VENTANA WILDERNESS WATCH ventanawild.org Newsletter of the Ventana Wilderness Alliance Volume 20 Number 2 I Winter 2019 Evening Dappling With a Wintry Landscape Photograph by Leor Pantilat I pantilat.wordpress.com Hot Spot: Oaks: Chews Ridge Arroyo Seco Our Symbiotic Partners Lookout Protecting the Big Sur Backcountry VENTANA WILDERNESS WATCH I Volume 20 Number 2 I WINTER 2019 VENTANA WILDERNESS WATCH Newsletter of the Ventana Wilderness Alliance Message from the President Flashback to the turn of the millennium: A small group of dedicated Ventanaphiles PO Box 506 I Santa Cruz, California 95061 joins the Wildlands 2000 cam- (831) 423-3191 I ventanawild.org paign in an effort to expand The mission of the Wilderness designations in Ventana Wilderness Alliance the Big Sur backcountry. is to protect, preserve, and restore It seems like a pipe dream. the wilderness qualities and They share a collective life- biodiversity of the public lands time of experience navigating within California’s northern the remote corners of the Santa Lucia Mountains northern Santa Lucias — but and Big Sur coast. experience navigating the halls of Congress? Not so much. Undaunted, they launch BOARD of DIRECTORS a website and survey thousands of acres of unprotected public lands. Formally Tom Hopkins, President incorporating on March 7, 2000, the newly minted Ventana Wilderness Alliance David Jacobs, CPA, Treasurer develops an inventory of potential Wilderness additions with intriguing names like Maria Ferdin, Secretary Black Rock, Bear Canyon, and San Carpoforo. Betsy MacGowan, Director-At-Large Al Budris, Director-At-Large Soon, Congressman Sam Farr has honed VWA’s recommendations into a compelling Greg Meyer, Director-At-Large piece of legislation. On the evening of the final House session of the year, Repre- Dottie Massey, Director-At-Large sentative Farr spends long hours garnering enough support to shepherd the bill to John Tilley, Director-At-Large passage. Days later, Senator Barbara Boxer bundles it with a package that passes STAFF without amendment, by unanimous consent. When the Big Sur Wilderness and Jacqui Bergner, Youth in Wilderness Conservation Act is signed into law on December 19, 2002, the diminutive Silver Program Manager Peak Wilderness doubles in size to include the 8,800-acre Willow Creek drainage. Toan Do, Youth in Wilderness Program Director The spectacular Ventana Wilderness gains nearly 35,000 acres to become the most Lucy Logsdon, Office Manager expanded unit in the National Wilderness Preservation System. Richard Popchak, Communications and Development Director It was a monumental achievement for a fledgling organization, and certainly Mike Splain, Executive Director there was temptation to declare victory and rest on our laurels. But Wilderness NEWSLETTER PRODUCTION expansion was only the beginning. Then, as now, much was yet to be done. In the Editor: Richard Popchak years since, the VWA led the charge to retire coastal grazing allotments, halt an Design: Lynn Piquett incredibly disruptive military bombing range, clean up illegal growsites and Printing: Community Printers, Santa Cruz abandoned mines, restore Willow Creek, and advocate for enlightened wildfire Printed on 30% post-consumer waste and Wilderness management policies. Meanwhile, VWA field programs restore recycled paper with Agri-based inks. access to the Big Sur backcountry, teach visitors to enjoy it responsibly, and inspire local youth to cherish and defend our precious public lands. ON THE COVER As a founding board member, I’m proud of what this organization has become. Leor Pantilat has Not so long ago VWA was a small circle of friends. Nowadays, we’re over 1,200 mem- a passion for bers strong and, strange as this may sound, it’s wonderful seeing so many unfamiliar adventure and mountain running. faces at VWA events. Even if we never meet, know that you make this critical work From a very young possible. Serving as your board president for the last 13 years has been an honor age, he’s been and a privilege. Soon new leadership will step to the fore, providing this old-timer drawn to the natural beauty of wild, remote locations. with a welcome respite. But much remains to be done, and I’ll continue to serve He’s especially fond of the rugged canyons, on the board as VWA enters its 20th year protecting, preserving, and restoring the majestic waterfalls, and dramatic land- scapes of the northern Santa Lucia. An Wilderness qualities and biodiversity of the most beautiful place on Earth. amateur weather enthusiast and dedicated photographer, Leor enjoys tracking the cold storms that occasionally transform the Ventana Wilderness into a winter 2 wonderland. Learn more about his Tom Hopkins I [email protected] adventures at pantilat.wordpress.com. Youth in Wilderness Hosts First Leadership Training Event In late October the Youth in Wilderness (YiW) leadership team ventured into the Ventana Wilderness for a weekend of backpack- ing, skills training, and fun! This Leadership Training Event (LTE) was the first of its kind, merging a typical YiW outing with a training program. The LTE engaged 13 passionate YiW Field Instructors (FIs), each with their own unique reasons for loving the outdoors. FIs have a variety of strengths. Some leaders have a knack for relating to students, while others are adept at specific technical skills. The LTE offered opportunities to learn new topics and share tactics to facilitate field activities. The goal was to provide leaders with a chance to develop new interests, strengthen areas identified for development, and build community. Every night leaders participated in important conversations led thought- fully and intentionally by Program Director Toan Do. These talks focused on ways to enhance the program’s cultural relevancy for participants and their families. YiW has standardized its training program. At the LTE, each Field Instructor received a binder of training materials and a custom- Estefani Hernandez, Daniela Cervantes, and Ruby Diaz (left to right) ized field guide for typical plants found in the region. FIs referred are former program participants who chose to become Field Instructors through the YiW Student Leadership Initiative. Estefani to their binders throughout the day to reinforce program policies is holding a Ventana-specific Native Plant Field Guide created by and procedures. Toan, Program Manager Jacqui Bergner, and Field Program Manager Jacqui Bergner. Instructor Ethan Atkins led training sessions on a wide variety of subjects. This included an interpretive natural history hike where called “Dangerous River” in which FIs reinforced the importance local species such as the endemic Santa Lucia fir were identified. of communication and leadership in hazardous situations. Back at Along the way, the group discussed the importance of local the camp kitchen, FIs learned to bake cornbread. watersheds and highlighted stewardship actions necessary to keep This LTE was the first of what will be many to come. Well trained them wild and clean. The hike included a team-building activity YiW Field Instructors are integral to the program’s success. They are encouraged to be their authentic selves and create a safe space for students to do the same, all the while building a trusting community gathered under starry skies. Youth in Wilderness is honored to deliver these experiences to participants and leaders alike. Throughout the weekend leaders laughed with each other, honed new skills, and practiced facilitating common group lessons like orienteering, water purification, cooking, and proper outdoor sanita- tion. As the outing came to a close, FIs had grown visibly more confident and comfortable with one another. One sentiment that arose again and again was, “I cannot wait for my next Youth in Wilderness outing!” ■ James Farber offers fellow FieId Instructor Estefani Hernandez a hand as they practice safe river crossings. 3 VENTANA WILDERNESS WATCH I Volume 20 Number 2 I WINTER 2019 Arroyo Seco: A Leave No Trace Hot Spot! Early in 2018, VWA staff nominated the Arroyo Seco Gorge and Day Use Area as a 2019 Leave No Trace Hot Spot. We knew it was a great opportunity to join forces with the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics (LNT) to teach people how to enjoy this unique and wild canyon responsibly. When we found out in mid-2018 that our nomination was one of just 19 accepted, we knew that we would need to engage with a diverse range of partners to maximize the opportunity. Little did we know what a fun, rewarding journey it would be and how many new friends we would meet along the way. Working closely with LNT, we assembled a core group of partners and stakeholders to establish a series of August 2019 events designed to celebrate and protect the Arroyo Seco. Some events were focused on educating “frontliners” to better manage the resource. Others were intended to enlighten visitors to recreate in ways that not only lessen impacts but do in fact Leave No Trace. Integral to this process was the support and commitment of Tom Murphey, Assistant Recreation Officer of the Los Padres National Forest Monterey Ranger District. Tom brought in key partners Courtney Miller and Cindi Barbour of Parks Management Company (PMC). This concessionaire operates outdoor recreation facilities like camp- grounds, picnic areas, and marinas throughout California. PMC has been operating the Arroyo Seco Campground and Day Use Area since 2016. The coalition was enhanced with the addition of JT Yeh of Patagonia Outlet Santa Cruz, Bryan Pelton of REI Marina, Brock Bill of Alvarado Street Brewery, and multiple VWA staff members and volunteers. Rounding out the team were Leave No Trace Traveling Trainers Jessie Johnson and Matt Schneider, the heart and soul of the Hot Spot project. Embed- ded at Arroyo Seco (when not at special events), Jessie and Matt brought a wealth of experience and expert insights to the project. From August 15–26, this team delivered a series of events between Santa Cruz and Arroyo Seco.