Conservancy needs to raise funds quickly for open space purchase

The Arroyos and Foothills Conservancy needs to raise $250,000 in less than two months to make an open space purchase at Rubio Canyon.  The board recently sent out this appeal:

Dear AFC friends,

With your help, last year we bought 20 acres of the mouth of Rubio Canyon. Now, we have a great opportunity to finish the job and preserve the rest of the canyon -- 21 more acres. We can buy the property and prevent its development.

This special landscape is bounded on three sides by protected lands. You can keep it open space forever – for trails, for wildlife, and for its scenic beauty. A map and more specifics about the property are attached.

But we need you to act quickly.

We got some great news today. Supervisor Michael Antonovich authorized a major grant that gets us about one fourth of the way to buying the property.

But to qualify for a major discount on the first parcel we need to raise $250,000 by September 30. Can you help us?

There are lots of ways you can help. You can make a gift, host a gathering, and invite your friends to join us for a hike in the canyon. Just forwarding this e-mail to other conservation-minded people will go a long way.

To make a donation, you can mail a check to Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy, P.O. Box 3, Altadena, CA 91003-0003. Visit arroyosfoothills.org to make an on-line donation.

If you want more information we can send you a packet. We’d love to hear from you if you have questions, want to arrange to see the property, offer help, or talk. You can reach John Howell, our new executive director, at (626) 796-3004 / johnhowell@arroyosfoothills.org or contact any board member, for more information.

We come to the foothills for renewal. We work to conserve them so that our children and grandchildren can draw the same inspiration and energy from the land that we do. Working together, we can conserve this land in perpetuity, and turn it into a community resource. Join us!

And thanks.

Nancy Steele, President
Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy

and

Lori Paul, Vice-President
Michelle Markman, Secretary/Treasurer
Mary Barrie
Laura Garrett
Lawren Markle
Marc Stirdivant
Robert Staehle
Tim Wendler