CALIFORNIA CULTURAL RESOURCES PROTECTION ALLIANCE WORKS TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT ORANGE COUNTY’S NATURAL AND HUMAN HISTORY – Sierra Sage of South Orange County welcomes Dr. Patricia Martz, Ph.D., founder and president of CCRPA at its July 23rd meeting
Sierra Club Mission Statement
- To explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth;
- To practice and promote the responsible use of the earth's ecosystems and resources.
- To educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives.
When we think about the Sierra Club’s mission statement, do we also consider the importance of protecting the cultural resources that defined and molded the land we inhabit today? We live in the ancestral homeland of the Acjachemen and Tongva, the indigenous peoples who populated this land long before its colonization by western Europeans. Panhe, Putuidem, Tomato Springs, Bolsa Chica – these are all sites where the Acjachemen and Tongva lived in harmony with the natural environment and adapted to changes in climate. We participate in outings through these areas, but how knowledgeable are we about those who walked these paths before us?
Orange County has a rich archeological history. Thousands of artifacts and millions of world-class fossils have been excavated in our county. But they are all stored in a warehouse awaiting a permanent home. We are the only county in Southern California without our own natural history museum.
On Tuesday, July 23rd at 6:30 PM, Sierra Sage of South Orange County welcomes Dr. Patricia Martz, Ph.D., Professor Emerita CSULA and President /Founder of California Cultural Resources Protection Alliance (CCRPA), for a timely presentation about the work of CCRPA and its efforts to preserve and protect the natural and human history of Orange County. Learn about its successful effort to help protect the traditional home of the Acjachemen in San Juan Capistrano, resulting in the dedication of Putuidem Village in the city’s northwest open space preserve. Join us in person at the Norman Murray Community Center, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo or virtually for this program.