hope for 2012

Support Health, Land, and Youth

Contribute to LandPaths 2012 Challenge

You may ask why LandPaths should be on the top of my giving list.

Simply put: Because LandPaths has a dramatic positive impact on health, the land, and our youth.

• Health- LandPaths'Bayer Farm, an urban farm and community garden in Santa Rosa, engages people in growing and healthy eating. LandPaths works with health care providers to prescribe walking and a guide to nearby parkland to promote active lifestyles. LandPaths offers over 100 free hikes and fun events on 6,000 acres of parkland in Sonoma County - the majority of those acres open to public use because of LandPaths.

• Environment - Our land conservation and stewardship projects result in cleaner air and water and lessen the impacts of global climate chaos. Our work with biologists, naturalists, agriculture and wildlife experts and volunteers help curtail negative ecological impacts.

• Youth - Our school-year outdoor nature classroom (In Our Own Backyard) and summer camp (Owl Camp) give students scientific education and experience to equip them for their future as citizens and informed voters. Over 80% of our students are low-income and with budget cuts, students need the outdoor nature education provided by LandPaths even more. Studies show that student academic achievement improves with outdoor classrooms and promote positive well-being in our youth. LandPaths provides these educational programs as well as scholarships. We hear from teachers that In Our Own Backyard is the only science that many students experience.

Support LandPaths Today!

We understand that the quality of our future is dependent on connecting land and people - that powerful positive change is possible when all people forge a personal connection to the land and through the land to each other. Our mission is to"foster a love of the land" by connecting people with nature.

Contribute to LandPaths and you help keep our community active and healthy. Your support protects land and educates youth who will successfully adapt to the future.

LandPaths provides connections with our programs and to our parklands in:

• West Sonoma County - Willow Creek, Bohemia Ranch, Carrington Ranch, Grove of the Old Trees
• Santa Rosa area - Bayer Farm, Taylor Mountain, Ranchero Mark West
• North Sonoma County - Riddell Preserve, Healdsburg Ridge Preserve, Cooley Ranch.

Your contribution will keep our land and our community healthy. With LandPaths, we can all nurture our community, our FUTURE and ourselves by taking a walk, spending time in the garden or forests, breaking bread together after a fruitful workday, sitting by a pond and listening to the birds and the sounds of our communities. We connect with nature and we invite you to join us.

Help us, help our land. Give generously to LandPaths.
Thank you.

Craig Anderson
Executive Director

P.S. Evolution of Parks. LandPaths is leading by example. Willow Creek and Bayer Farm are successful models to counteract park closures. LandPaths is working to keep parks open and with your support we will keep parkland open to the public. And, the phone just rang last week requesting our help and approach at keeping open another priceless State Park in our community.