Community Profile: Wildwood Open Lands Foundation

We want to see open lands preserved and protected from exploitation. This organization was formed in 2020 because we believe we can be a uniting entity towards this purpose. We are small but mighty, leveraging our passion and commitment towards tangible positive impact.

Wildwood Open Lands Foundation is a local, Nevada notfor-profit corporation, designated 501(c)(3) conservation organization. We are based in Washoe County. Our current efforts are focused solely on northwestern Nevada. We believe that open spaces are critical resources, irreplaceable, and invaluable to human and ecological stability, best preserved by united, dedicated individuals and businesses.

Our approach is, in part, to preserve open spaces through privately funded efforts to purchase and preserve tracts of undisturbed, open land for sale on the real estate market. No government funding, no public resources. In all that we do, this effort is the most critical, most challenging, and where we need the most assistance to be successful.

We are travelers, sportsmen, and outdoors-enthusiasts. What is valued is preserved. Wildwood Expedition is a channel of communication where we share our experiences to natural and cultural locations, how those travels were meaningful to us in effort to inspire others to travel and make personal connections as well. We share these experiences through our own blog site wildwoodexpedition.com as well as on social media platforms: Facebook and Instagram.

We invite other travelers, explorers, researchers, and scientists to participate in exploratory trips as well as to contribute to the Wildwood Expedition online publication.

By Timothy Garcia-Jay

As a native Nevadan, I have always felt a deep connection to the outdoors and exploring our great state. There is so much that Nevada has to offer to those wanting to explore mountains, rivers, lakes, and the desert. The diversity keeps me longing for more and more exploration trips across our state.

When Jeff approached me about Wildwood Open Lands Foundation and serving on the Board of Directors, I jumped at the opportunity to join an organization that encompasses all that I am passionate about with regards to advocacy, conservation, and education of our precious resources. I am dedicated to being an advocate for open lands in my home state while expanding my experiences throughout the western United States.

As a side note, I moved to Somersett approximately two years ago and have thoroughly enjoyed living in this community. I have met some truly amazing people and have forged new friendships along the way. It is not lost on me that the Somersett community I call home is the exact area I used to ride my bike, hike, and target practice during my youth. I still get out into the hills surrounding us only now the hikes are slower, the biking less steep, and the target practice reserved for the range.

Wildwood Conservancy is the land preservation and stewardship operation of the Foundation. In 2022 we partnered with Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful and adopted Betsy Caughlin Donnelly Park. We chose this opportunity because we can utilize our limited local resources to make an immediate tangible difference while engaging with the local community. as we continue raising funds towards our first conservancy land purchase that we embrace as a continuing model for preservation.

We have named our educational function of the foundation Wildwood Heritage. This year we have been focusing on providing education surrounding natural sciences and outdoor ethics. The penultimate objective of Wildwood Heritage is to become a public facing operation that serves to share the travels of Expedition, the achievements of Conservancy, and the programming of Heritage, in an interpretive, discovery center type format.

If you value open spaces as we do, we need your support. We encourage you to become a Friend of the WOLF, volunteer, corporate partner, or donor to our foundation.

2023 will be a busy and exciting year for WOLF. Below are our currently scheduled events for the year. Check our current events schedule at Wildwood Open Lands Foundation for a complete listing.

Volunteer with us at 10am on Saturday March 11th, when we host our first stewardship event of the year at Betsy Caughlin Donnelly Park. All are welcome and we look forward to seeing you. We will also be hosting events at this location in July and November.

In July, the foundation would be honored to host an outreach booth at the Somersett Car Show once again.

We invite you to come visit with us at our booth during the Adventure Van Expo at Lake Tahoe in Late September. We will be showcasing our efforts, sharing the principles of outdoor ethics championed by Leave No Trace and TreadLightly!