According to Jennifer Boehm, it all started as a simple idea.

She and Gayle Eisner were busy tearing down the old redwood ampitheater, when Gayle looked around at a patch of redwood forest and said, "It would be really great if we put in a redwood trail over there for the students to use."

The idea kept popping up in their conversations. They began involving other people, including Virginia Easterday. And, while Gayle had the idea, Jennifer—who had caught the fever—took over.

Jennifer organized everything. There were months of brainstorming and organizing and they had to get school board approval. Thirty-five volunteers helped blaze a trail, including Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and many others.

It was a tough project with lots of brush to be cleared. There were cuts and scrapes and one woman who ran into a bee’s nest. After two full days of chain sawing, cutting and digging it was finished.

Or was it? No one quite knew what to do with the trail. So, Jennifer and Gayle decided to help out more. Through a grant sponsored by the Brownlee Foundation, they hired biologist Larry Moitozo to visit the trail, identify plants, train parents and develop curriculum for the teachers.

At the same time, Susan Jacobs, a Loma Prieta teacher, was using the Loma water retention basin for water study lessons by her students. This prompted Gayle and Jennifer to decide that the run-off area would make a nice pond that would fit in with the original reason the redwood amphitheater and redwood trail were built—to offer students a way to enrich their science program through the environment. They got another team together to clean up the area, put in stepping stones and a gate.

At about this time, Gayle and Jennifer realized their small idea wasn’t so small anymore. It had become an addition to the school. Then they made another decision (less labor intensive). Their organization should have a name. C. T. science teacher, Barbara Perry, came up with LEEPS (Loma Environmental Education Program for Science) and the frog seemed the appropriate logo. "Barbara thought the Santa Cruz endangered red-legged frog would be a good choice," said Gayle.

After they had their official title, the program switched into high gear, with Gayle, Jennifer and their recruits, Heidi Heeter, Julie Bourque and Monica Gaspar and others, working on one project after another. The most recent big project, involved tackling the thistle-ridden garden, clearing it of nasty weeds, laying down tarp, and making it once again a beautiful garden.

This year many exciting things have happened.

1) LEEPS wrote a trail guide to assist parents and teachers when taking children out on the trail. The LEEPS Trail Guide gives the adults informative explanations of everything they are seeing on the trail.

2) Gayle spearheaded the building of a butterfly habitat and is in the process of getting certification from the Natural Wildlife Foundation for Ms. Sanden’s first grade class.

3) Landscape architect Mike Collishaw drew up plans for a native-plant garden at the pond.

4) Dennis Lillis helped the teachers start worm composting and acted as LEEPS garden consultant.

This past year, LEEPS celebrated its fourth year. What started out as two women sharing ideas has inspired an exciting, creative exchange of ideas among dozens of volunteers. What started as a small dream has become a wonderful addition to children’s education in the Loma Prieta School District and Building Blocks Preschool. And, this dream keeps getting bigger and better.

As the school year draws to a close, LEEPS would like to say a special thank-you to all our volunteers. Without your enthusiasm and assistance, LEEPS would have died on the vine long ago.

Our LEEPS volunteer of the year is Melissa West-Kevan. Thank you for your dedication.

Also, thanks to super LEEPS board members: Gayle Eisner (who continues to keep the program going), Jana McBurney-Lin, Dennis Lillis, Roy Gessler, Cathy Vance, Dana Jagelski, Brian Whiteley and Jennifer BeDell.

Thank you, classroom volunteers and science experts: Maya Suryaraman, Markey Carr, Teresa Robinson, Randall Landaiche, Diana Montana, Mary Skillicorn, Jeff Corey, Nancy Ogaz, Diane O’Regan, Sandy Carr, Julie Bourque, Jennifer Wothers, Barbara Perry, Mike Collishaw, Heidi Heeter, Heidi Radonich, Ginny Easterday, Susan Vandraiss, Dawn Holmes, Shannon Ponkey, Jennifer Boehm, Cindy Furze, Rick Parfitt, Linda Sullivan, Lynn Longa, Elaine Bryant, Carrie Benson, Carol Anderson, Nina Bricker and Terri Foster.

And we cannot forget our benefactors: The Robert Brownlee Foundation, the Loma Prieta Home and School Club, C. T. Home and School Club, the Loma Prieta Community Foundation, Summit Veterinary Hospital and private donors.

If you are interested, join the LEEPS team. For more information, call Gayle Eisner, 408-353-5953.

Tax deductible contributions can be mailed to: The Loma Prieta Educational Foundation/LEEPS, 25470 Adams Road, Los Gatos, CA 95033. Tax ID #17053077020028.