which takes an immediate approach, indeed will create an immediate effect. Advocacy, in written or spoken support of a desired effect, takes more time but may create longer-term results. Education links activism and advocacy together to create an immediate approach with lasting, long-term results. It is this third dimension that can give great depth and meaning to the important and essential work of protection and preservation of clean water and temperate rain forests. Many environmental organizations just assume that education will be one of the results of Activism and Advocacy, leaving experience to be the teacher. But, think what today would look like if we had spent as much time in our lives as educators as we did as activists and advocates.
Perhaps the most important role for a conservationist, if we are to protect the land around us, is to educate. At Sanctuary Forest we have been careful to design our programs with one underlying theme: education in the principles of conservation. We are concerned with the responsibility that our culture takes for its personal relationship with the land and we are committed to sharing and communicating this concern. Much has gone into the education program at Sanctuary Forest. It has taken years of deeply committed people working to sow seeds of vision and belief, then carefully nourishing them with diligence and working concepts. We continue in our ongoing effort to stimulate and create environmental awareness to our watershed community and to share our experience with broader regional, national, and global communities.
Hikes
A guided hike program offers residents and visitors a chance to experience the dramatic beauty of the redwood region?s temperate rainforest. The Sanctuary Forest enlists North Coast naturalists and local guides to offer a full array of hikes and outings on specific ecological topics. Each hike has a focus topic and visitors may learn from a wide variety of offerings including topics like macro-invertebrates, lichens, wildflowers, aquatic ecology, native herbs, soil formation, or bird breeding habits.
Guide Training
Sanctuary Forest has created an eight- month training course that prepares volunteer community members to serve as guides. The annual guide training classes give participants a chance to experience the land firsthand and gain the understanding and importance of habitat protection, natural systems and outdoor recreation. In exchange, those who help to teach and lead others into the reserve lands get the rewards received from giving service to other people. Monthly classes feature presentations on local history, forest and river ecology from experts in their fields. Then serving on volunteer teams, the participants practice their acquired knowledge and skills assisting with the public hikes. More than a training program, the sessions create teachers and leaders who will continue to share their knowledge with their friends, family, and communities.
Community Conferences
Two conferences called ?Our Children-Living with the River? were sponsored by Sanctuary Forest. The purpose was to collectively explore a shared vision for a sustainable future and to build upon the sense of place for the children and community of the Mattole River watershed. These conferences have evolved into an annual community celebration of the river, and the Mattole River Celebration now creates an event for the surrounding communities to come together to share, appreciate, celebrate and better understand their rich environment.
Scholarships
Sanctuary Forest has been fortunate to form partnerships in an educational investment for the North Coast region. This year two graduating high school students from high schools in Humboldt and Mendocino counties are awarded a scholarship of $1000 each. In each of the past four years, Sanctuary Forest and the Dimmicks, a fourth-generation timber family partnered in giving a $1000 scholarship. This year a second $1000 scholarship is offered by a new partnership of Sanctuary Forest and Southern Humboldt County businesses and a non-profit organization. The Mateel Community Center, Alternative Energy Engineering, Blue Canoe and Hand to Land each have contributed to create this annual award. These partnerships join in investing for education. It is their hope that the recipients, when completing their college education, will return to communities and make valuable contributions.
Internships
Each summer, select college students and graduates join Sanctuary Forest staff as interns to help develop and direct educational programs. In this way, fresh minds share in finding strategies for persistent environmental challenges. A two-year program allows second-year interns to pass on experiences to a first-year intern. A valuable exchange happens as interns gain knowledge and experience, Sanctuary Forest gets enthusiastic support and creative development of its educational program.
Landowner House Meetings
Home workshops are designed and presented by Sanctuary Forest staff and board members. Private landowners represent the largest unit of ownership in the Mattole River watershed. Recognizing the key importance of conservation on private lands, evening meetings of groups of adjacent landowners hear a presentation on voluntary approaches to conservation.
The experience of landowners who have utilized conservation easements is shared and the techniques and benefits of easements, covenants, conditions and restrictions are presented. Support for this program has been provided by grants from The Coastal Conservancy and the Mennen Environmental Foundation. Thousands of acres are involved in this home based and neighborly education project.
All of these programs, hikes, conferences, scholarships and internships, are parts of the essential element ? education, the third dimension of environmental protection. Maintaining this priority for education has deepened Sanctuary Forest?s experience and success. From this position, where we now are trustees for protection of over 10,000 acres of forest and river habitat, we can safely and heartily recommend that all Affiliates of Trees Foundation find specific ways to directly develop educational programs. Such efforts will move us forward on the long- term work of preserving and protecting our precious and vulnerable temperate rain forests.
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TOC for Forest & River News, Spring 2000