Conservation Chronicle
Summer 2009
Index:
New Executive Director
Organizational Changes
Chairman's Report
Emerald Grove Awards
Stage Coach Sunday
Save Our Forest Report
Native Plant Team Report
Tails and Trails
Ken Weaver's Report
FLC Meetings and Work Parties
Memorials and Dedications
Mike Peters
Appointed Executive Director:
A New Role for "Our Man in the Field"
by Mike Peters
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Mike Peters (left) guides the Karen Tucker memorial tree,
a sturdy Coastal Live Oak, to its new home in Palomares Park.
This year is going to be one of those years that stand out in my relationship with the Fallbrook Land Conservancy (FLC) starting with the utter shock in losing a friend, mentor and environmentalist who, without me knowing it, helped guide me in the right direction as Preserve Manager.
It was in the last recession early 1996 through 1997 when I was laid off as a superintendent building homes for a developer that led me to cut a article out of the North County Times about a tree planting in downtown Fallbrook. I found digging holes and planting trees to my liking and stuck with these crazy volunteers planting, watering and organizing new yearly plantings at the Save Our Forest meetings at the Palomares House.
That’s where I met Wallace and Karen Tucker as we sat in our meeting with our chairs all in a big circle like the wagon trains of the old west bedding down for night and sitting around the campfire telling stories.
I guess I showed my excitement and enthusiasm as I told my story of asking merchants along Main Street to donate things like tail lights, paint, welding, signs and a trailer hitch as I was building the “Water Buffalo”, a water trailer to water the many trees that we had planted along the Pico Promenade.
Wallace and Karen were still living on both coasts at the time and Wallace was getting tired of fixing irrigation and picking up trash at Los Jilgueros Preserve, or finding volunteers to do it when he was out of town, so he asked me to start working part-time as Preserve Manager so they could get back to their full-time professional jobs and the full-time volunteer job of running the FLC.
As time went on, the FLC acquired more preserves and the work load got larger and the visions got wider on just how far could we go with this little land trust in northern San Diego county. Wallace and Karen were always steering me in right direction with suggestions like starting a program of collecting all the information on each preserve and getting volunteers involved collecting data on soils, birds and wildlife and to inventorying plant life and putting all this information together in a Baseline Report for each preserve.
The FLC not only managed their properties but we started restoring our properties where needed by writing grants to fund restoration work removing invasive plants and replanting with natives. We started removing old avocado groves and restoring them back to their natural state and rejoiced in the amount of returning wildlife making the site its new home.
The FLC just kept getting larger and now
has ten preserves including a mitigation bank, three conservation
easements and 17 acres that it manages for San Diego County.
- The Conservancy now spreads its roots into
Bonsall, Rainbow, Pauma Valley and the Santa Margarita Mountains
and has visions looking east towards Palomar Mountain. As the FLC
acquires new acquisitions we also acquire new challenges with managing
and maintaining these properties by increasing staff, finding new
funding, staying organized and finding new volunteers and members.
This Heller Bend Scene is an example of the
Photographic data that Mike Peters collects
Wallace and the Board of Directors once again asked me to step up to the new challenges of managing the preserves and the organization as Executive Director and I am honored to do so.
In these challenging times the FLC will have to be more streamlined, organized and stay true to its integrity, stewardship and reputation in the conservation community.
The FLC Board of Directors has set new goals for the coming years with a new structure for the organization and hands-on participation for all board members.
The future of the FLC does not simply depend on the Board members and staff, it also depends on the community getting involved in preserving and protecting open space in North County and beyond.
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Important Organizational Changes
On January 31 of this year, the FLC Board of Directors held a strategic planning workshop facilitated by Linda Kissam, a consultant with extensive experience on nonprofit organizations.
At the workshop, the board of directors voted to hire Mike Peters as Executive Director as part of the transition from all-volunteer leadership to an organizational structure that can better ensure the long-term future of the FLC.
As Executive Director, Mike will supervise, direct and control the FLC’s programs, activities, affairs and officers, and along with the Chairman, will be a primary spokesperson for the FLC. He will manage the staff and will continue his outstanding work as FLC preserve manager, a job he has performed with distinction for 12 years.
At its April 29 meeting, the board of directors adopted other significant changes in the FLC bylaws and policies which set term limits of four years for board members, made changes in committee structures, created the offices of Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer, and eliminated the offices of president and treasurer.
