Celebrating Local Voices: (Re)Turning to the River.

We are excited and proud to see East Merced Resource Conservation District voices featured in California State Parks’ (Re)Turning to the River podcast.

In Episode 2, “Forgotten Landscapes: Appreciating the Value of the Wild San Joaquin Valley,” our Executive Director, Zach Wells, and Board Member Joy join the conversation about the landscapes, communities, and natural resources that make the San Joaquin Valley such a remarkable place.

For those of us who live and work here, the Valley is much more than the space between California’s mountains and coast. It is home to working lands, waterways, wildlife, farms, communities, and generations of people whose lives are deeply connected to the landscape.

We are especially proud to have Zach and Joy representing our organization and community in this conversation. Their perspectives reflect something central to the work of Resource Conservation Districts: conservation is rooted not only in the landscape, but in the people who know it, work on it, care for it, and envision its future.

Zach's leadership and passion for our region continue to guide EMRCD's work toward collaborative, locally driven conservation. Joy and our Board bring invaluable community knowledge and perspective to that work, helping ensure that the people and landscapes of eastern Merced County remain at the heart of what we do.

At its center, the episode asks an important question: What does it mean to be wild in the San Joaquin Valley?

We invite our partners, landowners, neighbors, and fellow Valley residents to listen and hear a conversation that celebrates a landscape we are incredibly proud to serve.

🎧 Listen to Episode 2: “Forgotten Landscapes: Appreciating the Value of the Wild San Joaquin Valley” from California State Parks’ (Re)Turning to the River podcast.