Mount Diablo Group: great volunteer opportunities in Central Contra Costa -

And a party for new and old members and volunteers!

Tuesday, May 1, 7 pm at Round Table Pizza, 1743 Willows Road, Concord.

It's an especially good time to volunteer with the Mount Diablo Group, our local Sierra Club for central Contra Costa County, from Martinez to San Ramon and from Lamorinda to the west slopes of Mount Diablo.

We have opportunities at all levels and all time commitments, from Executive Committee vacancies to rank-and-file volunteers. We have opportunities at all corners of the Group.

• The Concord Naval Weapons Station is being converted to civilian use, and the change-over offers an unprecedented opportunity for both open space and smart development. We've helped beat back an attempt by the Navy to transfer the land to a developer without the city first completing its planning process (see article, page 16), and now we have to work with the city to make sure that the land is used well.
• In San Ramon we are working to stop the Faria development (see article, page 16).
• Our Moraga members are working to continue their past success protecting the town's open space.
• Our Group has a special tradition of a strong hiking program. Join us on the trails of Mount Diablo (and some hikes elsewhere too); see the hike listings in every Yodeler.

WhatYouCanDo

Come to our new-member and activist party on May 1. There you can learn more about volunteer opportunities while socializing with fellow Sierra Club folks. For questions, to RSVP, or just to say hello, contact organizing manager or call (510) 848-0800, ext. 307.

Or to get involved in the Group's efforts, call Group chair Jim Blickenstaff at (925) 830-1929.

"Walking Spain's Camino de Santiago"

Wednesday, May 9, 7 pm, Winslow Center, 2590 Pleasant Hill Road, Pleasant Hill (at corner of Taylor Boulevard and Pleasant Hill Road).

Join us at the next general meeting of the Mount Diablo Group as Susan and Ralph Alcorn present a digital slide program on Spain's famous pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago.

Spain's Camino de Santiago is an historic route that people have traveled for over 1,000 years to visit the remains of St. James that are said to reside in the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela. The pilgrimage was made to earn merit, to be forgiven sins, to earn "indulgences", and to work off penalties for various crimes. Nowadays, while many still make this journey for spiritual reasons, others make this pilgrimage to interact with a foreign culture and to make a long-distance hike through a beautiful country.

In September 2001 Ralph and Susan set out across northern Spain on a 500-mile walk to Santiago de Compostela. Come walk with the Alcorns down from the Pyrenees, through the wine-growing regions of Rioja and Navarre, across the blazing hot meseta, over the Cantabrian mountain ranges, and into green Galicia. Learn first-hand about the refugio (hostel) system and where to find food and water along the path.

Susan Alcorn is the author of several books, including Camino Chronicle: Walking to Santiago (June 2006), which combines the author's narrative with legends, history, and cultural information about the trail. For more information contact Ken Lavin at (925)686-9393.