ForestWatch’s trusty and beloved field vehicle – nicknamed “Old Blue” – has proudly retired after ten long years of dedicated service to the cause. We are currently seeking her replacement. It needs to be reliable, with high clearance, and preferably four-wheel drive to tackle some of the toughest roads in the forest. Do you have a vehicle to donate, or know someone who does? As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, your vehicle donation is tax-deductible and will be put to good use monitoring the forest for damage, reporting environmental crimes, and hauling tools and equipment for our volunteer habitat restoration projects. And best of all, you get the naming rights. Please contact Jeff Kuyper, Executive Director at (805) 617-4610 ext.1 if you think you might have a good match.
In the meantime, please join us in our final tribute to Old Blue:
Farewell, Old Blue. We rescued you from life on the city streets of Los Angeles and together we explored the less-traveled corners of the Los Padres National Forest and beyond. Your service to the forest will never be forgotten – you hauled out thousands of pounds of trash, busted illegal scofflaws, kept watch over the oil companies, and most importantly, never left us stranded (well, so long as you don’t count the time that your water pump broke on Figueroa Mountain, but that was within tow truck distance and has been long-forgiven).
But now your brakes are questionable, your steering sounds irritable, your windshield has taken one too many pebbles, your electrical system is failing, and quite frankly, you smell a bit funky. Our time has come to part ways – but don’t worry, we’ve spared you from the junkyard and found you a new home with someone who can fix you up and make you feel alive again.
Hope to see you out on the road someday soon in all of your dull, bouncy splendor. Thanks for the miles, all 225,759 of them.
Old Blue
Inspecting a vegetation clearing project in the Santa Barbara backcountry
Fording a dry creekbed on our way to clean up microtrash on Cuyama Peak
In “hot pursuit” of an oil spill in the Sespe Oil Field
Surveying target shooting sites in the Mt. Pinos Ranger District
A successful microtrash cleanup at Tar Creek
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