Environmental Partners Potluck

Mendocino Land Trust will be hosting the 2025 Environmental Potluck Luncheon, scheduled for Saturday, March 22, 2025, at the Mendocino High School Student Union, from 12 noon to 3 pm.

Please bring a dish to share if you can, and serving utensils for your dish. We will provide plates, utensils, beverages, etc.

The MHS Student Union is a beautiful new space, opening directly to views of the ocean, with a plenty of room for shared food service, presentations, and conversation. Please note, the school does not allow alcohol on campus.

Since the late 1990’s, Mendocino environmental and conservation groups including Mendocino Coast Audubon Society, California Native Plant Society, Dorothy King Young Chapter, MendoParks, Mendocino Land Trust, and most recently, the Noyo Center for Marine Science, have been meeting annually to enjoy a potluck feast, share news and information, provide mutual support, and present the Matt Coleman Environmental Service Award (renamed in Matt’s honor in 2011, after his tragic death) to a member of our community who has made a significant contributions to our community.

This year, MLT nominates Nicolet Houtz as the Matt Coleman Environmental Service award recipient. Nikki joined MLT in 2013 and is now our Director of Stewardship. Before joining MLT, she worked with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife through the Watershed Stewards Program in Fort Bragg, specializing in salmon population monitoring. She had previously worked in Sonoma with riparian restoration projects and native plant propagation. Her educational background in Environmental Planning and Geography was the foundation for her extraordinary contributions with the Land Trust. Nikki’s work is fueled by her love and respect for the landscapes and coastline of Mendocino County, and finding the balance between preservation of these assets and public access to them. Her deep knowledge of agency and community partnerships and funding opportunities was demonstrated in the vision, design, planning, and construction of the recently opened Ridgeline Trail extension of the Peter Douglas Trail at Shady Dell, a five-year, multi-agency project that opened up five miles of trail to hikers on the spectacular Lost Coast. She continues to lead and oversee restoration projects including salmon habitats in JDSF, endangered butterfly restoration projects on the coast. She is currently designing two public access trail projects in Point Arena.

We look forward to seeing you all!