Donor Profiles: A Community of Giving
Meet some of our supporters & share your story
“EAC keeps people educated and engaged about the issues facing our public lands, and they can’t do this work without contributions. So lend a hand or donate. ”
EAC: Can you tell us a little about what conservation of the land means to you? How that intersects with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA) and Point Reyes National Seashore (PRNS)?
Amy Meyer: My family had 50 acres of land and lakefront near Peekskill N.Y. on which they developed summer homes. My father called it "my park." There was a lot of uncultivated land on which I spent my childhood. When I grew older, they sold the land without considering how my sister and I felt about it. So when I came to northern California, and saw how beautiful it is here, I felt determined to stay and help protect this area. In 1970, I learned about the campaign for the GGNRA and joined the effort.
Now I have the sweet satisfaction of knowing the park I've worked on establishing and protecting for nearly 50 years has 82,000+ acres of protected land next to one of the biggest urban centers in the country. When combined with Point Reyes and other public park lands in Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo counties, the contiguous area of habitat and wildlife is 200,000 acres, with a break only at the Golden Gate. There is nothing equivalent in any other American urban area.
“My personal investment when the wilderness was contested, was to support the extraordinary efforts of EAC and the National Parks Conservation Association in the preservation and promise of wilderness. ”
EAC: What work does EAC do that you care most about?
Amy: I count on EAC. The nonprofit organization provides an essential voice for this unique coastal area. They have gathered a board, staff, and membership that provides a major activist role focused on West Marin environmental advocacy and protections. EAC is West Marin-focused on environmental issues in a way other organizations are not.
EAC: Back in 2010, we awarded you the Peter Behr Land Steward Award for your work around the Drakes Estero Wilderness. Can you tell us a little about your involvement in the Wilderness campaign and what that project meant to you?
Amy: I mostly helped by reminding people why and how the plan for a big wilderness was a promise to the American people made years earlier, and that promise should not be broken. My involvement started back in 1975, when the Drakes Estero Wilderness came before the GGNRA/Point Reyes Advisory Commission, of which I was vice chair. The NPS wanted a 5,000 acre wilderness in Point Reyes, but Congressman Clem Miller's widow and his legislative aide Bill Duddleson thought that "a mere pittance." Congressman Phil Burton agreed, and sent a letter to the NPS Regional Director supporting "efforts to preserve vast and important sections of this land in its wilderness state," and cited broad citizen support for more wilderness to "achieve the truly magnificent Point Reyes National Seashore which was envisioned." The Advisory Commission agreed. In 1976, Congress designated a wilderness of over 33,000 acres. The Johnson Oyster Company was 'grandfathered' in until its lease would be up in 2012, and Drakes Estero would be restored. My personal investment when the wilderness was contested, was to support the extraordinary efforts of EAC and the National Parks Conservation Association in the preservation and promise of wilderness.
EAC : What would you tell someone who is thinking about donating or volunteering with EAC?
Amy: West Marin is one of the Bay Area’s major recreational spots. We all have an investment in its future. Whether you are living along this stretch of coast, or in the larger Bay Area, it’s important for us to know EAC is actively advocating for our resources. They keep people educated and engaged about the issues facing our shared public lands, and they can’t do this work without contributions. So lend a hand or donate, but get involved.
Jules Evens,
Wildlife Biologist,
Conservationist & Author
Guardian Circle Member
EAC: Tell us how you first heard about EAC.
Jules Evens (JE): I first heard about EAC in the late 1970s when they were protesting the expansion of the levees in the marshlands at the south end of Tomales Bay. It was years of advocacy and dedication that eventually led to the levee removal and the restoration of what we now know as the Giacomini Wetlands.
EAC: How did you get involved with EAC?
JE: When I first came to West Marin, the landscape reminded me of my Vermont home. As a biologist and conservationist, I was concerned about the continued protection of the biological diversity and the natural heritage of the area. At the time, EAC had a campaign against the West Marin landfill expansion, and they were one of the only local nonprofits taking on environmental advocacy campaigns and presenting them before boards, supervisors, and committees to ensure long-term protections were in place. I wanted to be a part of that. So, I joined as a contributing member.
“(EAC) was (and is) one of the only local nonprofits taking on environmental advocacy campaigns and presenting them before boards, supervisors and committees to ensure long-term protections were in place. I wanted to be a part of that. So, I joined as a contributing member. ”
EAC: What made you take the leap to become a board member?
JE: EAC was and is a grassroots nonprofit, with a long history of success in protecting natural values of West Marin, but it also means all hands on deck. As a contributing member, I knew I was helping financially to ensure the work could be done, but I also had become friends with other members and wanted to contribute more. Because of my background in biology and writing, I was able to take my giving to the next level. Under the urging of then Executive Director Catherine Caufield, we successfully petitioned the Ramsar Convention (nomination and update), an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands, for Tomales Bay to be designated as a wetland of international importance. Working on the petition gave me a deeper connection with, and appreciation for the Bay, but also with the organization who worked diligently to ensure these special places were protected.
“EAC has a long history of effective leadership and uncompromising advocacy for coastal issues, wildlife protection and land-use stewardship in our community, but they can’t do this without member support.”
EAC: What do you think are the biggest environmental threats to West Marin today?
JE: The current administration is trying to privatize public lands, to commodify the commons. This is a dangerous threat to parks and wilderness. Small activist groups such as EAC are critical watchdogs with local influence that will need to resist this land grab. Another threat, particularly to wetlands, is climate change and subsequent sea-level rise. Additionally, we are experiencing an increase in visitation and shifting demographics, with people having less connection to place, which potentially means less philanthropic or stewardship engagement.
Bio
Jules Evens was born and raised in New England, lived and worked as a wildlife biologist in West Marin for over four decades. He served on the EAC board for several years, and has led a number of trips for our spring fundraiser, the Point Reyes Birding and Nature Festival. He is the principal of a environmental consulting group, Avocet Research Associates. His primary research focuses on tidal wetlands, avian population trends, and species at-risk. He has written or co-authored three books in the University of California Press Natural History Series—The Natural History of the Point Reyes Peninsula (3rd edition, 2008), An Introduction to California Birdlife (2005), and Birds of the Northern California Coast (2014)–as well as various scientific papers and natural history articles.
EAC : What would you tell someone who is thinking about donating or volunteering with EAC?
JE: Do it! No gift is too big! EAC has a long history of effective leadership and uncompromising advocacy for coastal issues, wildlife protection and land-use stewardship in our community, but they can’t do this without member support. I currently give monthly to help the organization throughout the year, but annual gifts are the financial backbone of the organization. As I explore the Point Reyes wilderness, the Giacomini Wetlands, or Tomales Dunes; I feel that EAC and the personal donations that support it have made a huge difference. When my kids and grandkids return for a visit, and they experience the natural beauty and ecological diversity of West Marin, a place we called home for over four decades, I am particularly thankful for all the work that has gone into protecting this unique place.
