As president of Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST), Audrey Rust fought to keep the wild in the Silicon Valley and its adjacent mountains and coastline. She believes in the motto, “If it hasn’t been paved, it can still be saved.” Proof? In the land of Facebook and Apple, POST has saved 72,500 acres of redwoods, ranchlands, and coast—including Rancho Corral de Tierra. Here are her tips for preserving your local green spaces.
1 | Get out and experience nature with friends, and do it regularly. To that end, Rust started the weekly Hooky Players Half Day Hiking Club.
2 | Call a local nonprofit conservation group or regional park district to see how you can help. Some might need volunteers to lead hikes; other might want help removing invasive plants.
3 | Even 50 bucks can help. “Every gift counts, regardless of size, and for every conservation organization, the number of supporters is important,” Rust says.
4 | Know that there’s strength in numbers. “Joining others to preserve land makes sense because it is expensive, time-consuming work. Most people don’t have the millions of dollars necessary to do it alone.”