The group envisions building a culture of future leaders, educators, and problem solvers in Round Valley by focusing on the environment, food security, and community resilience, leveraging outside resources for collaborative management of ecological and social resilience, restoring local ecosystems through nature-based education, habitat restoration, outdoor activities, vocational skills training and cultural revitalization, ultimately bringing the community closer to nature. The meeting was attended by 9 current and former residents of Round Valley, who formed the core group dedicated to moving this vision forward. Projects that were identified at a public community visioning workshop a month ago were discussed. The proposed projects include a fire hydrant system for the downtown. Development of the existing recreation center and expansion to a community park. Salmonid habitat restoration and cleanup in conjunction with Eel River Recovery Project, Kovala Water District, Round Valley Indian tribes, and Mendocino County. Internships and education on woodworking and natural building in a possible partnership with Redwood Forest Foundation, Incorporated vocational program development, classroom garden expansion, and career fair expansion at the Round Valley High School. Moderator Candace Reynolds describes the group's process.
Make sure that we get a vision across, we get ideas across. We want to make these actions happen, and I need to know how to do this. So I put together a 2 hour workshop from that I put together all the ideas from that list, those were all the ideas that everyone has contributed so far. Did have a meeting, uh, it was a month ago. We'll start sharing all that information so that after meeting whatever information that has been shared can be commented on, can we can add to, you know, whatever everyone needs to do to, you know, make sure that the input is, is heard, so you, so today I really again just thinking about these little steps forward and so what I'd like to do today is thank everyone for, for being here, um, and just being a part of this. It's just driving in here again today. It's just so beautiful here. It is so amazing and so easy to get lost in the, and all of a sudden you there's, it's almost no words, you know, someone said a friend said, just, you know. You take pictures and I said, well, it's it's breathtaking. I'm just gonna have to take you some time. I just really want to do whatever I can to help facilitate this process and that's why I'm here. You guys have all the ideas, you guys have the vision. I just want to help, you know, move that along, however I can so you guys can build that capacity to, you know, do what you need to do for your community, so.
Meeting participants Sarah shared her views on what makes Covelo so unique in terms of the opportunity for a connection with nature for the youth.
The opportunity to go out and involve yourself with nature and Covelo by default being so small and sort of encapsulated into the valley.
To be able to like really show the kids what a special environment they live in. how incredible it is and that connection because living one of the things that I think and Round Valley has, is that like ability to really solidify with their young. This connection to the environment natural maybe and I think that is so hopefully remarkable at having a group like this because it comes from all angles. If there was a way to bring the kids to see that bigger. Forest and and fish and, and rivers and just all of that and then. So I, I just not sure that people aren't ready immediately. It's gonna take a minute, so that was my only, my only comment. We start to define some of the projects, one of the next steps is really looking at all these timelines and seeing what are these projects that the readiness level is very high. This is something, you know, 5, 10 years down the road and we'll be able to start to develop so that we can also kind of look at a glance at projects and see, you know, what we have um, kind of slowing fruits and then what needs to be developed further and then everyone in their roles, you know, If you start to kind of figure out what's the best way to to go about uh to approach each of these ideas, so.Yeah.
The group meets every last Tuesday of the month in the library comments, time to be determined.