Volunteer Recognition
Volunteers Honored for Contributions to State Parks
Volunteers are vital to California State Parks. The first volunteers served in our parks more than 100 years ago, and today, more than 30,000 dedicated volunteers contribute nearly 800,000 hours annually. Volunteers help in dozens of ways through their work in interpretive programs, as camp hosts, in visitor centers, in natural and cultural resource protection, on public safety patrols, and much, much more!
While all volunteers are valued, some are singled out annually for exemplary service by the Director and the districts in which they serve.
In 2024, California State Parks honored 61 volunteers for their service through the presentation of Poppy and Medallion Awards.
A total of 15 volunteers were presented with Medallion Awards for Superior Achievement, the highest honor, to individual volunteers or teams of volunteers who made a significant contribution towards the mission and goal of the Department worthy of recognition by the California State Parks Director. Poppy Awards for Exemplary Volunteer Service were presented to 46 volunteers for significant contributions to the betterment of Parks.
These award programs are year-round opportunities to recognize Parks’ most exemplary volunteers. Thank you for all our hard working and devoted volunteers.



The 2024 awardees are as follows:
Medallion Award:
Mark Anderson – Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods (Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District)
Don Beasley – Morro Bay SP
Marsha Boring – Anza-Borrego Desert SP
Keith Farrar – Malibu Creek SP
Casey Hagen – Silver Strand SB
Gary Hosman – Railtown 1897 SHP
Anne Hughes - Adamson House at Malibu Lagoon SB
Joanne Ingwall – Anza-Borrego Desert SP
Richard Ingwall – Anza-Borrego Desert SP
Timothy H. Mayer – Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods (Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District)
Marsha Neill – Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve
Janet Oulton – Año Nuevo SP & Pigeon Point Light Station SHP
Bill Ruppert – Sonoma Coast SP
Steve Sanchez – Empire Mine SHP
Barbara Wallach – Torrey Pines SNR
Poppy Award:
Jamie Archer – Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods (Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District)
Kathy Bailey – Hendy Woods SP
Alice Barcellos – Millerton Lake SRA
Dean Barcellos – Millerton Lake SRA
Gary Bencomo – Año Nuevo SP
Allen Bertke – Empire Mine SHP
John and Sally Bickerton – Colorado Desert Archaeology Program
Barbara Bowersock – Malibu Creek SP
Cicely Brookover – South Yuba River SP
Duffy Burns – Hearst San Simeon SP
Kris Cannon – Año Nuevo SP
John Case – Colorado Desert Archaeology Program
Hal Davis – Empire Mine SHP
Ed Dodge – Point Sur SHP
Eva Fewel – Big Basin Redwoods SP
Eileen Fukunaga – Point Lobos SNR
Wendi Gladstone – Santa Susana Pass SHP
Mike Goodkind – Año Nuevo SP
Donita Grace – Point Lobos SNR
Patty Haddad – Adamson House at Malibu Lagoon SB
Jerry Haralson – Empire Mine SHP
Mick and Lee Janeway – Empire Mine SHP
Mary Jankowski – Mount Diablo SP
Carole Laeadem – Mount Diablo SP
Jerry Lahr – Mount Diablo SP
Sanders LaMont – Calaveras Big Trees SP
Ben Marchand – Año Nuevo SP
Jim Mears – Anza-Borrego Desert SP
Eileen Napoleon – Anza-Borrego Desert SP
David Neidl – Garrapata SP
Walt Nolan – Railtown 1897 SHP
Ron Pavlu – Anza-Borrego Desert SP
Dan Perkins – Empire Mine SHP
Kerry Perkins – Malibu Creek SP
Ed Rosenbaum – Railtown 1897 SHP
Cathy Sagaser – Railtown 1897 SHP
Jerry Sifferman – Calaveras Big Trees SP
Mike Silence – Empire Mine SHP
Warren Smith – Railtown 1897 SHP
Tom Spinks – Anza-Borrego Desert SP
Bert Tibbetts – SeaLife Stewards (Morro Bay SP)
Jeff Tolin – Morro Bay SP
Carolyn Walters – Columbia SHP
Curtis White – Anza-Borrego Desert SP
Ron White – Railtown 1897 SHP
Rhea Williamson – Malakoff Diggins SHP
While volunteers are most often presented with these awards at their park or district’s annual volunteer recognition events, volunteers can be nominated and awarded at any time, by any Department employee. To nominate a volunteer, send a completed and signed nomination form (DPR 208I [Medallion Award Nomination] or DPR 208J [Poppy Award Nomination]) to Rachel Young, Volunteers in Park Program Specialist at Rachel.Young@parks.ca.gov.
Lists of past years’ awardees: