The wild and rugged park here in our own backyard, Topanga State Park, has the distinction of being the largest nature park within a city limit in North America.
The Topanga Canyon Docents, which is about to begin its annual training program on September 27 for new members, is a non-profit, volunteer group formed 30 years ago to help interpret and protect this precious resource. Its members are people of all ages and from all walks of life who have at least one thing in common: a special regard for the Santa Monica Mountains.
The docents lead interpretive walks for school children, families and other groups. Often school children who come from an urban environment are experiencing the natural beauty of Topanga State Park for the first time and aren't quite sure what to make of it.
A darkling beetle crossing a path may cause apprehension when first encountered, but when a docent involves students in counting its legs and explains its role in decomposition–a vital component of the ecosystem, the anxiety dissipates.
"Seven years ago I joined the Topanga Canyon Docents to learn about native plants, animals and the local geology," said Gene Cheltenham, a docent board member. "What I got was something totally unexpected. I learned how to do something most of us dread. I learned how to stand fearlessly in front of a group of people and make a presentation. In fact, if I see people who appear puzzled about something they're looking at in the park, I walk over and talk to them about it. The next thing you know, I'm leading these people, who had been strangers, on an impromptu nature walk."
 Topanga Canyon Docent Gene Cheltenham prepares a group for a Sunday walk in the park. |
Topanga resident Karin Benson moved here from Florida and felt the need to learn more about the local habitat to satisfy the curiosity of her young son, Nate. To supplement their experiences with Nursery Nature Walks, Karin began taking Topanga Canyon Docent classes. Soon, she and Nate were examining local insects and plants with great interest. Now Karin coordinates the docent school walks. Her specialty is native uses of plants. She always brings seasonal edibles that grow in the park–black walnuts, Miner's lettuce, elderberries and Toyon berries–for the students to try. Since natural resources cannot be collected in the park, she gathers her samples elsewhere.
The students enjoy the natural snacks and the hands-on experiences, and quickly catch her contagious enthusiasm for the native Tongva-Gabrielino and Chumash cultures. As a docent, Karin says that the shared sense of discovery is her reward.
Don Murchie, another regular in leading school walks, agrees that watching children discover nature is the greatest joy for a docent. At some point in each walk, he said, he has the children stop for a moment of silence, something they rarely enjoy at home in the city.
After the walk, Don follows up with a program back in the classroom to enrich the trip experience. The children enjoy handling the Native American artifacts he brings into the classroom–arrows, seashells made into ornaments and cutting tools, sharkskin used for sandpaper and a children's game of skill. He shows students how pumice was used to draw on sandstone. He also brings fossils, compost at various stages of decay and a cassette of night sounds of insects and other animals.
Don wears several hats with the docents. He is editor of the docent newsletter Wild Times and chairs the popular Field Ecology Weekend, co-sponsored by the Malibu Creek Docents, an annual spring event for all docents in the Santa Monica Mountains and their families and friends.
Others who frequently lead Tuesday school walks are Harvey and Sheila Bjornlie of Pacific Palisades. Years ago Sheila brought her husband, a retired aerospace engineer, into the docent program and he went on to serve as president of the organization. His deep connection with the natural environment and Sheila's special interest in native plants are readily shared with the children on their visits to Topanga. Harvey also coordinates monthly docent workshops, which include trips to unusual and fascinating places.
Dr. John Kuiper, one of TCD's newest members, said he has lived at the foot of the Santa Monica Mountains for over 30 years, but had little opportunity to enjoy them because of the time constraints of a demanding profession.
"I had been intrigued by, but largely unable to partake of, the wilderness at my doorstep," said John. "Retirement has allowed the time, and the Topanga Canyon Docents the means to acquire and share knowledge of this magnificent natural treasure."
John still teaches at UCLA and will be teaching a class on health and safety on the trail at an upcoming training session.
Besides leading both public and school interpretive walks, the Topanga Canyon Docents are responsible for the displays and staffing at the nature center at Trippet Ranch. The center is open to the public on Sunday afternoons, January through June. Topanga residents Patty Hill and Geri Kelly devote many hours as nature center managers, while Gene Cheltenham has contributed some great ideas, such as animal track molds and other new displays to improve the center's wonderful collection.
Topanga Canyon Docents welcome new members. For those who are interested in increasing their knowledge of the natural world and sharing it with others, the docents will be holding their 29th annual training beginning Saturday, September 27 at 9:30 a.m. and continuing on alternate Saturdays through December 6. The six-hour classes are taught by notable experts from universities, museums and natural areas. Subjects include geology, botany, climate, cultural history, mammals, ecology, fire, birds, insects, reptiles and amphibians. There also will be a session on techniques for leading interpretive walks. A fee of $50 includes membership in the Topanga Canyon Docents, all written materials and handouts and introductory walks in the Santa Monica Mountains. For more information,or to sign up, call Beverly Weil, TCD president and training coordinator, at (818) 758-1964.
