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Orientation & Introduction ACR, Bouverie Preserve, & Docent Training

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Orientation & Introduction ACR, Bouverie Preserve, & Docent Training Orientation & Introduction ACR, Bouverie Preserve, & Docent Training CLASS READINGS Children in the Woods (from Crossing Open Ground, Barry Lopez, 1988) The Land that is Bouverie Preserve (David Bouverie, 1988) Highlights from ACR’s History, 1962 to 2017 Keeping a Field Notebook (from The California Naturalist Handbook, de Nevers et al, 2013) ACR Docent Position Description Bouverie Preserve trail map Map of ACR Lands Where you at? A Bioregional Quiz (compiled by Charles, et al, 1990) CALNAT: California Naturalist Handbook: Chapter 1, pp. 1-9, 13-26 Key Concepts By the end of this class, we hope you will Be comfortable with your decision to become a Bouverie docent, Know the names and backgrounds of a few of your fellow trainees, Know how to use your field notebook for recording observations, Be able to recount a few highlights of ACR’s and Bouverie Preserve’s history, Know how to use the Bouverie Preserve library to check out a book, and Be familiar with how to access the ACR website page for Bouverie Preserve Docents and other volunteers. Resources for Docent Trainees Reading & Additional Materials on Your Flash Drive Your flash drive (aka memory stick or thumb drive) contains a PDF file of readings and course materials organized by class title. As much as possible, please complete the reading prior to each class and take a few minutes to review the reading after attending the class. In addition, the flash drive contains the Docent Manual (logistical/practical information source), the Teacher Guide (for teachers bringing classes to the Preserve), and Bouverie Preserve’s fall and spring slide shows, so you can practice at your convenience. Trail Cards Your waterproof trail cards will be an invaluable resource during training and when you lead hikes. Bring them to each class and use them frequently! The set includes the trail map, tips for identifying some plants and animals, and information on topics about which kids ask frequently. Throughout your training classes, you will hear tips on how other docents have used these successfully with children on the trail. Some docents even add cards they make themselves. It is advisable to put your name on your set (a return address label on one of the cards works well). Replacement cards are available, although we request a donation to cover the cost of making them. Field Notebook Bring your all weather field notebook kit with you to each class meeting. It will be handy for taking notes during lectures, making field observations, and jotting questions to research later. Your willingness to contribute a part of your time, consistently, to this cause can provide powerful and tangible results, and this “willingness of the heart” is a beautiful thing. -David Bouverie ACR’s Website As a docent trainee, you have access to a wealth of material on ACR’ web site www.egret.org, including all of the class materials in this binder, supplementary class materials, important updates for volunteer, notifications of upcoming events, and more. Each trainee will have a unique username and password. We will demonstrate the login procedures and navigating the website on the first day of class. Class Lecture DVDs All of the training classes will be video recorded for your convenience. If you miss a class, you will be able to check out the DVD to review. You may also view DVDs of classes from past year’s trainings (2003-2015). These are available in a big black binder in the Reference section of the Bouverie Preserve Library. This can be a good way to expand your knowledge base and to become familiar with other experts in the field. The Bouverie Library The Bouverie library is a resource for all visitors to the Preserve, but only docents and docent trainees may check out books. You will be issued a library card (kept in the library) and the process for checking out books will be demonstrated in class. Library books relevant to the class topic are listed in each of the sections of the binder and will be on display the day of the class. THELAND THAT IS BOUVERIEPRESERVE Remembrancesby DavidPleydell Bauverie, Acbber 1988 ''We do not krow how manvcenturies went bv. with Beforethe turn ofthe century.rhe big housenonh $'aist-hiehnative grasses everFvhere, cougars and of uswas owned by rheSruarts (sometimes spelled bears lordirp tt o! er the smallefmtffunalq a Stervan)and Ellen Stuan called her house Glen profusionofoak trees and springs ofbubbling water, Ellen Whena handfulof peoplebuilt houseswest now diminishedgreatly bv the inlluxofpeople. of herplace, thet namedthe villase Glen Ellen, and Ellen Stuaftangrily changed the nameof her house We do know that the Pomo and WappoIndiars lo ClenOdks qr lhe tufnof rhecenrurv Ellen chenshed this bit of landand usedthe cavesbehind Stuartgave fo.mal balis and receptions in her house the waierfalifor religiousand puberty rituals