New Times What is your role with the Art and Adventure Art Auction in Cambria and Greenspace?

Rick Hawley I’m one of the co-founders, and am the executive director of Greenspace—The Cambria Land Trust and do the fundraising, write and implement grants, and take care of membership. We are a 501c3 corporation which is a public benefit nonprofit corporation. We have a membership that fluctuates between 700-800 people, primarily local residents.

New Times What role does Greenspace—The Cambria Land Trust have in our area?

Hawley We do a lot of projects—restorations, public open space acquisitions, forestry issues, and some land use issues—to make sure the planning commission and board of supervisors adhere to the general plan and the coastal land use ordinance issues that we all agree to abide by.

New Times Tell me about this event on Aug. 15.

Hawley This is our 21st art, adventure, and antiques auction, and it’s our primary fundraiser. We get about 300 visitors. We have hundreds of items in the auction, in addition to services, but there is a large array of things people can choose from and from all price ranges. There’s something for everybody.

New Times How do you get the items for your auction?

Hawley We have been doing this for so long that people know this is our fundraiser and they donate. For the adventures, there is a big variety. As for art, we ask the art community to participate and so we have several artists.

New Times Your website claims that the North Coast of SLO County is a national treasure. Can you explain why?

Hawley The North Coast is very rural and remote and the tying thread is Highway 1 which connects the Big Sur coastline to Northern California, and we are kind of the gateway to that. The Hearst Corporation has traditionally owned a huge portion of that and in our ten years as a nonprofit we certainly participated in that process, as many other people did. That gateway is now protected and has a lot of public access which didn’t used to be available. Within that land use area, there are a lot of endangered species, including plants and animals. We are very fortunate to have those things, which other parts of the state don’t. We have open space protected by agriculture, and coastlines with tide pools that haven’t been picked over. It is all part of the environmental ethic that Greenspace and other groups are trying to promote to tourists and residents, and conservationists. The environmental community and the agricultural community have a lot in common.

New Times What has the Art and Adventure Art Auction accomplished?

Hawley It has helped pay for two million dollars in acquisitions that we have done in the community, and it keeps our office open.

New Times Any specific goals for this year?

Hawley This year we are working on the Santa Rosa Creek watershed management plan. We just opened up a 1.7-acre park in the middle of town, so monies will go towards maintenance of that.

New Times What excites you about the Art and Adventure Art Auction?

Hawley The event is a lot of fun, a tradition like Pinedorado or Colony Days, and it’s a chance for everyone to see great artwork and help to raise money for a good cause, and we always do. If you enjoy your county and open spaces, the animal life, clean air, and the quality of life here, then you need to support the nonprofits that make that happen. ∆

Christy Heron can be reached at cheron@newtimesslo.com.