COSF News   (May 2007)

Trails Education Days
The Conejo Open Space Foundation supports the Conejo Open Space Trails Advisory Committee (COSTAC) in coordinating this annual environmental education program for Conejo Valley fifth graders. More than 25,000 students have taken part in Trails Education Days since its inception in 1992.

This year's T.E.D., April 23 through April 27, 2007, was attended by more than 1600 Conejo Valley Unified School District students. The event began with a nature hike, followed by various programs including animal demonstrations, trail safety and courtesy, and presentations by Park Rangers. In a writing contest, the students describe things they learned during their Trails Education Days, such as information about various plants and animals, the ecology of the area, human impact on the environment, or thoughts on how we might better protect our natural resources.

There were 50 volunteer hike leaders, about half of those being local Sierra Club hikers. Also, many additional volunteers helped with the various programs and demonstrations. Without the volunteers who give so much to this program, Trails Education Days could not take place. We are especially pleased that so many volunteers come back year after year, ready to give a new crop of Fifth Graders a valuable experience in the Conejo open space.


Adopt-A-Trail development project makes great progress
Adopt-A-Trail is a Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA) volunteer program supported by the Conejo Open Space Foundation (COSF). It is designed to encourage local participation in the on-going maintenance and building of public trails through the "adoption" of specific COSCA trails, or trail segments, by an individual, group, or organization.

Adoptor of the Barranca/Arroyo Conejo Trail, Steve Forman, has coordinated with the Boy Scouts of America to make the Arroyo Conejo North Trail work an Eagle Scout project. Eagle Scout candidate Brenden Stevens has recruited eleven (11) Scout volunteers for the task, which starts on Saturday, May 12th and is expected to continue for several weekends The project will satisfy Brenden's Eagle Scout requirements while providing a community service opportunity for the scout volunteers. The final project will include a kiosk, a step over, fencing, signage, stone creek crossing, slough and berm work, erosion control measures, and removal of social trails. Some tasks, including a rock stepping stone bridge (creek crossing), trail slough/berm improvements, and concrete fence repairs, have already been completed by COSCA Rangers and Steve Forman. The long term objective of this project is to increase the awareness of this gateway trail which leads to Wildwood Park.


Trailhead Outreach
The Conejo Open Space Foundation plans to staff an information table at Wildwood Park on Saturday May 19, 2007 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. The Foundation will provide information about the Conejo Open Space, such as trail maps, hike and event schedules, environmental education, and Conejo Open Space Conservation Agency (COSCA) volunteer opportunities.


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