As many of you know, in early June, Ken Poerner died peacefully at home surrounded by friends after a 10-year battle with prostate cancer. His beloved dog, Bella, was also present and has a new home with the hospice nurse and her family.

Ken’s love of natural areas and open space landscapes grew from his association with the Solano Land Trust where he worked for almost 25 years, first as a volunteer and then as the Land Steward for the nonprofit’s 12,000-plus acres of open space and ag land. He had a profound influence on this organization during those years and was rewarded in small part by having a trail named for him in the Lynch Canyon Open Space Preserve. For a wonderful tribute to him by the Solano Land Trust and more on what he accomplished, visit: https://solanolandtrust.org/evistas/ken-poerners-parting-gift

Shortly after he retired from SLT in 2016, we went for a walk at Bobelaine. Not surprisingly, he fell in love with this magical place and soon became the Preserve’s volunteer maintenance guy. In a September 2019 Observer article, Ken explained how this happened: “I noticed the trails needed mowing; so I mentioned that if SAS needed help with mowing, I could help”. Ken assumes Maureen talked to someone at SAS and said, “Next thing I know I’m getting handed the keys”. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect because the person who had maintained the trails in prior years was no longer able to continue the work. Sacramento Audubon Board President Bill Bianco worked with Ken on several of his projects at Bobelaine. He comments that Ken is low key, but he sure gets things done. Ken was also quoted as saying: “What I do at Bobelaine is not especially hard work, most of the time. It’s a good use of my skills in retirement. Skills like working with tractors, chainsaws, weed control, building and repairing benches, signs, gates, trail work and planting. I enjoy being outside taking care of a wild area. I also enjoy seeing people on the land that I have a part in maintaining”. It certainly didn’t hurt that he could also bird to his heart’s content while doing the good work he did there.

Sacramento Audubon Society has benefitted from Ken’s love of birds, the land and natural areas in several tangible ways. His legacy includes a large donation for continued maintenance at Bobelaine. To honor him, SAS has named the trail’s end at Bobelaine the Ken Poerner River Overlook. Here, one can sit on one of the benches he made and enjoy the beauty and solitude of the Feather River. Donations may be made in his name to the SAS Bobelaine Fund.

He also assisted with Benicia, Sacramento and Folsom Christmas Bird Counts for many years and especially enjoyed the Kids’ CBCs he helped with. Seeing it as a valuable tool to document sightings for studying bird populations, Ken was an early champion of the use of eBird.

Ken led many trips with me for SAS, but his favorite was always at Lynch Canyon, Solano County, a wonderful place any time of year but especially for raptors in winter or for a cool walk when the heat has settled into the Valley.

In addition to volunteering, Ken loved to travel the country in his truck and camper. I had the great good fortune of traveling all over the United States with him chasing birds and seeing wonderful country for the last 15 years. I will miss him and our time and travels together always.

-Maureen Geiger, June 2021

To make a donation to the Bobelaine Audubon Sanctuary use the button below.