Join us at scenic MOHI Ranch near Morgan Hill for our annual celebration on Sunday, September 27, 2026, from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
This amazing event brings together more than 250 community leaders, partners, officials, and friends to support Green Foothills programs that protect local nature and wildlife. Our guest speaker this year is Obi Kaufmann, the award-winning author, artist, and naturalist, who will share his thoughts on how urgent environmental campaigns connect to poetry, place, and policy movements at every level, from local to global.
Enjoy good food, learn about our work, and mingle in a beautiful open-air setting. Proceeds cover a significant portion of our annual budget, so attending this event is a great way to help Green Foothills.
Sponsorship opportunities will become available in March, and tickets go on sale in July. Questions? Contact Jocelyn Rodriguez at 650.968.7243 or [email protected].
Watch this short video for event highlights from last year’s Nature’s Inspiration!
About Our 2026 Guest Speaker
Obi Kaufmann
Obi Kaufmann is an award-winning author of many best-selling books on California’s ecology, biodiversity, and geography. Most famously, his 2017 book The California Field Atlas, currently in its eighth printing, recontextualized popular ideas about what he calls “California’s more-than-human world.”
Following his initial Field Atlas, his subsequent books include 2019’s State of Water—Understanding California’s Most Precious Resource, followed by three more Field Atlases called the California Lands Trilogy: The Forests of California, The Coasts of California, and The Deserts of California. In the Lands trilogy, Obi successfully realized his vision to present a comprehensive survey of California’s physiography and biogeography, including its evolutionary past and unfolding future. His latest book, 2024’s The State of Fire, Why California Burns, is among his most popular and timely books to date.
Obi regularly travels the state, and when he is not backpacking, he gives talks and hosts seminars in his “Poetry, Place and Policy” series, engaging local communities on pressing issues in the watershed. His seventh book, California Inside Out, Mapping and Ecology of Mind, will be out in the Fall of 2026..
Thank You to Our Nature’s Inspiration 2025 Sponsors
Nature’s Inspiration underwrites a significant portion of Green Foothills’ annual expenses. We depend on funds raised from this event to support our work so that we can create the greatest impact. Your generous support makes it possible for us to champion climate resilience and biodiversity through the protection of open space and natural resources in San Mateo, Santa Clara, and San Benito Counties. Since 1962, our advocacy has resulted in the permanent protection of more than 200,000 acres.
Sponsorships for 2026 will go on sale in mid-March. For more information, contact [email protected].
2025 Nature’s Inspiration Sponsors
Ranae DeSantis O’Brien Family Charitable Fund
Google KPMG Peter and Beverly Lipman Ann and Mark Monroe Laura Wells
California Native Plant Society, Santa Clara Valley Chapter Benjamin Hammett Gary and Patricia Hedden Insperity Peter and Sue LaTourrette Law Offices Of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy Lisa Lubliner Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District Lisa and Edward Munro Peninsula Open Space Trust Nancy and Greg Serrurier Jeff and Connie Woodman
Stephen Abbors Applied Materials Marilyn and William Bauriedel California Nativescapes Larry and Beth England Barbara Erny Franco-Clausen Family Susan Hansch and Richard Wright Tracy and Julie Hutcheson Linda and Sidney Liebes Jr. Lennie and Mike Roberts Roberta Saxon and Mike Sasnett Maxine Terner
