114 Monterey County GIVES! 2023 mcgives.com Environment & Sustainability DONate online mcgives.com the Condor. The volunteer staff and board care deeply about the wild lands of Monterey County (and elsewhere), and they expend a great deal of time and effort for the betterment of the animals and plants that occupy their lands. This effort also helps the people of our region in that when the natural world thrives, the developed world also benefits. It is my hope that their efforts can expand beyond Monterey County, to include the entire condor range.” -Jerome Burstein Ventana Wilderness Alliance Year Founded: 2000 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 5 paid, 150 volunteers Budget: $840,000 423-3191 ventanawild.org Big Idea: With more than 270,000 acres under its stewardship, the Ventana Wilderness Alliance (VWA) nurtures its Big Idea every day. This nonprofit works to keep the iconic Big Sur backcountry accessible to the public while protecting robust natural landscapes, pristine watersheds and healthy wildlife populations. The VWA also continually advocates for resources to support the consistently under-funded and under-staffed Monterey Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest. This nonprofit balances advocacy, education and boots-on-theground restoration work on these protected public lands. “The Ventana Wilderness Alliance protects and advocates for our public lands in the Big Sur backcountry. The VWA does amazing work with a small staff and a legion of enthusiastic volunteers. Access trails are maintained, visitors are coached, camps are looked after, and young people are given the opportunity to learn about and experience the Ventana and Silver Peak wilderness areas. Education, stewardship and advocacy for the conservation of the Ventana region help ensure that our wild lands stay wild for future generations to enjoy.” -Nikki Nedeff Watsonville Wetlands Watch Year Founded: 1991 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 13 paid, 800 volunteers Budget: $1,577,777 728-1156 watsonvillewetlandswatch.org Big Idea: Fifth- to eighth-graders from the Pajaro Valley Unified School District get hands-on environmental education through the Wetland Wonders and Wetland Stewards programs. This initiative is a Big Idea helping empower students to design investigations and collect data to analyze the health of wetlands near their homes and schools. Students and families will also receive shade and fruit trees to plant at home, increasing tree canopy cover in the Pajaro Valley to offer shade and capture atmospheric carbon to mitigate climate change. “I really enjoyed going out to schools [as a Wetland Stewards intern], teaching students and seeing the impact I was able to have on them. I would love to continue having an impact on younger generations. My goal is to be a high school environmental science teacher.” -Jasmin Martinez-Mendez Regeneración - Pajaro Valley Climate Action Year Founded: 2016 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 3 paid, 20 volunteers Budget: $430,000 288-7755 regenerationpajarovalley.org Big Idea: As the Pajaro Valley region continues to recover from devastating flooding in 2023, Regeneración - Pajaro Valley Climate Action’s work to achieve climate justice remains more relevant than ever. Donors can support Regeneración’s efforts in sharing stories about how climate change is affecting the agriculture community, inspiring young climate activists, and influencing local climate change policies. This nonprofit is also preparing to launch a Big Idea: a two-year Transformative Climate Communities planning grant to determine community priorities for building climate resiliency for the area around Pajaro and downtown Watsonville. “I chose to volunteer with Regeneración because of its efforts to build resilient communities through addressing climate change and social justice issues. Regeneración has fostered my experiences in research, and has inspired me to continue making a positive impact by pursuing graduate-level research in climate-related studies.” -Monica Urias spotlight Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Year Founded: 2009 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 15 paid, 185 volunteers Budget: $1,513,190 648-5716 pgmuseum.org Big Idea: The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History is launching a two-year, community-focused plan to update its native plant garden. This Big Idea begins with a collaborative planning process and educational activities in year one. This phase will allow the museum to serve a role in communicating Indigenous beliefs and histories to our local community. Year two will include the design process and upgrades to the garden, to feature engaging interactive exhibits for all ages, thriving native plants and an ethnobotany garden, as well as an event space for programs. “The Master Gardeners are proud of our work to return the Museum’s native plant garden into a healthy habitat for birds, pollinators and other animals. We are thrilled to support the Museum’s Big Idea to take the garden to the next level by creating multiple exhibit spaces that will encourage discovery and cultural understanding to grow in the garden and in our community.” -Julie Lorenzen spotlight
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