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History

If the rocks and trees could speak as humans do, they would have much to say about all the beauty, hardship, and changes they have seen. We offer below a brief snapshot into this land’s history.

Lichen growing on giant rock

Geologic Scale - Bay Area geology is complex. On a hike to Walker Peak, you can see a famous transform fault where two plates meet, marked by a strip of water called Tomales Bay. This is the San Andreas Fault! There are also igneous and metamorphic rocks throughout our land that are over 200 million years old.

 
Miwok Land - These hills are part of a storied landscape, and one that is filled with layers of human connection to this place. We owe our gratitude and respect to the Coast Miwok people, whose ancestral history flows throughout this land. 


Sheep and Cattle Ranching - In the 1800s, this land became ranch land marked by the trails and herds of sheep and cattle. The family who manage the cattle on our property have been ranching in West Marin since the 1800s!


Synanon - In 1958, Charles Dederich formed a rehabilitation facility, which slowly morphed into a utopian community, then a religion, then a cult. This property is one of three historic large compounds in Marin County. 


Outdoor School - After Synanon closed, this land saw few people until 1982 when the Marin Community Foundation purchased the land and deeded it to Marin County Office of Education—to be an overnight outdoor school! We opened at this site in 1990. 

history

LD HISTORY
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