Wildlife Connections: Building tunnels to protect Santa Cruz County Wildlife

What THEY Protect

The Land Trust of Santa Cruz County is dedicated to protecting and caring for the lands we love.  They protect both working lands, like farms and timberland, and natural lands with high conservation value – thus protecting water supplies, wildlife habitats, and open space.

In 2011 the Land Trust completed a Conservation Blueprint for Santa Cruz County. The Blueprint calls for the protection of 50,000 priority acres in our county and will guide the Land Trust’s work through 2035. To date, the Land Trust has protected 14,000 acres by working with willing landowners and land conservation partners.

Carie Thompson – Access Director

Carie joined the “tribe” of nature nerds as a child roaming the woods of northern Wisconsin. As a young adult, she discovered her passion for outdoor education and adventure. She worked as an expedition guide and naturalist, spending time in some of the most beautiful places on earth. When she buckled down to a “real job” she became a California State Park Ranger, a career she held for 15 years. During those years, she participated in all facets of land management, developed an expertise in interpretation, and taught at the Ranger Academy. Carie considers herself extremely fortunate to join the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County, where she can use her energy and skills to contribute to such a valuable mission.

Laura Dannehl-Schickman – Donor Relations Manager

A third-generation Santa Cruz-ian, Laura grew up biking along West Cliff, catching crickets in the field behind her great grandparent’s small orchard in Scotts Valley, and exploring the Wilder Ranch trails and coastal beaches along Highway 1. Laura attended UCSC, where she majored in American Studies. After graduating, she moved to the Bay Area, where she worked in fundraising before attending graduate school at Cambridge University, where she received her MPhil in American literature. Moving to an urban center and then jumping across the pond were two experiences that helped her discover the critical aspect of place to identity and what it meant to be “from Santa Cruz.” Laura is excited to work with an organization dedicated to preserving and sharing the core of what she believes makes Santa Cruz precious – its open spaces and wildlands.