UPPER LAKE, Calif. – The Lake County Land Trust’s 2014 Annual Dinner – held at The Lodge at Blue Lakes on Saturday, Oct. 11 – was a huge success with more than 100 people attending.

Participants enjoyed bidding on fabulous silent auction items and were treated to an excellent dinner provided by The Lodge at Blue Lakes – a beautiful venue for a “nature oriented” event like the Land Trust dinner.

This annual fundraiser also commemorated the Land Trust’s 20th anniversary; the organization, a non-profit 501 c (3), was founded in 1994.

Traveling all the way from Gilroy, the founder of Coastal Habitat Education and Environment Restoration (CHEER), Herman Garcia, provided an entertaining talk about his work with watershed restoration in the Pajaro River watershed.

Jon Ambrose, president of the Lake County Land Trust, discussed the trust’s accomplishments over the last year and noted the Land Trust’s progress in purchasing acreage on the shores of Clear Lake in the Big Valley area.

This area features some of the last remaining tule marsh and wetland habitat on the shores of Clear Lake.

Every year the Land Trust names its “Supporters of the Year.”

This year John and Cheyanne Parker were honored for the pro-bono archaeological work they do for the Land Trust.

Dr. John Parker is a professional archaeologist and with Cheyanne’s help has created several archaeological studies for Land Trust properties.

The studies have been incorporated into the management plans for the properties owned and operated by the Land Trust, including Rabbit Hill and the Rodman Preserve. 

The couple also hosts educational programs for both children and adults at the Land Trust’s Rodman Preserve Nature Education Center.

The event was held in the mid-afternoon and those arriving enjoyed the sound of the band Deez Guise, made up of Tom Nixon, Doug Harris, Sissa Harris, Henry Bornstein and Bill Bordisso.

Peter and Maryann Schmid, owners of The Lodge at Blue Lakes were excellent hosts, providing a delicious dinner and surprising all with an apple crepe with chocolate sauce for dessert – a perfect way to top off the evening.

The Lake County Land Trust holds this annual fundraising dinner on the second Saturday of October. 

The tradition was started in 1999 after the successful purchase of the Trust’s Rodman Ranch and Slough (now the Rodman Preserve) property.

For more information about the Lake County Land Trust, go to www.lakecountylandtrust.org , call 707-262-0707 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .