Celebrating forest life at the 2024 Forest Festival

We’re sure you’ve heard the expression that goes something like this, “I’ve been driving through this area for so many years, but I have never stopped here.”

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Well, on July 20, there were some folks who said those words, or very similar, while visiting the 2024 Forest Festival, which was hosted by volunteers of the San Gorgonio Wilderness Association. The association is a dear, old friend of the San Bernardino National Forest and, more specifically, an official partner.

The loyal and hard-working members of the SGWA have been putting on the shindig for about 40 years. The event is a major attraction for other organizations and partners of the forest. Representatives haul out their canopies, tables and materials to provide information and activities for the public that makes a trip to the Barton Flats Visitor Center, where the event is held. That day, a total of 252 visitors stopped in and 72 exhibitors and volunteers were on hand to greet and facilitate a good time for the crowds, according to Bettye Miller, public relations director for the SGWA.

There were almost 30 booths that included: Friends of Big Bear, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, The Wildlands 

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Conservancy, Southern California Mountains Foundation, San Bernardino County Search and Rescue, San Bernardino County Regional Parks, Western Science Center, Bee Rooted Bees, Pinecone Perfection, Inland Empire Prospectors and Miners, Grandma’s Rocks and San Bernardino Mountains Land Trust.

Lauren Loustaunau, education assistant, and Brittney Stoneburg, paleontologist and collections manager, represented the Western Science Center from Hemet, Calif., and were on hand with fossils found during the excavation for Diamond Valley Lake. According to Stoneburg, approximately 100,000 fossils were found during the digging of the reservoir in the early 1990s and include mammoth, mastodon, ground sloths and saber-tooth tiger. The museum showcases the rich fossil history of the Inland Empire, said Stoneburg.

Visiting the Fisheries Resource Corps booth was married couple Al Vasquez and Sejla Mesic-Vasquez of La Habra Heights, Calif., who were on their way to a second home in Big Bear. They were visiting the festival for the first time, although they’ve enjoyed Big Bear and its recreational opportunities for some time.

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“We were driving by, saw the cars and said, ‘Hey, what’s this?’,” Vasquez said about the festival. “I like it. It’s very interesting and they’re giving a lot of good information.”

George and Robin Radovich were also headed to Big Bear City, where they have lived in a second home for the past 15 years. They stopped at the event for their first-ever visit also, described it as “awesome” and said it was a good, educational experience.

Travis Coutu, an Explorer with the Fire Explorer program of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District, was all smiles as he climbed aboard a fire engine to show visitors it’s equipment and how it’s used in fire suppression. He serves with the county’s Fire Station 98, which provides service to residents of Angelus Oaks, Barton Flats and Seven Oaks, along State Route 38 from Valley of the Falls to Onyx Summit.

Coutu explained to visitors the vehicle is a Type 2 engine that transports four personnel, holds 700 gallons of water, has all-wheel drive capability and is 10 feet tall by 30 feet long.

Adam Gonzalez, 10, participates in a gold panning activity with the Inland Empire Prospectors and Miners as his mother, Anabel Barajas, watches during the Forest Festival, July 20. Barajas stated they are from Beaumont, Calif., and often visit the forest.

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At the Wildlands Conservancy exhibit, Susan Anthony, an outdoor education coordinator, talked about land her organization has acquired to be conserved for public access, free of charge. In California, the nonprofit 501(c)(3) public benefit corporation manages 24 locations, including the 909-acre Oak Glen Preserve and Bluff Lake Reserve, said Anthony. The preserve, near Yucaipa, has a botanic garden and five miles of hiking trails. Anthony stated that her organization has close relationships with state and federal agencies.

And let’s not forget about the hosting organization, the SGWA. Miller staffed their booth, spoke to visitors and facilitated a prize giveaway for people, who completed a bingo sheet.

“Every year SGWA volunteers donate thousands of hours to the San Bernardino National Forest in a variety of activities, including interacting with the public on wilderness trails and at interpretive programs, clearing fallen trees that block trails, repairing damaged trail tread and removing illegal fire rings in wilderness areas,” Miller said.

Thank you SGWA and visitors! See you next year.

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