As FLC’s first and only Treasurer for 21 years, Jack Sandschulte played a particularly critical role in the early years of the FLC. When FLC was a new organization in town, having a highly respected, well-known and well-liked person such as Jack in that position was crucial for building confidence in the FLC within the community, and has helped us to maintain that confidence over the years. Thank you, Jack!
Wicker Gamble will become the Chief Financial Officer and chairman of the Finance committee.
Wicker has served as President for 15 years, and has played a valuable role with his administrative and financial oversight, especially in those periods when our real jobs took Karen and I back to the Boston area for extended periods of time. In his new position, he will continue to use his talents to help maintain FLC’s financial affairs in good order.
Thank you, Wicker for your past and future service to the FLC!
Chairman's Report
Time for a Transition
We are going through some turbulent times, and on a personal level, I have been devastated by the loss of Karen, my beloved wife, best friend, constant companion, and partner in every aspect of my life, including our adventures with the Fallbrook Land Conservancy.
However, as Karen often said, the FLC is not about any one or two people, or even a small group of people who are involved at any particular time. Rather, it is about a community of people working together through time. A large community working for generations to protect and sustain the quality of life, health, and natural beauty of this rare and wonderful area we call home.
That being said, the time has come for the FLC to take steps to ensure its own sustainability, both financially and operationally. Thanks to generous and loyal supporters such as yourselves, prudent fiscal oversight, and successful grant writing, we are on the right track financially, though we still have a ways to go in terms of increasing our endowments.
Operationally, we have decided that it is time to make a transition to a new organizational mode, with an executive director taking over the day-to-day responsibilities of running the organization. Fortunately, in Mike Peters, we have a person who is extremely well qualified to take on this responsibility. Accordingly, the FLC Board of Directors voted unanimously and enthusiastically to appoint Mike as the FLC’s Executive Director.
Mike is noted for his diligence, skill and what is most important, his passion for his job. He has done an excellent job of managing our preserves for the past 12 years, and has proven skills as a grant writer, having secured more than $200,000 in grant funds for the enhancement of FLC’s preserves. His extensive work with volunteer groups includes 25 Eagle Scout projects and five Americorps projects.
To help make the transition go smoothly, I have agreed to remain as chairman for a while. For other changes adopted by the Board of Directors as part of this transition, see the article on Organicational changes and the Organization page on this website.
Thanks again for your past, extraordinary support over the years, and for your future support during this critical transition. With Mike at the helm, I am confident that the future of the FLC is in good hands.
Ken Weaver Receives "Gem of a Volunteer" Award at Annual Emerald Grove Dinner
Emerald Grove members and land donors, and a “Gem of a Volunteer,” were saluted at the Fallbrook Land Conservancy’s Ninth Annual Recognition Dinner held at Grand Tradition on April 8.
This year’s “Gem” award was presented to
Ken Weaver, who was cited for his work in conducting bird counts
and other wildlife surveys on the Conservancy’s nature preserves.
Over the past 18 years he has conducted more than 100 surveys, and
has identified 154 species of birds and 41 species of butterflies.
(His most recent report on Monserate Mountain can be found in this
issue.)
Emerald Grove co-chairs Dawne Goodwin McCullough
and Mickey McCullough received a special commendation from Supervisor
Bill Horn for their outstanding work as founders and co-chairs of
the Emerald Grove committee of the Fallbrook Land Conservancy.
To qualify for Emerald Grove membership, individuals and businesses donate a minimum of $1,000 a year to FLC or make a gift of land. Last year, 49 donors qualified.
Mark Your Calendars!
FLC’s 19th
Annual
Stage Coach Sunday
September 27, 2009
at the Palomares
House
from 1 to
4:30
p.m.
Live
Music, BBQ Dinner, Silent Auction,
Live Animal Show,
Halloween Costume Contest and
Games and Prizes for All!
Volunteers Key to "Saving Our Forest" and the Environment
By Jackie Heyneman
It is planting time and Save Our Forest has been busy. The Environmental Education program has been in full swing. The planting at Hellers Bend attended by more than 220 students from La Paloma school was a huge success. Restoring the open areas at the Preserve to Coastal Sage Scrub has been the aim. The location is past the big curve to the right about midway up. Other areas in the vicinity have been planted in years past and are looking good.
