Work starts on sign installation at Land Trust’s Rabbit Hill Park
MIDDLETOWN, Calif. — Anyone who has been to the top of Rabbit Hill in Middletown knows that the small peak, almost in the middle of town, offers views of surrounding mountains that are breathtaking.
It has long been a dream of the Lake County Land Trust, or LCLT, and local citizens to place directional signs at the summit of Rabbit Hill to point out each significant peak in the panoramic 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains, including St. Helena, Cobb and Harbin.
On a recent Saturday morning the signage project was started with the help of Hidden Valley Lake resident Jean Goulart, who has become a volunteer for the LCLT and will be over-seeing the Rabbit Hill Park.
Goulart is a University of California Naturalist and Climate Steward and a new member of the LCLT Stewardship Committee.
She gathered students from Middletown High School to work on the sign project as part of their community service. Meeting Jean were Cade Dubose, Jose Montanez and Evan Johnson.
Lake County Land Trust volunteers, including Middletown’s Gail Wright, Stewardship Committee member Bob Schoenherr and LCLT board member Val Nixon joined in the effort.
Many thanks to Hardester’s Market in Middletown for donating the use of an auger to dig the hole for the post where the directional signs will be mounted. Hardester’s also donated spray paint to paint the concrete picnic table at the top of the hill.
After the pole was placed in cement, the Middletown High students pruned over growth along the path and near the cement picnic table. They removed steel post fencing and did general cleanup of the area. Painting the concrete table was postponed because of wind.
The small nine-acre park was originally donated to the Madrone Audubon Society in Sonoma County by the late Skee and Huck Hamann. The beloved couple lived atop the little hill and hosted many education programs for local school children.
Over 20 years ago Madrone Audubon transferred ownership to the Lake County Land Trust. Since that time the Land Trust has worked with the local Middletown Art Center and Middletown residents to improve and care for the park.
There are now comfortable benches, a picnic table, and art installations. Soon the public will be able to enjoy informative signs.
The park is open to the public and is used by many local residents for exercising and dog walking. Besides its stunning views it features native serpentine vegetation that includes wildflowers, forbes and native grasses.
The Lake County Land Trust, founded in 1994, is a charitable non-profit dedicated to protecting natural habitats, wetlands, and valuable open space in Lake County go to www.lakecountylandtrust.org.