When the Land Trust creates a nature preserve, it becomes common ground for us to support the community, for us to meet nature and make conservation real and personal. In addition to local schools and the public, community organizations visit Arroyo Hondo to connect to nature and to each other. The Land Trust is proud that the Preserve is a place where people of all ages can experience and get invested in caring for the land.
Last fall, members of Beyond Incarceration Greater Education (BIGE), a student club from Allan Hancock College, came to the preserve to explore the trails. The student club provides faculty support, mentorship, tutoring, and opportunities for growth and career development. Program graduates may go on to become community advocates, earn advanced degrees, and start new careers. Having a place to unwind is restorative—underscoring the need for more places like this throughout the County, where people can be themselves as they grow toward a better future.
Another local organization working to break down barriers is Hidden Wings. This post-secondary school for high school graduates on the Autism Spectrum is innovating society’s approach to neurodivergence. By cultivating students’ strengths and creating a nurturing environment where visual learning and differences are embraced, Hidden Wings’ participants are developing the life skills, relationships, and career opportunities they need to flourish. As frequent visitors at Arroyo Hondo, their trips are full of possibility and ever-changing sensory experiences.
CASA, or Court Appointed Special Advocates for Santa Barbara County, is a nonprofit that pairs kids navigating the foster care system and difficult circumstances with trusted, trained adult advocates. CASA advocates and kids bond on outings and cultivate a sense of safety.
Crystal Sullins, CASA’s Public Relations Manager, said of one visit:
“Watching the kids climb rocks, and explore the land gave volunteers opportunities to engage with their CASA child, ask questions, get creative, encourage outdoor learning, and observe how their CASA child adapted to this new environment. We can’t thank the Land Trust enough.”
Arroyo Hondo Preserve offers kids and adults of every age, from various backgrounds and life experiences, a place to belong and become people who both care for the land and care for each other through the land. This is what community-centered conservation means. The land is a living and supportive force that brings us together, touches our lives from the soles of our feet, and invites us to be part of something bigger.
