According to Dan Bernards, our Trails Program Manager, John "always comes ready to work hard, take on any task and be adaptable." Learn more about John!
Photo ©Pamela Palma 2019
I have been a visitor to Mount Sutro since the 1990's when my family walked often to what is now Rotary Meadow; we called it Flower Fairy Meadow. There were plenty of (mostly blackberry) flowers in those days, but the trails, like the fairies, were hard to find, follow or weren't even there yet. In about 2009, I went to a work day of not only Sutro Stewards, but a Cole Valley group and some biking organization, all working overlapping, adjacent projects and was happy recognize people from several different walks of life (and surprised to see all new trails built since the 90s). I saw the fun of volunteering together and getting stuff done we could appreciate right away, like the day we cleared the entire Quarry trail in seemingly one Saturday. By early afternoon we had a usable, new trail most of the way from the nursery to Rotary Meadow that hadn't been there at 9 am!
Back then I didn't know the considerable planning and designing by the Stewards before a successful workday. I see now that Sutro Stewards' work is in various environments: ecological, political, and social concerns all play into the many skills and tasks we've need: surveying, staking, mapping, grubbing, planning, fetching, promoting, digging, hauling, advertising, scheduling and just plain chores. The simple looking paths and plants in the forest we build, plant and maintain are a complex cooperation that I am proud to be part of.