Great Good People of MLT: Jeff and Lena

December 15, 2022

Nicolet Houtz, MLT’s Director of Stewardship, was recently raving about two amazing volunteers from Point Arena: Jeff Gyving and Lena Bullamore. “They act as stewards for MLT,” she said, “with eyes on Pelican Bluffs when we aren’t there.” They walk the preserve regularly and report back when anything needs looking after, from trail maintenance to vandalism to garbage accumulation. They do a volunteer job that is essential to us, rendering our work in our sprawling county easier. Read on to meet them!

Jeff and Lena, Introduce Yourselves

“We, Jeff Gyving and Lena Bullamore, are currently Trail Stewards for the MLT Pelican Bluffs Preserve, and have been for almost a year now. We have both lived in Mendocino County for over 40 years. We came here separately, Lena from Marin County and Jeff from Santa Cruz, looking for a more rural existence, as our former towns were growing far too fast for our peace of mind. We found Mendocino County to be a place of inspiring beauty, and with a quirky culture that we found embracing.

“We have long been supporters of MLT and our South Coast adjunct, Redwood Coast Land Conservancy. On our travels around the county we make a point of visiting the various MLT preserves and are so grateful for all the hard work and dedication they represent by the MLT team and the various communities.”

Walking Point Arena

“Lena and I are walkers. We walk pretty much every day, between 2 and 5 miles. We have compiled a list of about 30 hikes that we take on public access from Irish Beach to Schooner Gulch. Plus we walk with the Thursday Ramblers, a group of like-minded folks, whose weekly forays take us farther afield, from Jenner headlands to Hendy Woods. We hope to eventually see the completion of the California Coastal Trail through all of Mendocino County, and beyond. It has been wonderful to see a steady addition to the parks and wildland preserves, trails and access points, and conservation easements over the years.

“We are just a five-minute walk to the southern boundary of the Stornetta Lands, the first onshore component of the California Coastal National Monument, that provides access to thousands of acres of public lands and trails. Pelican Bluffs and the almost-adjacent Whiskey Shoals Coastal Access Trail are just 2 miles to our south, so we are blessed with readily accessible places of outstanding beauty!”

Jeff and Lena Have Always Looked After the Land

“Lena and I are fortunate to live on 25 acres in Point Arena that is a de facto wildlife refuge. We bought the land 35 years ago and over that time have watched generations of wildlife take up residence here: deer, fox, bobcat, raccoons, skunks, possum, wild turkey and lots of birdlife, day and night. We are even visited by itinerant coyotes, mountain lion and (fortunately only once) wild pigs.”

Thank you, Jeff and Lena! You make a huge difference in our work. We, quite honestly, could not do it without you.

If you regularly explore one of our preserves and would like to know more about being a volunteer steward, like Jeff and Lena, please shoot us an email at info@mendocinolandtrust.org or give us a call at (707) 962-0470