MOUNTAINS + MOLEHILLS
  • Blog
  • About
  • Our People
  • Contact

a Sonoma Land Trust stewardship blog

Mountains + Molehills focuses on the adventures of the Sonoma Land Trust stewardship crew, and the day-to-day challenges and blessings that they face. The daily schedule of each crew member may involve working with power shovels, connecting with landowners, hiking around the Sonoma Valley Wildlife Corridor, building habitat for burrowing owls, avoiding skunks, trooping through poison oak, and so much more. Every day is an adventure, and we hope to share those adventures with you!

in good hands

6/30/2017

1 Comment

 

by Shanti Edwards

Picture
We work with a multitude of volunteers, partner groups, neighbors and friends to coordinate land stewardship activities on our protected lands, and the caretakers of our properties are just as important as any of our allies.
 
Caretakers provide key services in exchange for living on a beautiful, protected landscape. In addition to being a security presence and liaison with neighbors and the local community, they mow vegetation to reduce fire danger, inspect road conditions, report landslides and trees down, and perform countless other duties associated with living in a remote and rural location.
Picture
Photo by Jessica Holloway.
In 2011, we selected Jessica Holloway as Little Black Mountain Preserve’s caretaker after a local word-of-mouth search that included our neighbors and partner groups affiliated with the property. Jessica happened to be visiting some of our neighbors the day I left a voicemail — and heard my inquiry directly.

Jessica grew up in West County and spent many summers as a child visiting with cousins out in Cazadero. Her interest in rural living first involved a global trajectory and circuitous route to Armenia through her role in the Peace Corps. After travelling and working internationally, including teaching English in Egypt, Jessica made a commitment to volunteer in the Peace Corps within their environmental education program. Jessica lived and worked in a refugee subsistence village to raise awareness about the importance of the local river and coordinate trash cleanup programs. As a leader and educated woman, she was a role model to young girls.
 
Living conditions in the small Armenian village were fairly spartan, preparing Jessica for her leap back to Northern California and new life at Little Black Mountain. When we interviewed Jessica for the role and advised her on living conditions, Jessica was thrilled with the idea of a cabin to herself with running water, a woodstove and limited solar electricity. Wouldn’t she be lonely out there all by herself? Not with cousins and friends nearby.
 
The day I walked into the cabin and saw rugs on the floor, houseplants, musical instruments and art on the walls, I wiped my feet on the doormat, knowing that Jessica had transformed the old cabin into a cozy home. Her housewarming party involved a dozen friends helping her chop firewood — a stack that lasted two Cazadero winters!
 
Jessica is currently education coordinator with LandPaths and coordinates their IOOBY (In Our Own BackYard) program and Owl Camp. When asked what inspires her, she says that she “feels at home and at her best when connected to the outdoors, and strives to share this experience with others.”
 
As our liaison with the community, and eyes and ears on the property, we couldn’t be more thankful to have Jessica watching out for Little Black Mountain. 
Picture
Shanti Edwards is a stewardship project manager at Sonoma Land Trust.
1 Comment
Larry link
7/2/2017 08:05:04 pm

Awesome.... alot of great birds up on the mountain. Speacil place glad it's carefully watched, protected and loved...

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    about us

    Sonoma Land Trust is a local nonprofit based in Santa Rosa, CA, that conserves scenic, natural, agricultural and open lands in Sonoma County for the benefit of the community and future generations. This blog focuses on SLT's stewardship team, whose members do hands-on work to directly protect, restore, and safeguard the land for generations to come.

    subscribe to our mailing list

    * indicates required
    Give Now

    archives

    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015

    categories

    All

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Blog
  • About
  • Our People
  • Contact