A new chapter in the inspiring story of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust has begun, with the naming of Diane Rosencrance as Executive Director effective June 11, taking the baton passed by visionary 14-year executive director Kim Kolpin, who has moved with her family to the Seattle area.

Rosencrance is currently the Executive Director of the Delaware Highlands Conservancy, a position she has held since 2016. The Conservancy is headquartered on the 144-acre Van Scott Nature Reserve, land that was donated to the Conservancy in 2020 and is now a center for conservation education with three miles of public trails through woods and meadows, and along two ponds and wetlands. Educational programming including hikes, nature walks, forestry and land management workshops, and demonstration projects. The Conservancy also has developed a popular Eagle Watch program on the Reserve.

At the Conservancy, Rosencrance oversees a paid staff of eight and a corps of volunteers and has led strategic planning and implementation, constituency building, donor relations and fundraising, land conservation and stewardship, community engagement and education programs, operations, and special projects.

She says she is very excited for “the opportunity to use my knowledge, experiences and skills to further the vision of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust to nurture a thriving, healthy, and sustainable ecosystem for the entire Bolsa Chica, as well as uphold one of my most deeply held beliefs: that humans are meant to care for the earth and its animals.”

“The future of the Bolsa Chica is bright,” says Land Trust President John Doyle. “It will of course continue to require focused and sustained efforts, but our Board is more committed than ever to strengthening and expanding our programs to restore and protect the Bolsa Chica as vital habitat for the hundreds of species that depend on its wetlands and uplands, and as an educational, recreational and spiritual resource for the community.”

Kolpin began with the Land Trust in 1996, founding and leading development of the Bolsa Chica Stewards restoration program. She became Executive Director in 2012 and since then has been at the forefront of the Land Trust’s successful efforts to:

• deepen partnerships with government agencies and Tribal Councils to deal with numerous challenges to the Bolsa Chica ecosystem and support ongoing management, restoration and sustainability projects,
• increase the Land Trust’s assets from $200,000 in 2012 to $2 million today, including the creation of three endowment programs now totaling more than a half-million dollars,
• support the Land Trust’s educational program, Miracles of the Marsh, that has seen more than 36,000 Southern California third-graders visit and learn about the Bolsa Chica’s history and ecology,
• secure the funding and work with State agency partners to develop Bolsa Chica’s Sustainability Study, the foundation for future management of the lowland wetlands,
• work with agency partners on the planning and permitting for the current Tern Islands restoration project, and
• expand the Stewards program that sees hundreds of volunteers plant thousands of native plants at Bolsa Chica each year to include an onsite nursery, The Growing Space, and the new fire-resiliency project on the Mesa.

“Kim has been a true leader and visionary whose impact on the Bolsa Chica will benefit generations to come,” said Doyle. “The Land Trust, and the Bolsa Chica itself, have been very lucky to have her and her energy and skill will be missed very much. At the same time, we are excited to bring on Diane, who brings her own experience and skills, and we look forward to continued progress and many future successes.”

About the Bolsa Chica Land Trust

The Bolsa Chica Land Trust is the preeminent organization dedicated to supporting the thriving Ecological Reserve and sacred cultural site at Bolsa Chica, that is a distinguished model for sustainability, coastal resiliency, and community engagement. On the edge of a dense urban setting, Bolsa Chica faces many threats from pollution, invasive species, and the consequences of climate change and sea-level rise. But through our community-based programs and projects, outreach and advocacy, and nurturing strong community and government support, the Bolsa Chica Land Trust’s vision of a thriving, healthy and sustainable ecosystem for the entire Bolsa Chica is assured.