The mission of the Chuck Haugen Conservation Fund is to appreciate and inspire volunteers and professionals who participate in the conservation of the Monterey Bay area's ecosystems.

Thanks to all who came and helped make the 5th Annual CHCF Picnic - a great success!

Tell us what you think!

Did you attend the 5th Annual CHCF Picnic? We love to know what you think, including any suggestions you think will make next years picnic better or anything that we are doing just right. Just send us an email and let us know.

Boardmember Pick-of-the-Month

Each month a Chuck Haugen Conservation Fund board person, volunteer, or friend chooses an event to highlight. Want to pick one? Just send us an email and let us know why you are choosing it. Thank you! CHCF volunteer Kathy Addington picked this month’s event. FORT ORD VOLUNTEER DAYS Every Tuesday & Thursday 10:00am - 4:00 pm Join our dedicated volunteers every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Fort Ord. Our activities this time of year include native plant seed collection, feral pig project tasks, and native plantings/watering. This was a favorite project of our mentor, Chuck Haugen. Wear comfortable layered clothing; bring water and lots of enthusiasm. We provide tools. CONTACT BRUCE DELGADO AT THE BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, 394-8314

As well as supporting local conservation groups, we conduct monthly weed bashes, host a fabulous yearly picnic free and open to all local conservationists (see some pix here on our Flickr page (as well as tons of other photos), publish a comprehensive calendar of all the fun and cool Monterey area conservation events we can find, a tidbits section where we encourage you to communicate about conservation issues such as invasive weeds, volunteer events, etc., award grants, and much more!

Please email us for more information. We could always use some more good people to help us support local conservation efforts!

Scroll down to read about how the Fund started and more about we do.

What does CHCF do?

The primary purposes and objectives of CHCF are as follows:

• to inspire and increase volunteer participation in conservation projects in the Monterey Bay ecosystems. Projects may include seed collection, weed events (non-native weed eradication), monitoring wildlife and flora, promoting conservation events (e.g. maintaining a regional conservation project calendar), and conservation education
• to appreciate, inspire, replenish, revitalize, and energize professionals by facilitating community building through activities such as an annual picnic, grant awards, and lectures
• to aid the conservation education of volunteers and professionals by establishing and maintaining a memorial natural history library

When was the Chuck Haugen Conservation Fund started?

In a way, the Chuck Haugen Conservation Fund (CHCF) began with the inspiration that Chuck Haugen gave to volunteers like those of the California Native Plant Society and Monterey Dunes Natural History Association and to staff such as those working for California State University Monterey Bay, California State Parks, and the Bureau of Land Management at Fort Ord. Chuck was like a quiet ambassador who, by his actions and passing of information for and between many conservation organizations, helped bring closer together the many folks contributing to the conservation of Monterey Bay's terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Chuck did this in an upbeat, easy-going fashion, and everyone lucky enough to spend time with Chuck enjoyed many moments of learning and appreciating central California's wildlands. Chuck died while volunteering near Mudhen Lake on Fort Ord but his inspiration of others didn't stop there. The energy levels were high at Chuck's memorial service on Fort Ord. There was some sadness but there was more buzz in the air of happiness because Chuck had once again been the catalyst for many volunteers and staff of various organizations to come together and share good time. Nine of Chuck's friends met at Mudhen Lake for a brown bag picnic in July of 2003, one year after Chuck's death, and they discussed recent successes in conserving and restoring the great outdoors since Chuck's passing. They agreed that the next summer, 2004, there should be another picnic on Fort Ord with the same friends and invited guests that attended Chuck's memorial services as well as the general public.

By February of 2004, CHCF was officially created under the umbrella of the California Native Plant Society and in the summers of both 2004 and 2005 fantastic picnics with 125 and 250 folks were provided with free gourmet food, guided natural history hikes, games, and a ceremony of thanks, grants, and awards deep in the backcountry of Fort Ord. No power, no water, no problem! CHCF was officially off the ground and continues in late 2005 to find its place in continuing Chuck's legacy of inspiring and appreciating volunteers and professional staff who contribute to the conservation of Monterey Bay's terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

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