Politics & Government
Volunteer Naturalists Lead Hikes Through Dilley Preserve
Kevin Herbinson and Dave Baden share their reverence for the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park when taking explorers on biodiversity hikes.
Dave Baden was an Assistant Engineer at Northrop Grumman. Kevin Herbinson was a marine biologist for Southern California Edison. Now, as volunteer naturalists for Orange County Parks, they lead a variety of informative hikes in and around Laguna Canyon.
"I knew that once I retired, I wanted to do outdoors stuff, so I got involved in this," says Baden.
"This position brought me back to life after my wife died two years ago," Herbinson says.
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Together, these two men watch out for hiker safety. They share their knowledge of local plants, animals and geography. They keep a lookout for poachers and the misuse of county trails. And they do all this without receiving a paycheck.
Tuesday morning, Laguna Beach Patch followed these naturalists on a biodiversity hike along the Dilley Greenbelt. There was much to see and much to be learned on this two-hour trek into the Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.
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The Dilley Greenbelt is found on the east side of Laguna Canyon Road just north of the 73 toll road. Bring $3 for a parking pass. A $2 donation is requested per person before hiking with naturalists. Self-guided hiking is free. Click here for a list of upcoming hikes. Sometimes reservations are required for hikes. For reservation information, call 949-923-2235.
