CONTRA COSTA COUNTY—Join Save Mount Diablo in exploring the Mount Diablo area’s beautiful wild lands and open spaces. Discover Diablo is a free public hike program that offers an annual schedule of guided interpretive family walks, hikes, and property tours open to any and all trailblazers looking to get out in nature.
The Discover Diablo program seeks to build awareness of local land conservation efforts and nurture relationships between our community and the amazing natural world of the Mount Diablo area. Generously sponsored by the Shell Martinez Refinery for a fourth year, the 2020 Discover Diablo free public hike series will begin on January 25th.
“We are pleased to sponsor this opportunity for people to explore and discover the beauty of Mount Diablo, a wonderful natural resource in our own backyard, with experienced guides,” said Ann Notarangelo, External Relations Manager for the Shell Martinez Refinery. “We hope that people will enjoy learning more about the diverse habitats and the striking vistas while spending time outside with their families and friends.”
Discover Diablo offers 24 events throughout the entire year, with hikes taking place on a Save Mount Diablo property—or hosted on a collaborating agency’s land that Save Mount Diablo helped to protect in years past.
Save Mount Diablo’s property tours illustrate the importance of preserving wildlife habitat and building corridors between existing parks while emphasizing the breathtaking beauty that the Diablo Range has to offer. There will be something for everyone to enjoy and learn from.
To complete the land conservation picture in the Diablo Range and pay homage to collaborating agencies, SMD also hosts regular outings on Mount Diablo State Park, East Bay Regional Park District, and Walnut Creek Open Space Foundation lands.
Save Mount Diablo ties these outings together by offering an annual schedule of free public hikes to explore these diverse lands. Save Mount Diablo’s Discover Diablo program is for hikers of all ages and skill levels.
Discover Diablo hikes are guided by knowledgeable staff and experienced volunteer hike leaders. Some of the properties utilized in the Discover Diablo program are not yet open to the public, so these hikes also present special opportunities to visit breathtaking landscapes rarely seen.
Hosting monthly hikes is an effective way to engage and grow communities invested in the sustainability of local open space. Through this initiative, Save Mount Diablo intends to reach new audiences; build our membership base of adventurers, explorers, and outdoor enthusiasts; spark a passion for the Diablo Range; and engender community conservation by deepening connections to the land and nature. Save Mount Diablo hopes to bring in people from all over the Bay Area to improve awareness of and increase advocacy efforts for the Diablo Range.
According to Ted Clement, Executive Director of Save Mount Diablo, “It is the goal of the Discover Diablo program to build connections between people, Save Mount Diablo, and the land, helping our communities develop a strong sense of place and a deepened appreciation for our collective backyard. Most importantly, we want to cultivate a love of the land in participants, as that is what it will take to ensure the precious Mount Diablo natural area is taken care of for generations to come.”
Discover Diablo, Save Mount Diablo’s series of free guided hikes, shares a taste of Diablo’s wild lands in just a morning, evening, or afternoon. There is something for us all to discover in the nooks and crannies surrounding Mount Diablo, so be sure to hit the trails in 2020 and find your own individual inspiration!
RSVP required. To ensure everyone has an equal opportunity to attend, registration for hikes in March onward will open two months prior to each hike’s date.
See our full schedule of upcoming hikes, view and RSVP online here:
http://bit.ly/Discover-Diablo-Hikes-Calendar
You can also download and print a flyer of the schedule here:
