Gene Trapp and Jo Ellen Ryan - 2019 (Brinley)
Retirement for Gene Trapp and Jo Ellen Ryan was a beginning, they say, not an end.
After 30 years — he as a professor of biological sciences at Sacramento State University and she at UC Davis’s Shields Library — the husband-and-wife duo could now focus on volunteer work.
Specifically, they could volunteer weekdays and weekends with local nonprofits like the Yolo Basin Foundation and Yolo Audubon Society, including helping with educational programs and leading local wildlife tours.
But in 2006, a series of arson fires near the West Davis Pond, not far from their home, prompted the couple to concentrate their energy in that location, in particular.
“We began to see that we should also focus on the wildlife habitat just down the street,” said Ryan.
But they didn’t just want to become a neighborhood watch program, she added. “We wanted to turn it into something positive.”
And so they did. With permission from the city, the couple spearheaded efforts to convert a half-acre of bare ground into a pollinator garden, planted and maintained by a team of volunteers who still meet weekly.
They created a butterfly and hummingbird garden, encouraged placement of memorial benches around the garden area, and lead regular tours to observe the wildlife, conduct annual bird surveys and organize clean-up days.
“This project provides a beautiful natural area in the midst of our city,” said Davis resident Gayna Lamb-Bang. “It’s an important local region where Davis citizens can learn about plants and wildlife.
“Over time, Gene and Jo Ellen have created an active and loyal community of volunteers,” added Lamb-Bang, one that extends to the community in general as nearby residents stroll by the gardens, stop, chat, and more often than not, pitch in to help.
Trapp and Ryan were nominated for the Brinley Award for their dedicated work on behalf of the West Pond. Courtesy photo
For the couple’s dedicated work on behalf of the West Pond, Lamb-Bang nominated Trapp and Ryan for the Brinley Award — an award established by John W. Brinley in 1969 in honor of his father, Samuel Brinley.
The Brinley Award recognizes outstanding service in a particular area, such as in the arts, education or health, or in a major project that benefits the city.
The West Pond certainly fits the bill, and for their efforts, Trapp and Ryan will be recognized with the Brinley plaque next month.
The many volunteers they have recruited over the years believe they are more than deserving.
“When I was new to Davis, I researched places to walk and view wildlife and found West Pond,” said Kerry McKallip. “I met Jo Ellen and Gene working in the garden and they instantly made me feel welcome. That was over five years ago and I am still happy to get out and volunteer in the garden whenever I get the chance.”
Trapp and Ryan, said McKallip, “are meticulous about maintaining a visually pleasing stroll through what was once a sad excuse for a green space.
“With so many pollinator populations in decline, the West Pond garden is a great benefit, not only to neighboring home gardens, but to nearby farm fields as well.”
A few months after moving to Davis, John Vaughn came across the couple as they were watching over a hawk’s nest to ensure it wasn’t being disturbed.
He returns to the gardens weekly now, and said it’s obvious Trapp and Ryan put in a great deal of time, effort and their own money to make West Pond what it is.
“Beyond that, they are very generous and patient with me in explaining the flora and fauna,” Vaughn said. “I knew little, but really appreciate their knowledge they share.”
Since creating Friends of West Pond, Ryan and Trapp have steadily recruited volunteers to visit the gardens weekly to prune, weed and plant, Lamb-Bang said.
On the first Wednesday of each month, she said, the couple leads a birding walk along the entire West Pond walkway.
They also maintain a bulletin board there that lists events, species and other helpful information.
“They coordinate the annual Clean-up Day at the Pond, in tandem with National Clean-up Day,” Lamb-Bang said in her nomination letter.
“This local event is part of a statewide effort to clean beaches, waterways and open spaces, sponsored by the California Coastal Commission and the city of Davis. Volunteers are allowed into the pond area to collect trash and cut back invasive plants.”
The pond itself is an enhanced wetland wildlife habitat, although its primary purpose is to retain storm water runoff and help prevent flooding.
“During dry months, when possible, water is provided by a supplementary city well,” said Lamb-Bang.
“If the pond fills during the winter, water is pumped to channels that eventually lead to the Sacramento River. Gene and Jo Ellen carefully monitor water levels in cooperation with the city of Davis, which helps city staff know when to run water in — or out — of the pond.”
Volunteers from around the region have joined the couple’s efforts “because this is a special place,” said Ryan.
And those volunteers, in turn, have become valued friends.
“Working next to someone, you see conversations start that would never happen,” said Ryan. “We have a lot of fun out there.”
Said Trapp: “People walk by and we start to chat and they become friends.
“We’ve gotten so much out of this.”
Next month, the couple will be recognized for their years of dedication to the West Pond, and to the community as a whole.
— From the Davis Enterprise - December 25, 2019. Reach Anne Ternus-Bellamy at aternus@davisenterprise.net. Follow her on Twitter at @ATernusBellamy.
