Sally Pola

"Being with young children in nature... passing the word along that this is something we've got to preserve... guiding youngsters to learn what interests them...." Such is the motivation for Sally Pola's involvement with the Docent Program at Bouverie Preserve. When she happened upon a Sonoma County newspaper announcement of upcoming Docent training in 1990, Sally, who had been volunteering at different organizations, was looking for a new involvement.

Bouverie Preserve of Audubon Canyon Ranch captured Sally! After three years as a Docent, she volunteered for the Junior Naturalists Program (JUNIPER) when it began in 1994. JUNIPERs are youngsters who first experience Bouverie Preserve on school field trips and are selected by their Docent to return for mentoring and as helpers on Guided Nature Walks. Sally Pola has served as a mentor for three JUNIPERs, taken a turn as chair of the program, and led the JUNIPER "graduate program" on further learning activities. "These are very special youngsters," she says proudly. "The oldest ones are now in high school and college, and it's just so thrilling to see them still coming out to teach at Bouverie. Some of them are going to make nature a big part of their lives!"

Jeanne Crawford

The Ranch Guide Program at ACR's Bolinas Lagoon Preserve is a perfect fit for Jeanne Crawford. "When I moved here from Canada in 1986, I knew nothing about the Bay Area. I love learning about natural history and saw a flier for this program at Audubon Canyon Ranch that required training on several Saturdays and a commitment to serve for two weekends per year. I live in San Francisco, and at that time I had two young children, so this was perfect for me."

Jeanne also appreciated the relatively relaxed pace within the Ranch Guides.. "Instead of being highly structured," she says, "the Ranch Guides share a spirit that we try to nurture, where we can feed our souls and also share the Ranch with the public. Each person brings something unique - a love of photography or pond critters or birds - and we share that with the visitors." Her ongoing involvement was also a way for Jeanne to have a deep and nourishing connection with Bolinas Lagoon Preserve, which she shared with her children. Both of her sons have become Ranch Guides, too!