Elizabeth "Izzy" Martin Recognized For Conservation Work

Long time environmentalist Izzy Martin was recognized for her conservation work at an award ceremony during Bear Yuba Land Trust’s Annual Oak Tree Ball. This Celebration and Awards Dinner was held April 27, 2013 at the Alta Sierra Country Club in Grass Valley, California.    

During the event, Elizabeth “Izzy” Martin was recognized with the William Nickerl Award for Conservation Leadership. For 30 years, The Sierra Fund C.E.O. has been a leader in environmental advocacy and community organizing. She served as a Nevada County Planning Commissioner and later County Supervisor and led the fight to put the South Yuba River into the state’s Wild and Scenic river program.  In 2004, Izzy worked with Assemblymen John Laird and Tim Leslie to establish Sierra Nevada Conservancy. That same year, she took the helm at The Sierra Fund where she has helped secure millions in state funds for conservation in the Sierra Nevada, including the most recent Bear Yuba Land Trust acquisition of Rice’s Crossing.

Others recognized included:

Hank Meals, local archaeologist, writer and photographer received the John Skinner Sierra Outdoors Recreation    Award for Education. For a span of 25 years, Hank worked off and on as an archeologist for the Tahoe National Forest. He is the author of several books about trails: The River: Hiking Trails and History of the South Fork of the Yuba River and Yuba Trails 1 and 2 and is currently co-authoring a book about the Nisenan people. Hank began leading hikes for Bear Yuba Land Trust more than 20 years ago and his knowledge of local history and trails remain popular draws.


Greg Archbald received the John Skinner Sierra Outdoors Recreation Award for Volunteerism. As an environmental attorney, Greg helped stop development in Mineral King and along the coastlines of Marin and Sonoma. He co-founded the Trust for Public Land with Huey Johnson in 1972 and was instrumental in starting natural resource stewardship programs at the Golden Gate National Parks. For several years, Greg has worked to GPS, photograph and write about local trails as he develops an online trails portal for Bear Yuba Land Trust, the first of its kind in the region.

Fabulous local band Leta’s Blues provided live jazz and blues standards and original music for dancing.
 

Coming from very disparate musical backgrounds, the jazz and blues quartet have played together for five years and perfected a smooth and sultry sound.
 

Think Billie Holiday, Louis Prima, Chet Baker, Astrud Gibrelto....and some originals too.  The band is made up of upright bassist Dylan McConnell, drummer Ritchie O'Connell, guitarist Jerome Ali and singer Leta Gibney.

(Bear Yuba Land Trust)