Preparing for future plantings at Hellers Bend, we spent two mornings at La Paloma and Live Oak Schools with 4th and 5th grade students. They planted rooted cuttings or seedlings of native plants into gallon-sized pots that will be grown for a year at our nursery. A field trip next year will see these go into the earth in the same vicinity.
A greener entry to Fallbrook at the last curve on E. Mission before Old 395 is in the making. Twelve Oaks were planted there in March along with some small native plants. The Fallbrook Fire Safe Council is supporting our care of these trees. The Fallbrook Chamber of Commerce has partnered with us and is installing a lighted flagpole that will welcome visitors and returning military personnel.
Two large Cape Chestnut trees were planted at Trupiano’s Italian Bistro near Aviation Rd. at 945 S. Main St. They are Calodendrum capense, the beautiful old trees in the historic segment of Main St., and are just beginning to bloom with large pink candles made up of small flowers. It is a spectacular tree in full bloom and some day will bring a lot of pleasure to us all.
-
SOF Volunteers turn out in full force as Jackie Heyneman and Ellie Ross drill hole at
planting site on East Mission where a flagpole will welcome visitors to Fallbrook.
Adoptions help support professional care of our community forest.
Four new benches have been installed on Main St. Three have been adopted. A request from the Angel society placed one at their location. Across the street at Graybill Clinic a bench in memory Karen Tucker was placed . A great sale, two for almost the price of one, made a reason to place a twin there also. That bench is still open for adoption. The fourth is at the Haskell Medical center on Potter Street adopted by Rosemary Hokanson in memory of Dr. Eldon Shields.
A tree was adopted in memory of Bettie & Tom Talbott by Judy Aafedt right behind the Art Center. Also, a new brick was placed under the tree in front of Pinnell Gallery on Main Street in memory of “Bud” Eugene Swearingen.
Two work Parties a month continue and Tree Stewards are gearing up for the summer months and watering in the fertilizer that has been placed at their tree site. Maintenance of the 1.1 mile of South Mission Rd. is ongoing with lots of replacement plants and trees put in this winter and spring.
SOF Appeal: Tree Stewards, who work independently, are always needed. Readers who might have an hour every two weeks are urged to call the office to volunteer. And, we never turn away a work party volunteer who is willing to work once a month for a maximum of two hours.
Native Plant and Wildflower Team
The Native Plant and Wildflower team conducted
a planting with The Children of the Daughters of the American Revolution,
on March 22, 2009. The planting took place near the utility easement
at Los Jilgueros Preserve. There were thirteen adults and children
who planted three Coast Live Oaks, five Sycamores, three Toyons,
nine Monkeyflowers and 19 Deergrass plants.
On April 25, the Rotary Club planted 30 trees to increase the Oak Woodland/Riparian area below the lower pond. the trees. They planted 20 Coast Live Oaks, five Sycamores and five Elderberries.
The NP&WF team has also been planting grasses, trees and shrubs in the center area of the main parking lot. “The weeds are under control and we look forward to seeding the area as a native wildflower meadow next fall,” reports team leader Toni Inman.
In the Kiosk area the wildflowers have reseeded. Clarkia, Tidy Tips, Five-spot, Goldfields, California Poppy and Caterpillar Phacilia bloomed this spring with two types of Penstemon.
In the last planting season the team planted 253 one-gallon, 74 five-gallon plants and 15 fifteen-gallon plants.
Tails and Trails
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Jim Massman and beagle Blue make new friends
on the Los Jilgueros trail
The annual “Tails and Trails Dog Walk” in March was a wonderful gathering of some 100 dog lovers and their canine companions of nearly every breed imaginable. As Connie Freese, chairman of FLC’s Friends of Los Jilgueros committee, explained, “The goal for our event is to focus on the importance of Los Jilgueros to the community, to encourage more volunteerism, and to urge all preserve users to act responsibly and to show their support for this beautiful place we love so much.”
The event raised over $2,300 for the Los Jilgueros Preserve Fund, but Connie Freese emphasized that FLC needs the continuing support of everyone who enjoys walking in this lovely open space area. Special thanks go to Coldwell Banker Landmark Group for their continuing sponsorship of the event, to sponsors Lovin’ Friends, Country Kennels, and Joan Zimmerman and to “courtesy ambassadors” Kathy Ford of Roadrunner Errands and Jim Massman.
