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June 2016 Mount Diablo Interpretive Association: Unmasking the Mountain’s Marvels
Serving Danville Have a Ball – It’s So Much More Than a Golf Tournament By Jody Morgan
By Jody Morgan
Mount Diablo Interpretive Association (MDIA) partners with the California Department of Parks and Recreation to promote awareness of and accessibility to the remarkable resources available within Mount Diablo State Park. An all-volunteer, non-profit MDIA produces publications and interpretive materials, provides guided hikes and educational programs, and supports the work of rangers to enrich the experience of every visitor. Roving docents and hike leaders are clearly identified by their VIP vests. Although they are both very important and very informative people, these dedicated individuals wear the VIP designation as graduates of Volunteers in the Park training. MDIA leads hikers to places within Mount Diablo State Park they On January 30, 1974, might never enjoy on their own. (Photo courtesy of Liz Watson) Sam Stoker, Executive Director of the Lindsay Wildlife Center, hosted a gathering to explain his vision for an organization that would awaken the public to the value of Mount Diablo’s natural assets. Among those present was Mary Bowerman, who co-founded Save Mount Diablo (SMD) in 1971. While SMD concentrates on preservation through acquisition of parcels of private land within the state park boundaries as well as adjacent properties essential to sustaining the area’s biodiversity, MDIA focuses on disseminating information about the mountain’s ecological, geological, and recreational significance. Just as the park has tripled in size since the early 1970s from 6,788 to about 20,000 acres, MDIA has grown from 29 enthusiastic members in 1974 to several hundred today. MDIA President Mike Woodring explains, “The MDIA mission is preservation through education. When we see things where we can make a difference, we get involved.” That response ranges from updating signage to marking the 6.25-mile “Trail Through Time” with twenty interpretive panels elucidating the mountain’s geological history. MDIA Board member Ken Lavin notes, “Mount Diablo displays much of the geological history of the Bay Area, though the history is upside down. A vertical fault under Mount Diablo has shoved older rocks up and over younger rocks.” Naturalist Michael Marchiano gives monthly programs at the Summit Museum. For “Snakes Alive!” he’ll bring live serpents that visitors can hold. Marchiano characterizes the mountain as an “island jewel in the midst of suburbia.” He loves sharing his knowledge of every life form found on that island. “The various intriguing habitats offer a richness and fantastic diversity of plant and animal life.” He urges park visitors to take time to savor and protect that island. “Don’t just hike to reach a destination … hike to appreciate the delicate and delectable surroundings that make up this exceptional natural preserve.” Studying the intricate interdependence of Mount Diablo’s living organisms is a fascinating enterprise. Marchiano relates, “On one of the first hikes I led, I had a
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Even more remarkable than the story of Bob Hammer’s miraculous cancer cure is the saga of how Bob and his family have managed to give the entire community the opportunity to enjoy their good fortune. What began with a simple desire to contribute to the organization serendipitously responsible for allowing the Hammers to become a family of four has turned into an annual fundraiser supporting 30 cancer-related causes. Since the Have a Ball Foundation’s golf tournament debuted in 2005, the non-profit has raised $2.2 million dollars. But beyond becoming one of the nation’s largest privately run golf tournaments, Have a Ball Golf takes pride in ensuring that every one of the 600 yearly participants as well sponsors, beneficiaries, and volunteers feels like part of the family. Given a 15% chance of survival following the recurrence of his testicular caner, Bob Hammer raised sufficient money to travel to Lance Armstrong’s “Ride for the Roses” in April 2001 shortly after completing 26 rounds of chemotherapy over the course of eight months. He was scheduled for surgery a few days after his return from the Texas
Kim and Bob Hammer personally greet and thank everyone at the Have a Ball Golf Tournaments. Photo by Danielle Jess Photography
event. He arrived certain his toddler daughter Shayna would be his only child. An introduction to Dr. Craig Nichols changed the course of Bob’s life. Lance Armstrong’s oncologist listened carefully to Bob’s medical history. In a telephone consultation with Hammer’s California physician, Nichols advised against surgery. In 2003, Bob and Kim Hammer welcomed their son Josh to the family. In 2005, Bob and Kim orchestrated the first Have a Ball Golf Tournament with the modest goal of raising $2,500 to donate to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Having run golf tournaments for his employer, Bob had Volume VII - Number 8 experience in putting similar events together. 3000F Danville Blvd. #117,
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