There andN,lrs JLrlliard lvlcDonald of SantaRosa told me, are tunnelsat the the back of cavewl]1ch are now in 1940,that she came dor,vn on the steamtraln to siltedup, bur lndian leadershave come to seeme altend tnem Iwo or lhreerimes in rhelast a0 \ear,.warnin: me not lo dllou an\oreto dig in rhe.ecave: or. thev I boughtthe front propeny in 193E,$8,500 for ihe 'i1l ' said, n'ill befallvou first 140acres, and the backland in 19,17 I bouqhr the canyonand waterfall from the suNivingbrother In 1823,ll yearsafter British troopsburned the of prospecror,Walter Meddock. lvleddock bought new US capital Washinglon, of the first Chrisrian the land in the days when accuratesuryevs were crosswas raised in Sonoma,b], the flrst smallgroup seldommdde in dilllculrtenarn. so lhe quanel of Spaniards Even pa.t as of an earlyiand grant sectionswere descdbed in rhedeed and he addedrhe and after Calitbrila entered the unionin l8:16,our proviso that if a future surl/ey proved tha! the Bouverie land did nor changemuch for half a \ arerldll!.rs ronh of h. boundarv.lhen hi. centurv thereafter Then came a successionof boundaryrvas l0 1!et abovethe warertbll Thar is 'owners'who stanedto despoilrhis blessed ground. *hy there is a jog on the mapsof rhose quarter digginggreat holes to sellthe shale, cuttingacres of sections Later,when we did haveaccurate surweys treesand ieavinghuge piles of unbumabierubbish made.lhe rraLerfall was .rell wirhin rhe grid \\1en I came,the pasturewas horribly overgrazed boundariesLiving with \leddock was a s\.\.eerand ard very fe* wildflowers had a chanceto grow. badlytreated woman who uas paroledto him liom You canstill seesome acres ofugly, spindlysecond- what is now caLledthe StateHospital. I haveseen growth wherevaried self-rene*ingwoodland once himsend her out ar rhe poinr of a gunto rrap.carch stood and shootwhat they ate. Shedynamited the poois ger At our entrance,where the land meetsRoute 12, to steelheadfrom the creek,but he p.efenedrhe 'end jackabbits was the Wa.field station,the of the line' for andbirds which shetrapped and cooked for him. lwo rarlroads- a steamtrain flom SanRalael and a I sawan outhouseon which20 to 30 skunk sleamtrain iiom SanraRosa. Peoplepiled out and skjnswere stretched on boards.They ate the skunks Fequented many of the saloons wluch were andsold the skins operatingthen on DunbarRoad Theyalso piled out Beforethe tum of the century.Meddock paid the onto our land-which was in the 1920'sowned by Stuafis5100 in gold for a right-of-waygoing right the Bokker brothers They ran a restaurant and paslrhe Slurfl home In rhe lo50 s I save rhe boasteda "tlvo bit ravioli dinnerwith wine on the presento\\ners of Glen Oaksa quit claim deedon table" They are alleged to have operateda that right ofway. andthel,sold to me the 20 acres weekend house-of-ill-repute, rougliy where my throughwhich we now driveto GilmanHall. We houseis no'r Theirbuilding bumt to the ground in still own a dght of way rhrough the Triangle thelate 1920's BodyshopIt is impo.tantto usethis occasionall!to 'nght" retainthe ofaccesslor cattletrucks o. hea\y deliveries Pmled on R.cycledPrpa 'The Ourcopy ofJack London's book, Valleyofthe electricpump which raised lhe water from the Creek Moon' (GilmanHall Library)is inscribedto me by intothe tark Thiswas piped ro thehouses until the London'snephew and niece, and verifies that all the 1950'swhen I drilleda'100 foor well rocksfor'Wolf House'came fiom our land, as did hrs large natural tombstone,rlhich was hauled WhenI came,there was a barelylivable house made acrossthe vailev on a farmcan pulled by mules of rubblewith weedsand a din roadwhich came up llxoughthe Tn"ngle Caraee There was a mo-nrain I fell in love with the USA whenI went to New ofabandonedcars and jurlk by the fiont door,rhat is York liom Londonin 1933,age 21, to try andsell all \ou rl'ereare nineco|Iages. a recrearron oesrgrsfor prefaoncatedhor(e) ,suosequcnrl)I buildingand Gilman Hall The smallesrdwelling is 'Ernlly's hada thrlvingarchitectural practice in England,so it Cottage'which I builtfor my step-daughrer took me a few vearsto cut my tiesand immigrate.) whenshe was eight years o1d. in 1947 Her nanny Thenin 1938,I foundthe SonomaValley and knew taughthef to cook,sew and plant a gardenthere. It rt wasa part of my destinlrto saveand nurture this has beena havenfor a troubledsurvivo. of the land, an easv tlxng to do noll tha! I have 80 Vielnam!'af. a Buddllstnun a oeaurifulFrench g l wonderluldocents and an excellenr professional staff who studiedlandscaping, and my old Swissforeman, andthe Board of ACR to helpme The Bouverie amongothers famiiy,headed by the Earlsof Radnor,have owned andprotected vast land hoLdines since 1530 and still Tnlhe lojl) , t improredhe oasturebv removrng do, sothe stewardshipofland is in m,vblood rhe beautli-l.urface rocL, for rhesero-ks, I designedthe bell tower andboueht the finestbeLl in So far as I klow, we havehad no neighborswho ail ofCaliforniafiom the esrateof WilliamRandolph haveshown evidence ofinterest in conservationwith Hearst.
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