If you haven’t yet heard the exciting news, we’ve got a truly wonderful line-up of talented speakers, activists, and musicians on Sunday, September 27, to assure that our first-ever virtual fundraiser, our 17th annual Nature’s Inspiration community celebration, will be an engaging program and rockin’ success!

Not only do we have a personal appearance and acoustic performance by Raul Pacheco, founder of Grammy Award-winning band, Ozomatli, but we also will be showing a few of the bands latest “Quarantunes” music videos. Also scheduled to join us for the occasion is Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Neil Young, who will share one of his latest music videos, and live performance by Indigenous vocalist Calina Lawrence. We are honored that Chairwoman Charlene Nijmeh of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area will provide a Land Acknowledgement. Last but not least, our Master of Ceremonies, County Supervisor Joe Simitian, promises to keep the program flowing.

Alexii Sigona, Amah Mutsun Tribal Youth representative will introduce our 2020 Nature’s Inspiration honoree, Valentin Lopez, who has served as the highly respected Chairman of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band since 2003. We applaud his tireless dedication to bringing international awareness to the experience of Indigenous peoples and advocating for sacred land, including Juristac in Santa Clara County. Since 2017, we have worked in solidarity with Chairman Lopez and the Amah Mutsun tribe to protect Juristac, the tribe’s most sacred site and major wildlife corridor, from a sand and gravel mine.

Our community and the local natural landscapes, farmlands, and parks we protect together are reasons to celebrate—even more so in this difficult time. To date over 100 people have generously sponsored the event and we’re still counting on some more sponsors to step up and help us raise the remaining $50,000 to hit our goal of $250,000 raised for this event. We also have an incredible auction, The Greenfeet Trading Post, featuring great getaways, fine wine, nature hikes, artwork, and an instant wine cellar featuring over 50 bottles of locally produced wine by members of the Santa Cruz Mountain Winegrower Association.

We are well aware that this is a time of economic hardship for many, and Green Foothills will not be immune to that impact. In this time of need, we are asking our community to rally around Green Foothills to the extent circumstances allow. Thanks in advance for your willingness to support Green Foothills’ 17th annual Nature’s Inspiration this year as a sponsor or simply by purchasing tickets to the event. Five percent of sponsorships and ticket sales will be donated to the Amah Mutsun Land Trust’s Native Stewardship Corps Program for tribal youth. Through this summer program, high school and college age tribal youth are provided healthy employment, working side by side with their older cousins to study the Amah Mutsun language, culture, and ceremony as well as traditional ethnobotany. It is a great way to introduce younger tribal members to the Land Trust while also providing exposure to a variety of career and academic paths.

Sponsor or get your tickets today to Nature’s Inspiration on September 27th, and please tell your friends to do so, too! For more information please go to this link to our Nature’s Inspiration event web page. We’ve got some other big surprises on September 27th in store for you, too. So, get in the groove and stay tuned for more exciting news about this unique fundraising event echoing through the Green Foothills! Can’t afford to buy a ticket but want to attend? Email [email protected]. We have complimentary tickets available for the community made possible because of our sponsors.