Honoring The Natural World

We believe in the power of the natural world to unlock and inspire the human spirit through education and conservation of the planet.

Here are some examples:

Regeneration

We are partnering with environmentalist, entrepreneur, author, and activist Paul Hawken, author of Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming and are excitedly anticipating the launch of his newest book Regeneration: Ending the Climate Crisis in One Generation.

The book launched in the US on September 14th, and in the 54 countries of the Commonwealth of Nations simultaneously, and will be accompanied by a website, educational curriculum, and film support.

Quote from Paul Hawken:

This is a watershed moment in history. The heating planet is our commons. It holds us all. To address and reverse the climate crisis requires connection and reciprocity. It calls for moving out of our comfort zones to find a depth of courage we may never have known. It doesn’t mean being right in a way that makes others wrong; it means listening intently and respectfully, stitching together the broken strands that separate us from life and one another. It means neither hope nor despair; it is action that is courageous and fearless. We have created an astonishing moment of truth. The climate crisis is not a science problem. It is a human problem. The ultimate power to change the world does not reside in technologies. It relies on reverence, respect, and compassion—for ourselves, for all people, and for all life. This is regeneration.

• The Nature Consevancy’s Jack and Laura Dangermond Preserve (JLDP) has been called the last great California coastal wilderness, offering eight miles of untouched coastline and a 24,364 -acre watershed for future generations. NOF is helping to build an environmental education program in partnership with JLDP,and th4 Point Conception Institute conserving the cultural and ecological values of the land, while developing new research, environmental education, and carefully managed, public-access programs.

• NOF is  providing access to the underserved students in neighboring communities, offering unprecedented  true wilderness experiences.  We believe nature can be transformative for these students, as we seek to develop the next generation of naturalists, scientists and conservationists from the local community. 

• Nature Track’s mission is to foster fascination with the natural world by exposing students to opportunities to engage with nature . Nature Track was an early partner in piloting experiential education on the Dangermond Preserve. They connect specially trained volunteer naturalists to lead students  and learn about  regional ecosystems in the hopes of fostering conservation values , and belief in the transformative power of nature for youth. 

White Buffalo Land Trust

“ALL HANDS ON”  R E G E N E R A T I V E  L A N D  S T EWA R D S H I P  P R O G R A M

By hosting on-farm trainings at their newly acquired 1,000-acre Jalama Canyon Ranch for stakeholders who are poised to take action, this hands-on, regenerative land stewardship program supports the rapid and broad adoption of regenerative land stewardship in an existing thriving regenerative system while helping meet climate goals in Santa Barbara County – and beyond.

WBLT collaborates with the County of Santa Barbara and regional partners to ensure the All-Hands-On, Regenerative Land Stewardship Program supports the region’s climate and food resilience goals and continues the legacy of Santa Barbara’s environmental leadership.

Please viist their website at: https://www.whitebuffalolandtrust.org/

Community Environmental Council

Circular Economy/Food Waste Reduction Program

We are partnering with CEC, the 2020 CA Nonprofit of the Year, to reduce urban food waste in Santa Barbara County and convert it to usable products – such as compost and renewable electricity- to help meet ambitious climate goals. This grant will focus on three goals:

1. Increase participation in food rescue efforts and commercial food scrap collection by 20% by 2025.

2. Increase production of renewable electricity and compost generated from food waste by 20% by 2025.

3. Offset the agriculture sector’s greenhouse gas emissions countywide by applying compost to natural and working lands.

Friends of Ballona Wetlands

Answering the acute need for inclusive environmental education for students, especially those with limited access to open space, Friends of Ballona Wetlands offers a standards-based curriculum in the classroom, supports teacher’s educational strategies, and creates linkages between classroom instruction and project-based learning activities that are delivered during dynamic and interactive field trips in the wetlands. There students actively participate in community-based sustainability projects that teach environmental stewardship and sustainability.

TNC (The Nature Conservancy)  

Upcoming land protection: Working diligently towards the acquisition of the Clinch Mountain (Simcox) and Clinch Mountain (Oakes) properties, a total of   ~1,450 acres that present an amazing opportunity to sequester forest carbon, connect trails, establish a community stewardship committee, and create a new outdoor recreation/environmental education destination near our office Abingdon. 

For more information and a great video, https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/priority-landscapes/appalachians/stories/cumberland-forest-community-fund/