Summer 2009
Austin E. Stewart II and Steve Kikuchi Honored
- POST enthusiastically honored attorney Austin Stewart of Palo Alto as Volunteer of the Year and gave a special award to landscape architect Steve Kikuchi of Half Moon Bay at an event in March celebrating the work of more than 100 volunteers.
- Stewart is an associate attorney with DLA Piper in East Palo Alto. He was recognized for numerous pro bono hours given to POST since 2005. Stewart first assisted with the acquisition of Diamond H Ranch near San Gregorio. Since then he has assisted on eight transactions involving approximately 2,300 acres of open space land. In 2008 he helped POST protect Blair
Ranch, 865 acres in Morgan Hill. This year he helped with acquisition of Rancho San Vicente.
- “Stewart applies his extensive real estate background to helping conserve land,” says Walter T. Moore, POST executive vice president. “His volunteer work is particularly appreciated in these tough financial times.”
- “I feel privileged to be part of the effort,” says Stewart. “I support POST’s mission to preserve our natural environment, whether the organization is focused on the San Mateo County coast or on southern Santa Clara County. As an avid outdoorsman, I am amazed to have such beautiful, unspoiled hillsides and a coastline so close to our urban area. That proximity is also the threat and the reason we need to work hard to protect open land.”
- The special award to Kikuchi recognized his pro bono work in developing an environmentally sensitive landscape plan for POST’s offices at 222 High Street. The new plan will extend the green practices in the renovated building’s interior to the exterior. Specifics include a rainwater cistern, more bike parking, an enclosed outdoor patio as well as drought-tolerant
native plants. Due to budget constraints, installation is on hold. The plan has been approved by the City of Palo Alto and is ready to go as soon as we are.
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