The Newspaper of the San Francisco Bay Chapter
MAR - APR 2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Volunteer of the month
Steve Kirby - a home-town boy works for the home-town environment
They won! And by a landslide. The town of Hercules in Contra Costa County chose, by close to a two-thirds majority, to protect the critical watershed in its backyard by supporting Measure M in last November's election. The ridgetop to the south of Highway 4, which contains the sources of both Refugio and Rodeo Creeks, and the steep, lush slopes of Franklin Canyon will remain free from development - for now. The victory protects Hercules' local greenbelt, and further - the protected land is part of a wildlife corridor of protected land (largely owned by the East Bay Regional Park District) that now stretches from Castro Valley to the Carquinez Strait.
No one is happier - and prouder - of this "Herculean" victory than Herculean Steve Kirby. He grew up in and around these hills, and has grown not only to love them but to feel deeply responsible for their protection. Born in Berkeley and raised in El Cerrito, he had the East Bay Hills as a backdrop, one might almost say a back yard, for his growing interest in the environment. Even when he went to college, he chose not to stray from these beloved hills. In 1972 Steve graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A. in psychology. Years later he received his master's, also from Berkeley. In 1988 he moved to Hercules, where he's been living ever since, and teaching "next door" in El Cerrito at the same school where he went to third grade. It is also from his residence at the base of the East Bay hills that Steve has supported and helped to launch any number of local environmental initiatives.
Although Steve was passionately interested in environmental issues well before he joined the Sierra Club, his 30 years as a member has, in his words, helped him "keep up with the issues, analyses, and recommendations of the times." He comments, "Volunteering on environmental issues through the Sierra Club provides opportunities to bring people together who may have differing or opposing values politically or religiously. It is particularly reassuring to know that we can share vital core values relating to our environment and work together toward common goals even when we may differ significantly in the arenas of economics or family values."
In the last six or seven years, however, Steve has become much more than just an avid Club member. The catalyst for his more active advocacy was the proposed development of Franklin Canyon, which threatened to devastate a local environmental treasure. This proposal inspired Steve to attend City Council and Planning Commission meetings and to help form Friends of Franklin Canyon to work to protect and preserve this wonderful riparian open space.
Not surprisingly, his activity for Franklin Canyon coincided with his increased involvement with the Sierra Club itself. He was elected to the West Contra Costa Group Executive Committee and became the project coordinator for its Franklin Canyon effort. Capitalizing on this opportunity, he learned how to develop a web site and started www.SaveFranklinCanyon.com to keep people up-to-date on the development issue and to facilitate organizational activities.
Most recently, Steve's volunteerism has taken him down a related path in helping to form Friends of the Rodeo and Refugio Creek Watersheds to protect Hercules' two major watersheds. He is developing an additional website: www.RefugioandRodeoWatersheds.com to help with communication and organization for this endeavor.
Steve's effectiveness comes not just from his deep commitment to environmental issues but as well from his deep love of and commitment to people. Some of this is evident in his commitment to teaching young kids. The love is mutual. Steve has won any number of awards for his teaching, including "teacher of of the year".
He is also committed to adult civic activities. He is currently president of the Board of Directors of the Contra Costa Theater, a member of the Board of Directors of the UC Berkeley School of Education Alumni Association, and president of his homeowners' association in Hercules. The skills and knowledge acquired from working with so many people on so many different activities have made Steve particularly effective at getting things done. Hence his very legitimate pride in the passage of Measure M.
Informed by a broad world view, Steve is a local boy whose local activities have a much wider effect. We should all be so lucky as to have such a good "neighbor".
© 2005 San Francisco Sierra Club Yodeler