• Volunteer Lobos State Preserve at Pt. is training the “next generation of conservationists.”
• “What I want first” [visitors] All you have to do is have fun…and when you are moved by the beauty of nature, you want to protect it. ”
• For leaders like Doug Cambia, “All we have to do is give back a little bit, in this nature, with all this beauty.” That never gets old.
Of the approximately 78 million people who volunteer in the United States, approximately 7.5 million live in California, and no one has a better view than Doug Cambia.
On a sunny fall morning, Kambia strapped on his binoculars and began a 90-minute walking tour of Point Point’s Cypress Grove Trail. Lobos State Natural Reserve is a coastal paradise between Carmel-by-the-Sea and Big Sur. Big winter waves crashed against the rocks, sea lions howled, and the sounds of seagulls joined the symphony.
Many people have tried, but this place is not something that can be described, painted or photographed. Ansel Adams visited many times with his camera. Australian landscape painter Francis McComas simply called it “the world’s greatest meeting of land and water.”
It never gets old for Cambia, who wore a green vest with the Point Lobos Dorcent insignia.
California is about to experience a wave of aging, and Steve Lopez is riding the wave. His column focuses on the benefits and burdens of aging and how some people are challenging the prejudices against older people.
“So there are six habitats here,” says the retired family doctor, before giving Poison to a dozen or so of us before crushing the glory of the marine life, plants, and wildlife that surround us. I briefly warned you about orcs.
Cambia blends habitat and history, touching on the Ohlone River, European conquest, the destruction wrought by overhunting, and the resilience of Monterey’s pines and cypresses. All of this is being done to gain greater appreciation and potentially lead to better stewardship of our planet, which is at risk as climate change accelerates and biodiversity declines.
I was at the preserve not only to breathe the salt air in one of my favorite places in the world, but also to celebrate the season by honoring those who give back in some way. Ta. Although on some days it may seem that our culture is defined by isolation and selfishness, the goodwill of nearly 80 million people, many of whom continue to contribute to their communities even in retirement, shows that It tells the story.
Doug Cambier is a volunteer instructor at Pt. Lobos State Natural Reserve.
(Steve Lopez/Los Angeles Times)
For those who want to contribute but aren’t sure which causes to support, Rick Stoff and friends have created a volunteer collective that lists a variety of opportunities, from supporting victims of domestic violence to wellness programs. Five years ago, he founded a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles called . Even pet care support.
He doesn’t know of any volunteers who spend their time tutoring or reading to children, but they don’t feel enriched by the experience. “You’re getting out of the house and doing something for someone,” said Stoff, who said running the nonprofit is his own volunteer work.
“I have a purpose,” said the 76-year-old, who was introduced to me in 2021 by my colleague Robin Abkyrian. “I feel like I’ve become a young man.”
We were amazed to learn that over 27,000 Californians are passionate about supporting our state parks. Those volunteers spent 780,000 hours in 2023, according to the state’s website. Point Lobos alone has more than 200 volunteers, all of whom undergo a multi-month training course and commit to at least six hours of service each month.
John Hiles, Monterey Division Manager for the State Park Service, said Point Lobos has one of the most well-organized volunteer groups in the area and offers “an excellent educational program.” In addition to conducting tours, guides staff information kiosks and museums, assist with trail maintenance, and record sea otter sightings to support habitat restoration efforts.
When Kambia raised his hand to volunteer, he knew exactly what was being asked of him. His wife, Jean, a retired school teacher, had just begun her eighth year as a Point Lobos trainee. She said she spends 20 to 30 hours a month helping direct training activities, among other administrative tasks.
“If it wasn’t fun, I wouldn’t be doing it,” Jean said. “There is a sense of camaraderie because we have something in common with all the people who want to protect protected areas.”
Doug Cambia told the guides, “All we have to do is experience all this beauty in this natural setting and give back a little bit.”
(Steve Lopez/Los Angeles Times)
The instructor program is funded by the nonprofit Point Lobos Foundation, which also sponsors park visits for fourth graders who attend schools in some of the region’s poorest communities, including Salinas and surrounding agricultural areas.
“That’s our next generation of conservationists,” Jean said.
She says up to 60 children arrive by bus at a time, many of whom have never seen the ocean.
“We do one tutoring for every six kids, which equates to 10 dogs on that walk.” More volunteers set up spotting scopes to help children find nearby spots. This allows you to get a closer look at the sea lions barking on the rocks.
“The first thing we want them to have is to have fun…and if they can be moved by the beauty of nature, they want to protect it,” he says.The magic of Point Lobos is a revelation. Jean, 70, said there is a possibility that this will happen. For children who grew up glued to the screen and fascinated.
“Kids spend five minutes looking at Roly-Polly, but lately they’ve been spotting a lot of turret spiders and their nests. We’re teaching them about wall rats and how their nests are similar to human homes. We talk about dolphins,” Jean said. “It’s just an appreciation for what exists in this world, and we spend a lot of time talking about native and exotic plants…We get excited when we see a flock of pilot whales passing by and see deer and rabbits. or say, “Oh, the bird has gone.”
In addition to conducting tours, guides including Doug Cambia, staff information kiosks, and museums assist with trail maintenance and record sea otter sightings to support habitat restoration efforts.
(Steve Lopez/Los Angeles Times)
When he toured with 70-year-old Doug Cambia, he was as dazzling as those kids.
He pointed out tree branches covered in warblers, lace lichen and an orange algae called torrenteporea. He paid homage to the cypress tree, which “biologically originates from Point Lobos” and perhaps developed horizontal wing-like branch structures here to withstand coastal gusts. I guessed it wasn’t. He provided a crash course in the 80 million year history of the geological forces that carved this masterpiece on the edge of the continent.
Cambia said people tend to tip after a guided tour, but don’t say thank you. If they insist, he suggests donating to the Point Lobos Foundation to further the cause of education and conservation.
For doctors, “all we have to do is experience all this beauty in nature and give back a little bit,” he said.
steve.lopez@latimes.com
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