Program Topic
Nancy Fluharty, Development Director, and Allyson Brooks, Community Engagement Manager of the Sierra Hills Foothills Conservancy will be our speakers for the May 21, 2026 meeting.
They will talk about the high impact work they have been doing. They will present virtually.
The grasslands, foothills, and forests between Yosemite and Kings Canyon National Parks provide land for farms and ranches, a home for native plants and wildlife, and a source of clean water. Sierra Foothill Conservancy honors our natural and cultural heritage by protecting these resources and ensuring that present and future generations will continue to experience and enjoy the land in this region.
SFC is a non-profit land trust, rooted in the local community, protecting open spaces for preservation and for future generations.
About the Presenters
Allyson Brooks grew up in the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Shaver Lake where she developed a passion for everything outdoors; from land conservation and studying biology to physical activity. Most of the endeavors that Allyson has chosen throughout her life remain to involve science, conservation, immersion in the outdoors, and movement. She was a whitewater river guide on the Kings River for four years. She was a zookeeper and environmental educator. She has taught science to all levels of students, including Junior College Biology. Unfortunately, Allyson and her family lost her childhood and current home during the Creek Fire of the Sierra Nevada in 2020. This devastation has sparked an interest in helping to protect the mountains that she loves by volunteering as the volunteer coordinator for Creek Fire recover efforts (erosion control, fuels reduction, plantings, etc.).
Allyson received her master’s degree in a combination of Biology and Education and her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, Ecology Option from the California State University, Fresno.
Allyson has been the Community Engagement Manager for Sierra Foothill Conservancy for 8 years. It is her dream job! She runs the education, outreach, and volunteer programs, assists in development, is highly involved in Tribal partnerships, and is a land steward. Some of her duties include running SFC’s youth field trip program, all hikes and classes, events, volunteer days, outreach presentations, coordinating all docent activity and involvement, Tribal relationships, community partnerships, educational partnerships, grant-writing, fundraising, and stewardship tasks such as fence-building and repair, trail maintenance, preserve maintenance, rangeland program assistance, and any other on-the-land tasks necessary for ecological stewardship of SFC properties.
Allyson lives with her two incredible children. She loves cycling, hiking, camping, puzzles, and anything she can do outdoors, especially with her family and friends! She joined the SFC team in 2018 and is thrilled to be a part of protecting the land that she considers home!
Program Format
Hybrid meeting - It is your preference: Join in person or online.
In person: NEW LOCATION! This year our meeting location has changed.
Address: First Friends Church, 13205 Philadelphia St., Whittier.
Entrance: The entrance is on Washington Ave.
Parking: Parking is available in the parking area behind the church and along Washington Ave.
Online: please RSVP here and we will send you a link to the meeting.
The program is free and open to the public.