The challenges of 2020 are unprecedented in Laguna Canyon Foundation’s 30-year history. Never before have we, as an environmental organization, navigated the turmoil of a global pandemic, dramatic social and political upheaval, and the economic challenges that have defined 2020. To put it bluntly, 2020 was a doozy.
As we see the light at the end of the tunnel, with the first vaccines in place, let’s also take some time to think about what went right in 2020.
After all, we couldn’t have done what we’ve done without the support of people like you – people in our community who care passionately about our open space, even when the world feels scary and unpredictable.
As the year comes to an end, we’d like to share with you some of Laguna Canyon Foundation’s accomplishments in the midst of 2020’s turmoil. As the world kept turning, and the sun kept rising, our plants kept growing. This year, we planted more than 3,200 native plants, spread 350 pounds of seed, and removed countless invasive species that threatened our open space. Our trails team took on some much-needed repair on trails that have seen up to three times more use under COVID-19 than during the average year.
Before the pandemic hit, our educators introduced more than 2,100 children to the wilderness and pivoted seamlessly and gracefully to offering bilingual online educational outreach after the pandemic hit. And our steadfast, long-term volunteers clocked more than 2,600 hours of COVID-safe park stewardship activities.
Above all, we connected with people like you in ways we never thought possible. Over the internet and over the phone. From a distance on the trails. In each moment, we were touched by your compassion, your concern for our open space and our collective well-being. Sometimes we were moved to tears by the simplest of gestures—a handwritten note to our staff, or a phone call checking in.
So, while 2020 will certainly not go down as our best year ever, in ways both small and large, we will always remember the poignancy and hope that got us all through. Together.
As we stand up for our open space, and the natural world, let’s also continue to stand up for each other.
We couldn’t have done it without you.
Here’s to seeing you on the trails in 2021.