Women honored for their commitment to protecting the environment




CARING FOR A CAUSE—Mary Wiesbrock, left and Linda Parks are among the honorees at Sunday’s mountains preservation ceremony.

CARING FOR A CAUSE—Mary Wiesbrock, left and Linda Parks are among the honorees at Sunday’s mountains preservation ceremony.

The importance of open space in the area and the achievements of the many women who have campaigned for the preservation of the Santa Monica Mountains will be the focus of a May 7 recognition ceremony at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas.

The Santa Monica Mountains Fund’s Spring Celebration begins at 4 p.m. Sunday at the Anthony C. Beilenson Interagency Visitor Center. It will honor the founding mothers of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area—Sue Nelson, Jill Swift and Margot Feuer— who campaigned to save the mountains from development.

The honorees are Fran Pavley, former state senator; Linda Parks, Ventura County supervisor; Mary Sue Maurer, Calabasas mayor; Rorie Skei, chief deputy director for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy; Beth Pratt-Bergstrom, California director of the National Wildlife Federation; Mary Weisbrock, founder of Save Open Space; Suzanne Goode, natural resource program manager for the California Department of Parks and Recreation, Angeles District; Julie Newsome, wildlife campaigner and event organizer; Josephine Powe, open space campaigner and advocate; Mary Ellen Strote, author and Santa Monica Mountains advocate; and Nancy Helsley, a community environmental education coordinator.

State Sen. Henry Stern (D-Calabasas) will make a presentation.

Tickets are $130 and include all food, drinks and entertainment.

For more information, go to the website www.samofund.org/ spring-celebration.


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