2020 Service Pin Updates
Each day brings us closer to 2021 and we find ourselves taking inventory on the lessons learned from this past year. We all did our best to make it through the isolation and despair and now hope is on the horizon for a brighter tomorrow. 2020 was a uniquely difficult year and we want to recognize our partners, instructors and naturalists for their poise and resilience in weathering the trials of COVID 19. It's a relief to shift into the thoughts of renewal that only a New Year can bring. As we finalize shipments of the 2019 service hour pin, we want to update everyone on 2020 service pin requirements.
Volunteering took on a new meaning to us as we rose to the challenge of redefining ourselves as stewards of this State and allies to its people. If you were able log 15 hours of volunteer time from January 1 - December 31st, 2020, you will qualify for a 2020 pin. The deadline to log 15 hours in the VMS is February 17, 2021.
You may have noticed that there are two new categories to assign your volunteer hours: Community Resilience and Adaptation & Environmental and Climate Justice. These new categories were added to accommodate work being done through the new UC Climate Stewards certification (a big congratulations to the first graduates from the Pasadena City College and UC Riverside Palm Desert Center pilot courses). Also, in light of the pandemic, theCalNat team witnessed naturalists, friends, colleagues and others from our community jump into roles that might best be captured by the new categories. They can be used whether you are California Naturalists or a Climate Steward or BOTH! Volunteer hours logged in any of the 6 categories will apply to the annual service pin total of 15 hours. Be sure to log your hours with the site you originally received your certification so all of your hours will be counted.
Bravely staying home to keep each other safe naturally took its toll on accumulating volunteer hours and we want to recognize you. We see you, naturalists, putting in the work on so many levels, giving what you could spare to your community. We see you ensuring all voices are heard when crying out for justice. We see you rushing to douse literal and metaphoric fires. We see you managing the stressful duality of providing care for family while working from home. We see you gearing up for your 17th consecutive shift. We see you performing one last wellness check before dinnertime for the neighbor who needs it most.
We see you. Thank you for your dedication to the state of California and its people.
Eliot
CalNat Southern California CES