Supervisors Margaret Abe-Koga and Supervisor Otto Lee Jon Adams and Michelle Treseler Tamara Alvarado Stephen C. Beck and Jane Baxter Nina Bell Manjeet Singh Bhamra Mary and Phil Bobel Gregory and Lauren Boro Craig Britton and Carleen Bruins Matthew Burrows Brian Carr Karen Chapman Councilmember David Cohen Paul and Jade Davis Michael and Romelia Delay Marshall Dinowitz Ralph and Carol Eschenbach Congresswoman Anna Eshoo Eleanor M. Ferrari Robert and Susan Flint Jean Forstner and Matson Wade Craig and Teresa Gleason Marian Goldeen and Arthur Ogawa Larry and Penny Hassett Jerry Hearn and Rebecca Reynolds Jack and Rebecca Herman Pitch and Cathie Johnson Bindu Kandoori Alice Kaufman and Scot Griffin William and Katherine Korbholz Jody Lawler Lisa and Michael Liddle Tor and Nancy Lund Margaret and Jamis MacNiven Joanne and Douglas McFarlin Pat McGuire Shelley and Andrew Meyer Leslie Airola-Murveit and Hy Murveit Daniel and Helen Quinn Lucille Rasmussen San Mateo County Bird Alliance Kathleen Courtenay Sanborn and Barbara Ann Wright Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority Lena Scaramuzzo Kathryn Schmidt Sempervirens Fund Joan Sherlock Joe Simitian and Mary Hughes Carolyn Tognetti in memory of Eddie Tognetti Valley Water Cynthia Wordell John Zotz
ACLU Foundation of Northern California Jessica Rose Agramonte and James Principato Lawrence Ames Garnetta Annable Bryan Beck and Kaia Eakin Barbara Lynn Bessey David and Cherie Bogart Helen and Dan Chapman Colorprint Mike Danzenbaker and Lee Hung Rick and Karen DeGolia Melissa Demaray Rod Diridon, Sr. and Gloria Duffy Paul and Maureen Draper Linda and Jerome Elkind Leonard Erickson Ronald Erskine Nancy Federspiel Filoli Estate and Gardens Megan Fluke and Jeff Prentice Pam Foley, Vice Mayor of San Jose Matthew Freeman Consulting Steve and Leslie Furney-Howe Linda Gass and Rob Steiner Kathryn Gordon Peter and Edna Grilione Melissa Hippard Arthur Keller Andrea Mackenzie and Jenni Martin Hyma Menath Allen Olivo and Robin McKnight David Oppenheimer and Elaine Sulzberger Smita Patel Enid Pearson and Emily Renzel Assemblymember Gail Pellerin Lucas Ramirez Diana Reddy Curtis Riffle and Karen Scussel Claudia Rossi San Mateo County Parks Foundation Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency Save Mount Diablo Jeffrey Segall and Helen He Paul Segall and Joan Berman Segall in honor of Jeff Segall Margo Sensenbrenner Shute, Mihaly and Weinberger LLP Rene Spring and Mark Hoffman Carolyn Straub and Stephen McHenry Kathleen Sutherland Arpana Tiwari Jessica Vernon Donald R. Weden Mariquita West Jim Wickett and Magdalena Yesil
David Simon, Videographer EdwardsProductions.com Slanging Dough Pizza The Bubble Truck
Many of the most important decisions affecting our natural environment involve land use decisions made by our local governments. For more than 60 years, Green Foothills and its allies have worked diligently and effectively to assure that local government decisions in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties have protected open space and prevented sprawl.
The work of Green Foothills is legendary and extremely environmentally significant to efforts to address climate change.
I am grateful for the opportunities that Green Foothills opens up for sincere and organized acts of solidarity that collectively over time will result in change and movement. As a Chicana/Mexika mother and dancer, on the red road, Green Foothills inspires me to take action and center Mother Nature and First Peoples in this struggle to retain land as free and sacred.
We owe a debt of gratitude to Green Foothills for their decades-long work standing up for nature and people. They have been effective advocates for the region’s open space, farmland, and natural resources, protecting our region’s natural heritage for future generations. As we experience the growing effects of climate change, the role Green Foothills plays as the conscience of the community will be needed more than ever.
From our founding more than 60 years ago until today, Green Foothills has been the local, vocal and effective protector of this region’s natural wonders. We have all benefited tremendously from the work of Green Foothills.
My support for Green Foothills stems from our reliable long-term passionate commitment to protect local open space now and in the future. This in turn benefits our Wildlife friends and the Earth, essential partners of the human race!
