Back in the Boardroom for 2022
The Escondido Creek Conservancy hosted the first in-person Board meeting since the beginning of the pandemic at Boulder Outlook. Boulder Outlook is the new home of the Conservancy and is currently under construction. The headquarters is a refurbished single family home that was on the property that has become the Mountain Meadow Preserve in Escondido, California.
Board meetings have been held on Zoom since the very earliest days of the coronavirus pandemic making this a very special event. Some board members were meeting in real life for the first time.
“I joined the board in November, 2020, so this was my first in person board meeting. This was also my first time meeting a couple of the board members in person. Though Zoom is efficient, is lacks the warmth that personal interaction provides. Working to preserve open natural spaces is a personal calling, so interacting with the board in person greatly enhances the experience. One example from Boulder Outlook is the shared sense of wonder which could be seem on the board members faces when the anticipated conference room table made of an 4+ foot in diameter Torrey Pine was discussed. This would have been lost on Zoom. The care in the construction of Boulder Outlook from the environmental side, includes the placement of the septic pit and the grey water runoff,” said Lisa Ruder, Board Member.
The new roof is on!
Current Board President, Leonard Wittwer, is one of the original Conservancy founders 30 years ago. To Leonard, meeting at the new HQ meant much more than just attending another meeting.
“The first Board Meeting at our Boulder Outlook office space filled me with gratitude for all the hard work and generosity of the Conservancy supporters. There’s still significant construction work to be done, but it’s a far cry from the kitchen tables we used to meet at. Having a permanent place to call home will stabilize the organization and inspire us to do even more creative projects to serve the plants, animals, and humans of the Escondido Creek watershed,” he said.
Boulder Outlook will serve many purposes. According to Executive Director of the Escondido Creek Conservancy, Ann Van Leer, “Boulder Outlook is more than an office. While it will serve our staff and Board of Directors, giving them an inspiring place to meet and collaborate, It will also be a place we can conduct volunteer trainings and education sessions to engage the public in conservation across North County.”
Support the Conservancy’s Land Conservation Efforts.
There were a lot of emotions being felt and shown at the first board meeting. Lisa Ruder summed it up for the group.
“The main emotion is appreciation. I am seeing the final stages of completion of a multi year project while was managed and, often completed, by the volunteers hands. This has taken vision of what the Conservancy HQ could be and has moved it toward a reality. The Conservancy HQ will be an inspirational location for the staff to work from and the community to enjoy the preserved spaces.”
The future Conservancy boardroom.
Development Associate Meghan has been providing progress update videos on the build at Boulder Outlook, the future home of the Conservancy.
Recently, the materials for the roof came in and our team got to work! Solar and stucco work should start soon. We are prepping the concrete floors to get polished and stained. We still need to raise about $250K to meet our entire build interior/exterior projected costs.
Follow the Conservancy on Instagram to see the video updates.