Return to Monserate Mountain
by Ken Weaver, FLC Technical Advisory Board
The Monserate Mountain Preserve lost most of its vegetative cover in the Rice Fire of 2007. The entire west-facing slope burned as well as much of the eastern slope. It has been interesting to observe the regeneration of the shrub layer and the return of wildlife to the mountain in the 20 months since the fire.
I noted a number of changes as I hiked the preserve trails on May 9. Although the above-ground branches of most shrubs were killed, many have crown-sprouted from roots systems which survived the fire. Many of these shrubs are now several feet in height.
This year’s spring bloom was somewhat subdued compared to last spring’s massive floral display, but I still recorded 48 different species of plants in bloom. Many of these are “fire-followers” which appear for a few years following a burn then set seed only to reappear when the next fire occurs.
The birdlife also showed changes with
several species returning to the burned areas that were largely
absent last year such as wrentits and Bewick’s wrens. On the
other hand, lazuli buntings decreased considerably in numbers.
These small turquoise, red, and white songbirds frequently
follow a pattern of populating areas soon after a fire, then
declining as the shrub layer recovers. We can expect to see
even more changes in future years.
Abundant Wildlife of FLC Preserves
FLC’s Preserves are used by the tiny Calliope Hummingbird, the smallest bird in North America, Golden Eagles, bobcats, foxes, mountain lions, and two species of rattlesnakes, among other denizens of the chaparral, coastal sage scrub, riparian forest and wetlands. Here’s a breakdown of the numbers of species observed on FLC Preserves by Ken Weaver so far:
Number
of bird species: 154 + 12 more species from Santa
Margarita River
Number of species of butterflies: 41
Number of species of reptiles and amphibians: 19
Number of species of mammals: 12
Thank You, Office Volunteers
Your willing help
with our recent mailings is much appreciated. Thank you all.
Eloine Waltrip
Joan Zimmerman
Care-Rite Vocational Services
Susan & Mindy McNeal
(National Charity League)
The Lyle Family
FLC Meetings and Work Parties
Trails Council
Second Monday of the month at 7:00 P.M. at the Palomares House.
New members encouraged.
Trails
Maintenance
Third Saturday at 8:00 A.M. Meet at the Sandia Creek Trail Head.
Save Our Forest
Meetings: 4th Monday of the month, 7:00 P.M. at the
Palomares House.
Work Parties: Third Wednesday of the month at 8:30
A.M. and last Sunday of the month at 7:30 A.M. at the Village
Square.
Adopt-A-Highway: 2nd Saturday of the month at 8:00 A.M.,
at the Pala Mesa Resort entrance.
Technical
Advisory Board
2009 Meetings: July 1 and October 7 at 7:00 P.M. at
the Palomares House.
FLC Board
Meeting
The next meeting of the FLC Board is Wednesday, July 29,
at the Palomares House. The director of the San Diego
region of the Nature Conservancy will be a guest speaker.
Memorial Donors
The FLC thanks the following donors for recent memorial contributions
In Memory of Karen Tucker
A host of
donations from family, co-workers, and friends near and far.
In Memory of
Roger Engel
From his many friends and Fallbrook Land Conservancy
associates
In Memory of Gert Caubaud
From Mr. & Mrs.
Edward Hutchison and Mr. & Mrs. Kaz Tsubouchi
In Memory of Bud Swearingen
From his many
Fallbrook friends
Special 21st Anniversary Package for Stage Coach Sunday
For donations of $300 or more, we will inscribe your name on a tile on the Palomares Park walkway. Watch for this special offer in the Stage Coach Sunday flyer.
Most recent tile dedications
To the Vision of Wally and Karen
Tucker
From Vince Ross
In Memory of Karen Tucker
From Chandra
EPO friends & colleagues: April, Harvey, Kathy, Kayren, Kim,
Lisa, Megan & Mel
In Memory of Karen Tucker
From her Many
Friends Near and Far
In Memory of Karen Tucker
From her Family
In Honor of Maxeen & Maggie
Our Beloved Pets
Rick & Mary
Sullivan
To Mark the 25th Anniversary of
Excalibur Chapter
Daughters of the British Empire