Earth Systems Science, Inc.

Networking Rather Than Notworking

Aug 14, 2003

ESSI expanded its network this summer. New connections were made with the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and Neighbor Acting Together Helping All (NATHA).

About mid-July, Nicole Fernandes, based in San Diego in the NWF Western office contacted ESSI. NWF was looking for grass roots community-based groups to cooperate with them to assist in further implementing the Backyard Wildlife Habitat and related programs. A lengthy conference call concluded with both groups feeling very comfortable and willing to explore formal cooperative action. ESSI enrolled in the NWF Habitat Stewards Host training. This paves the way for ESSI to host an NWF Habitat Steward Training workshop sometime in Spring 2004. Habitat Stewards are the community level sparkplugs to encourage and assist neighbors to create urban wildlife habitats in backyards, schoolyards, and communities.

Coincidentally, a remodeling project at the Lee residence provided an opportunity to gain hands on experience with the Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. A brief visit to the NWF website (www.nwf.org) education programs provided on-line information and guidelines. The Lee family applied for NWF certification of the backyard wildlife Habitat created in just a brief 3 week period amidst the chaos of the month long remodeling project that affect both front and backyards.

It is a small world indeed. Ironically, when ESSI was being formed, this NWF program was identified as being a suitable family activity for sustainable neighborhoods. In another seemingly unrelated past event, Patrick McCullough, ESSI co-founder, met Mark Van Putten, NWF President, at the NPCA Mosaic Conference in summer 2000. Now, ESSI and NWF will be formally meeting to discuss collaborating on urban wildlife habitats.

But opportunities have a way of appearing when you least expect them. Another set of events brought ESSI into contact with NATHA, a neighborhood non-profit operating in the Altadena-Pasadena area. Saul Mercado and Tatsunori Ikeda (both with NATHA) facilitated the connection. They both had former ties with Greg Lee and Patrick McCullough through ESSI activities and Outward Bound Adventures, Inc (OBA, Inc., another local non-profit operating in the Altadena area).

Saturday, August 2, two NATHA youth, Robert Cotton II and Robert Weaver III, joined other ESSI volunteers for training at the Pacific Back Bone Trail (Solstice Canyon segment) in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SAMO NRA). In addition to the modified UTAP (Universal Trail Access Procedures), the NATHA youth videotaped the training session. This was a pilot project for them that could lead to their involvement in other ESSI activities. Tatsunori Ikeda volunteers in both organizations. He was exploring opportunities for NATHA youth to apply their video training to practical projects such as those run by ESSI.

On Sunday, August 3, Saul Mercado called to invite ESSI to attend a NATHA meeting on Aug 6 (to introduce ESSI and the NWF wildlife habitat programs) and to staff an ESSI information booth at the NATHA Block Party on Aug 9. Preparing for these events on such short notice was a daunting task. But sometimes you have to strike when the iron is hot. A flurry of e-mails went back and forth with ESSI and NWF-San Diego.

On Wednesday, Aug 6, ESSI was invited to attend a NATHA Community Health Providers weekly meeting. The Lead Volunteer at the meeting was Carol Brown. She had met Mr. Lee at Pasadena City College, and ironically, had also been involved in OBA, Inc. as a youth). ?“I have been following your footsteps,?” she quipped. (Her son had just joined an ESSI training activity the weekend before.) During the meeting, ESSI introduced itself and its recent contact with NWF. NATHA had a keen interest in expanding its successful vegetable gardening program by means of the Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. ESSI also described the Schoolyard and Community Wildlife Habitat programs. Both were well received by the NATHA group. At this time, there were 4 gardens in Altadena and 5 in Pasadena certified as NWF wildlife habitats. Significantly, there were no schools yet certified. ESSI pointed out that NATHA had an opportunity to establish some ?“firsts?” in the area. These would bring NWF publicity to the community and raise the stature and environmental awareness of local area. Celeste Walker, President of NATHA, sat in on the meeting and expressed interest in all three NWF programs. Later that evening, she enthusiastically reported her impressions to the NATHA Board.

On Saturday, August 9, ESSI attended the NATHA Block Party at the 1800 block of Navarro Avenue, Pasadena. ESSI displayed a PowerPoint presentation summarizing its programs and distributed NWF literature on the Backyard Wildlife Habitat program. Nicole Fernandes sent 2-dozen assorted NWF magazines and a Backyard Wildlife Habitat Starter Kit as door prizes.
About 55 sets of information were distributed. At 3 pm, a random drawing was held for the Backyard Wildlife Habitat Starter Kit. Stephanie C. Jones of Moreno Valley was the winner!
Celeste Walker, during the Block Party, firmly stated ?“We will be working with you (ESSI) very soon!?”

During the NATHA Block Party, ESSI also collected names of people interested in native plant information. These names were relayed to the California Native Plant Society-San Gabriel Mountains Chapter (CNPS-SGM). This helps to pave the way to this valuable community group for information and advice when the NATHA habitat projects begin. Native plants are an important consideration in the NWF wildlife habitat programs. Habitats including native plants help provide native birds and butterflies with their natural food and shelter. Habitat destruction and loss are key factors in the extinction of species.

The day after the Block Party, ESSI sent a summary report to Fernandes at NWF-San Diego. NATHA is determined to start Backyard Wildlife Habitats among its members with an eye toward other community projects that pave the way for Community Wildlife Certification. William Bibbiani, a Pasadena Unified School District Board member expressed keen interest In the Schoolyard Habitat program. ?“You can expect some principals to be calling you,?” he said during the Block Party. Lyn McAfee (California Native Plants) sent ?“Thanks?” for the contact information for folks wanting more information on native plants. Fernandes of NWF responded ?“Thank you, thank you, thank you. What a wonderful job you did organizing this so quickly and efficiently!?” Amazingly, the mutual benefits of the Block Party extended among various organizations without any formal relations or written agreements. This is effective networking at is best! Everyone agrees this is much better than having things not work at all.

Note: ESSI has effectively networked with other groups, largely thorugh its affiliations and contacts via the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) and its local affiliate, the Los Angeles Community Partners (LACP) and its Youth Council (T.H.E.F.L.A.B.A.). These key connections have effectively linked ESSI with the National Parks (specifically Santa Monica Mountains NRA, Manzanar NHS, and Death Valley NP), California State Parks, Esperanza Community Housing Corp., and Expo Neighbors Environmental Group/Expo Rangers.

(c) 2003, ESSI. All rights reserved. Photos by Tatsunori Ikeda.