Agency: Wildlife Rescue Center of Napa County
Support Needed: $10,000
Purpose: Purchase computers, reporting software and a digital projector

As rural counties go, Napa is known for its quality healthcare--not just for its human residents, but also for its feathered and furry ones. Since 1991, the Wildlife Rescue Center of Napa County (WRCNC) has been providing rescue and rehabilitation services to injured, wild animals. Birds and other wildlife routinely suffer injuries: They are hit by vehicles, caught in fishing lines, poisoned, or attacked by dogs and cats. Rescue and care of these vulnerable creatures by untrained individuals can prove fatal for the animal, as well as dangerous for the well-meaning human. WRCNC offers a rescue hotline, and takes calls 24 hours a day from residents that find injured critters. Once a call comes in, highly-skilled WRCNC volunteers swoop in to assess the condition of the animal and ensure it receives medical treatment for any injuries. The next step is for volunteers to care for the creature while it recovers and then re-introduce it back into its native habitat. WRCNC mostly works with songbirds and birds of prey; but, squirrels, foxes, and jackrabbits also have landed in the arms of its 100 committed volunteers. The nonprofit requires extensive, species-specific training for volunteers to handle wildlife and follow state and federal regulations. For example, hummingbirds need to be fed every 15 minutes, around the clock. Last year, WRCNC worked with and successfully released more than 1,000 animals. The grassroots organization currently has no computers of its own and compiles rescued-animal data by hand for reports required by government agencies like the California Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife. The nonprofit spends $17,500 annually for a 24-hour dispatcher, a bookkeeper and a fundraising consultant (all part-time), plus about $14,000 for animal care. Since WRCNC does not have dedicated office space or equipment, volunteers keep recovering wildlife at their homes; a few animals are transported to rescue facilities in other counties. While WRCNC has future plans to identify a permanent site for a rescue clinic and wildlife education center, their near-term goals are more modest. The nonprofit wants to purchase its first-ever computer and printer ($2,000); a laptop and digital projector for volunteer training and public education events ($3,000); and special software to track details on wildlife ($5,000). Support of this project would give WRCNC the tools it needs to keep pace with rescue efforts.

Agency: Center for Land-Based Learning
Support Needed: $11,650
Purpose: Outdoor ecology education program for high school students

Center for Land-Based Learning (CLBL) is sowing seeds of environmental stewardship in the minds and hearts of Napa's high school kids. The nonprofit was started in 1993 by a walnut farmer that wanted high school students to work the land alongside a mix of farmers, ranchers, agricultural business owners, and environmental researchers. The idea is to challenge kids to think critically about questions like: Why are wetlands important? Can I make a living as a farmer? Not only are the mid-teen years the right time, developmentally, to instill analytical thinking, but it also is the age when kids begin to ponder college and careers. CLBL now works with 2,000 high school kids across the state, and last year planted its Student and Landowner Education and Watershed Stewardship (SLEWS) program in Napa County. SLEWS brings students to five "field days" at a local private farm or vineyard. Each outdoor session combines ecology instruction with habitat restoration work that benefits the property. A typical day begins with team-building exercises and curriculum-based discussion. Then, students are divided into small groups and paired with an environment or agriculture professional (all volunteers), who teaches them about and guides them through a restoration project, such as: planting native trees and grasses; removing invasive species; or, installing drip irrigation systems. This year, one class each from Napa and Vintage high schools (60 students total) will participate. CLBL, which employs a full-time program director dedicated to SLEWS, develops the curriculum and collaborates very closely with Napa's Resource Conservation District (RCD), school teachers, private landowners, as well as environment and agriculture professionals. Financial incentives also drive the symbiotic program model: Landowners and RCDs depend on government funds for their environment restoration work, and these monies are released only upon project completion. High school students from SLEWS are the key to getting the job done; many landowners don't have the labor or expertise to execute these projects. CLBL has an annual operating budget of around $600,000 and spends $44,150 to run SLEWS in Napa. So far, CLBL has grants totaling $32,500 from a local private foundation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Your support would help teens reap the benefits of studying and stewarding Napa County's ecosystem.

Agency: The Land Trust of Napa County
Support Needed: $8,500
Purpose: Upgrade web site with new text, photos and navigation

On any given day, the view driving up the Silverado Trail is spectacularly and quintessentially Napa Valley. One reason our landscape remains so picture-perfect: the work of The Land Trust of Napa County. Since 1977, the nonprofit has protected 50,100 acres using a few types of common conservation transactions. For instance, over the years, Land Trust has worked with 70 private landowners, who are interested in preserving the ecological integrity of their real estate, to voluntarily restrict future development on their property. Another typical transaction is called an agency transfer. In this case, Land Trust uses monies from grants to purchase property with significant habitats or viewsheds. The land is then sold to a government natural resources agency or another nonprofit conservation organization to maintain and preserve the property. Conservation transactions are complicated, and Land Trust, which has a $1.2 million annual operating budget, completed a dozen of them in 2008. The nonprofit, which currently has 12 paid staff, also promotes environmental appreciation and stewardship by offering free guided hikes on many of the Napa County properties it has protected. Land Trust's Connolly Ranch program is a small, working farm that is heavily visited year-round by school children so they can learn about animals, as well as native plants and wildlife. During the last year, Land Trust has focused on controlling costs, bolstering revenues and increasing its visibility. To that end, the nonprofit eliminated three staff positions; launched a fundraising campaign for large, multi-year donations; and, started re-building its Board of Directors (13 of 15 seats are now filled). Another project is a much-needed overhaul of its aging web site. Not only is the site's technological structure outdated, but navigation is cumbersome and photos that showcase the nonprofit's important land-saving work are scarce. Land Trust also wants to add a sign-up feature, so teachers can book their classes for field trips to Connolly Ranch, and community members can register for guided hikes and other special events. Total budget for the web site's facelift is $16,000, which includes design and photography ($11,000); programming and software ($4,000); and staff training ($1,000). A grant from the John Brockway Huntington Foundation will cover $7,500. Support of $8,500 would fill the gap and allow Land Trust to complete this practical project.