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:

Monterey - Point Sur Medallion AwardMedallion 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:Millerton Lake Host Poppy Awards

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:

2019 

2020

2021

2022

2023