For a good cause -- Preserving the future

Mary A. Castillo

Every morning and afternoon when Scott Thomas drives past the ranger’s

station on Laguna Canyon Road, he takes a quick second to admire the

sycamores and oak trees he planted after the fire of 1993.

Some of the sycamores are now 20-feet tall and the oaks have stretched

their limbs wide. But what really makes him feel good is to see the birds

come to roost in those canopies and to remember the camaraderie of his

fellow volunteers who helped plant the trees.

“The Laguna Greenbelt doesn’t just plant trees and plants,” he said.

“We’re restoring habitats and preserving the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park

for future generations.”

Together with his wife, Julie, Thomas began leading hikes through the

park more than 10 years ago via the Naturalist Program spearheaded by

Elisabeth Brown. Although he enjoyed sharing the secrets of the park with

new visitors, he also wanted to do more to conserve that beauty.

“I wanted people to understand the value of restoring and preserving

the space in its pure state,” he said.

Thomas has always had a love of nature. Growing up in Palos Verdes, he

often explored the foothills and surrounding open spaces. When he moved

to Laguna Beach 15 years ago, the untouched space that surrounds the city

was the biggest attraction for him.

“Having this space around me gives me a sense that I’m in a very

special place,” he said.

Thomas has devoted the last six years to seasonal stewardship

activities by clearing out nonnative, exotic plants that resulted from

decades of cattle grazing. Working with park rangers, Thomas and the core

group of Greenbelt volunteer leaders coordinate trail clearing and native

planting projects. As a landscape architect, he has also been recruited

to help improve public access to the park.

He and his wife hope that their love of nature will live on in their

two children, who always come along on hikes and camping trips.

If the time is right he may enlist their help in collecting acorns at

this Saturday’s Hike and Help Event. The acorns, Thomas explained, will

be collected then germinated as part of an oak wood restoration project

in Camarillo Canyon. The seedlings will be planted in fall just before

the rain season begins.

“One of the greatest rewards of working with the Greenbelt is watching

people return to the park and seeing the results of their efforts.”