Bruce Hall, a former Sugarloaf staff member and volunteer, who is a retired mechanical contractor, built a new accessible ramp at the park’s Community Science office. This ramp installation was funded by the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF).

This Spring, we finished the installation of a new accessible ramp at the Community Science office at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, which our Senderos Naturales staff and volunteers use for their work. We were able to complete this ramp installation using a grant from the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF).

This ramp installation made the office more accessible to our volunteers, which includes Nature Docents, Wildlife Camera Crews, and Naturalists. 

Maria Mauricio, our Sugarloaf Volunteer Coordinator explains, “The new ADA-compliant ramp at the community science office significantly enhances accessibility, promoting a more inclusive environment for community volunteer scientists. This improvement ensures that individuals with disabilities can participate fully and comfortably in scientific volunteer work, reinforcing the office’s commitment to diversity and inclusion in community-driven scientific initiatives.”

“Before this, we had volunteers that could not enter the office to assist with the park’s work,” says John Roney, Sugarloaf’s Park Manager.

Bruce Hall, former staff and volunteer at Sugarloaf, who worked previously as a mechanical contractor, carried out the building of the ramp along with other Sugarloaf volunteers. This installation is just one of our efforts to continue to make Sugarloaf more accessible to a broader range of community members. We hope to continue making Sugarloaf more accessible for our community of staff, volunteers, and visitors.

“Thank you to the National Environmental Education Foundation for the grant that allowed this installation and the Bay Area District of California State Parks to work with us on the design and approvals,” says John Roney, Sugarloaf’s Park Manager.