My Stomping Grounds

Driving along Harmony Grove Road was once Laurilyn’s regular commute. She remembers “throwing a fit” after witnessing a bulldozer plowing the vegetation on what is now Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve. “Little did I know that it would become a bright spot in my life!” When the park opened, she would often eat breakfast by the creek or hike the Way Up Trail on her way home from work. One year, she recalls hiking this trail every day to get in shape for her climb to Mount Whitney! Now that hiking has become a bit more challenging, volunteering at the Elfin Forest Interpretive Center is a way to revisit her old stomping grounds.

Laurilyn’s favorite thing about volunteering is the variety of people that come through the Center. She is often a witness to the exchange of stories between parents and their children while other times she has the opportunity to share her knowledge of our local plants and wildlife. Once, she even had the pleasure of greeting Nan Sterman from KPBS’s Growing Passion! “Many times I’ve wished I had not committed to a Sunday afternoon but I ALWAYS go home glad I came!”

To learn about our many volunteer opportunities you can visit escondidocreek.org/volunteer.