About FOLC
Mission & Vision
Our mission is to inspire a passion for understanding and preserving the natural life of the Lost Coast region in students, visitors and the community. Sharing this passion is what our programs are all about as we work toward our vision of a time when our local and global communities understand, value and appreciate the unique environment of the Lost Coast region and reflect this in their personal lives.
History
Founded by a group of community-minded nature lovers in 2000, Friends of the Lost Coast originally partnered with staff at the King Range National Conservation Area to bring interpretive information about the local Lost Coast region Conservation Lands to the public. Early projects included natural science fairs and the movie, Lost Coast Adventures, which teaches safety and stewardship to visitors. Since then we have grown to include many more partners and great programs.
Board of Directors
Cheryl Lisin
Cheryl is a landscape designer who specializes in native plants for California gardens. She operates a small native plant nursery and leads plant hikes for BLM, FOLC, Sanctuary Forest and the Southern Humboldt Community Park. Cheryl has served as FOLC President since 2012 and has been a board member since 2010.
Christina Huff
Christina is a retired coordinator of our local family resource center, now a trainer and consultant for family strengthening organizations. She enjoys backyard gardening and visiting and hiking on public lands throughout the country with her family. She’s proud to join FOLC in promoting environmental education and access for children and families in our community. Christina has served on the board since 2016 and is Secretary/Treasurer.
Tina Leskar
Tina graduated from Humboldt State with a degree in psychology. Before relocating to Shelter Cove, she worked with at-risk youth and developmentally disabled adults and children. Tina has a great respect for nature and its interconnectedness. She obtained a comprehensive picture of our local landscape during her years working in home and garden maintenance. Tina understands the need for organizations such as FOLC, and is a proud supporter of educating and addressing the environmental needs of our local ecosystems. Tina joined the board in 2019.
Carl Hanson
Carl was raised in Northern California, moving with his family from the coastal mountains to the High Sierra where he developed an interest in the natural histories of the regions. Carl is a long time participant in local music and theater and has worked a variety of outdoor jobs. Carl says” Being on the board allows me to expand my knowledge and skills regarding the amazing and always profound Lost Coast”.
Dawn Goley
Dr. Dawn Goley is the Director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Program, the Marine Mammal Education and Research Program and is a professor of Zoology at Humboldt State Uuniversity. She and her students have conducted research on local marine mammals to better understand the biology, behavior and ecology of whales, sea lions and seals in the near and off-shore waters of northern California.
Ransom Reid
Ransom grew up in Shelter Cove and knows first-hand how special the Lost Coast area is. Ransom works with his father as a carpenter and plans to build his own home in the area. In the future, he wants to become an electrician. Ransom started his board service as a high school senior at Whale Gulch School and has served on the board since 2019.
Beth Wells
Beth recently retired from a career in public health, where she worked in disease prevention and community wellness programs. As a kid, she learned to love nature through Girl Scout camping trips and family vacations in the redwoods; she is excited to help inspire that passion in others. Beth enjoys hiking, camping, and birding in the Lost Coast region and beyond. She’s also a gardener, food preserver, musician, and baseball fan. Beth was proud to join the board in 2020.
Andy Barnett
Andy is a music educator, performer, producer, and author. He was part of the initial technical and marketing team for Wild Iris Forestry, specializing in hardwoods. He has decades of community action experience, most recently with efforts to protect the environment through the Rotary organization, both locally and globally.
Staff
Rob DiPerna
Rob serves as our Administrative Director. He has a B.A. in English Literature and Rhetoric, an M.S. in English Education, and possesses a California state Teaching Credential. Rob has two decades of experience working for local non-profits, most notably for the Environmental Protection Information Center--(EPIC), where he was widely acknowledged as the foremost non-profit sector expert on California’s non-federal lands timber legal, regulatory, and administrative frameworks. Rob also has current certifications in Wilderness First Aid, CPR and AED administration from the American Health and Safety Institute, and is certified as a Local Phenology Leader by the National Phenology Network.
Teachers
Jennifer Kubik
Jennifer was born with a love of the natural world and has always found the magic of the forest drawing her in. She graduated from HSU in History but with many classes in math and science, and has taught in Southern Humboldt for more than 20 years. Bringing the natural world and this remarkable area into the classroom and the minds of children is a great joy for Jennifer.
Reta Willmore
Reta is a teacher at Whale Gulch School in far northern Mendocino County on the Lost Coast. She has a degree in Natural Resources and has worked with children for many years. Reta is the founding teacher of FOLC’s Summer Adventure Camp. Her passion for inspiring a love of nature in children and adults makes her a perfect camp teacher! Reta has taught Kundalini yoga classes, mindfulness training for elementary students, and is a Reiki practitioner.
Michele Palazzo
Michele is a naturalist, herbalist, educator, activist, gardener and traveler with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science and Forestry as well as five years of focused herbal study plus a California Early Childhood Education teaching credential. She has been working and exploring with plants and children for over 25 years. She teaches herb classes, leads edible and medicinal plant hikes, formulates and sells Mama Palazzo's Herbal Remedies, works at Beginnings as the head teacher for Children’s House and offers environmental education for children and adults. She resides in Whitethorn with her partner and their daughter where she grows food and medicine as well as harvests from the surrounding forest.
Stay Connected With FOLC
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date with our work and events!