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Celebrating 40 Years

Scroll down to celebrate our history together

1977

Founding of POST

After the formation of Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District (Midpen) in 1972, General Manager Herb Grench proposed the creation of a land trust to work privately with landowners and to raise money that would supplement public funding for land conservation. Thus, POST was established as a partner to Midpen. POST has since grown to become one of the premier land trusts in the country and is an invaluable partner to national, state and county agencies in land stewardship and conservation.

1981

Tenacity, vision, courage and an independent spirit are traits exemplified by POST’s early board members and founders. Here, in this short video, past POST Board Members Ward Paine and Christy Holloway share their remembrances of POST’s first project.

1983

Michelson Ranch

POST’s first conservation easement was placed on 646-acre Michelson Ranch. This Pescadero ranch contains 50 acres of farmland and 550 acres of old growth Douglas fir and redwood forest. The easement forever preserves the property’s historic forests and productive farmland, while protecting a portion of the fragile Pescadero Creek watershed.

1987

Cowell Ranch

Cowell Ranch was the largest and most complex effort of POST’s first ten years. In just six short months, over $2 million was raised from individuals and foundations to save this stunning 1,270-acre property. Running along both sides of Highway 1 on the San Mateo Coast, the ranch has beach access, recreational trails and productive farmland.

1991

Phleger Estate

In one of the largest fundraising campaigns ever undertaken by a land trust, POST moved quickly to buy the redwood forest of the Phleger Estate. The effort involved over 3,500 individual donors, grants from Midpen and Save the Redwoods League, a large grant from the Federal Land & Water Conservation Fund and help from government officials. Now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the Estate abuts Huddart Park and offers visitors miles of redwood forest and trails, while providing the town of Woodside with amazing vistas.

1993

Wallace Stegner Lecture Series

With support from U.S. Ambassador Bill Lane and his wife Jean, POST established a new dialogue with our community by launching the Wallace Stegner Lecture Series. Slated to be our first speaker, the series was named in honor of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, environmentalist and longtime resident Wallace Stegner. See our website for more information about this year’s speakers.

1997

Hear Alisa MacAvoy, a POST supporter, tell the story of Bair Island and POST’s work to permanently protect it.

1997

Cloverdale Coastal Ranches

The largest piece of undeveloped land on the San Mateo Coast, POST bought this 8.8-square-mile property near Pescadero in 1997. It combines acres of productive agricultural lands, 700 acres of forest, 14 miles of streams and more than a mile of ocean frontage. This property represents how environmental conservation can intersect with sustainable, long-term farmland management.

Join us for the work ahead.

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