Facilitating the Human–Nature Connection
June 30, 2025
Those who had the good fortune of working alongside Rich Stallcup, a founding member of the Point Reyes Bird Observatory, our organization’s original name, describe his preternatural connection to birds and nature. Many who knew Rich—who was given the nickname “Mr. Magic” because of his knack for finding rare birds—speak about his brilliant scientific mind, his spiritual reverence for birds, his deep connection to nature, and his ability to share all of that with others.
Over the last six decades, Point Blue has built on Rich’s prolific work and legacy, aiming to facilitate deepened ties to nature for people of all ages because we’ve learned over the years that to have lasting conservation impact, we need to create and maintain community and center the connection between nature, people, and wildlife.
Successful conservation efforts inherently rely on human relationships and people’s desire to engage in the work. This is especially true in the organization’s Working Lands program where Point Blue’s Partner Biologists work alongside private landowners to ensure California’s agricultural lands provide as much benefit as possible to the communities and wildlife that depend on them. Backed by partnership with state and federal agencies that fund conservation actions on private lands, the team works with landowners to improve stream flows for fish, manage livestock grazing to protect creekside habitat, create conservation plans to keep habitats healthy, and much more.
“We wouldn’t be able to do this work without taking the time to walk the land with and listen and respond to ranchers and farmers,” said Alicia Herrera, Working Lands Programs Coordinator and Senior Partner Biologist. “Over the years, people have told me so many incredible stories about how our projects benefit their land and their quality of life. One rancher said to me, ‘As a kid there used to be so many fish, but then they disappeared. Since we completed the fish passage project, the fish are back.’ It’s those stories that inspire me.”
Deepening relationships to nature by restoring it in community is a central component of Point Blue’s Students and Teachers Restoring A Watershed (STRAW) program, a collaborative network of students, teachers, private landowners like ranchers, and other partners.
The work is instrumental in shaping the scientists of the future by breaking down the walls of the classroom and enlivening education for students across California. “Through STRAW, students get career education, and on-the-job training. This is a program that is fundamentally respectful to children and their autonomy,” said Laurette Rogers, STRAW Founder and Ambassador. “STRAW has shown that children are leaders; they can do professional restoration work and lead in their communities. Students can work well in teams, as they are inspired by their own competence and power. Children deserve more of those types of opportunities.”
In recent years, the program has expanded to the Sierra, and Point Blue is now working with new landowners in Grass Valley and Mariposa thanks to our new Roots Program, formed as a result of a large grant from the California Wildlife Conservation Board. “The time to do this work is now,” concluded Rogers. “It makes a difference in so many ways. It doesn’t just heal the environment, it heals communities, as this work is never just about one person. To me, STRAW has been an ongoing miracle for over three decades. It is incredible to see how powerful it is for people to realize they’re doing something tangible and giving back.”
The Partner Biologist, Roots, and STRAW programs are just a few examples of the many ways that Point Blue helps facilitate people’s connection to nature. Point Blue hosts apprenticeships at the Palomarin Field Station, training programs along the coast, and volunteer and research assistantships in our marine lab, to name a handful more.
Point Blue also recently hired a conservation social scientist to investigate the social context underpinning participation in these various programs. We created this position to explain the “why” behind our ecological research and to analyze the social relationships that are not always measurable through numbers.
“People and the natural world are inherently interconnected,” said Liat Wilde, Conservation Social Scientist. “I am hoping that in this role, I am able to paint a broader picture that explores the feelings, emotions, and experiences of people who are sometimes missing from the environmental decision-making table. Scholarly investigation of the intersections of people and the environment is a relatively nascent field and I am looking forward to helping Point Blue be a leader in this work.”