Members of the Western Alliance for Nature greeted participants in Coastwalk's California Coastal Trail Expedition 2003 at Surfers' Knoll in Ventura Harbor. The expedition members arrived in Ventura on August 28 on their 1,100-mile hike that began at the Oregon border on June 3.

All were tan and cheerful, obviously still enjoying their adventure as they hit Ventura County. The Alliance provided fruit, energy bars and cold drinks, plus media-both the Ventura County Reporter and KEYT-TV Channel 3 responded to the Alliance's invitation to meet and interview the walkers.

Click Here Fro An Article About Wan Conservancy's Reception For the CoastWalkers At Ramirez Park

Ten people concluded the summer-long hike concluded at the Mexican border on September 22 after walking approximately 12 miles a day.

California Coastal Trail Expedition 2003 supports completion of the California Coastal Trail and shows that such a hike is possible. Along the way, participants are speaking with local officials and citizens, sharing their information on what needs to be done to finish the trail. Completion requires involvement of local citizens, municipalities and counties all along the way. Completion of the trail was mandated by Governor Davis's September 2001 signing of Senate Bill 908, by Senators Wesley Chesboro and Betty Karnette, and AB 20, by Assembly Member Fran Pavley. One of the purposes of the hike is to identify areas where improvements need to be made.

Once completed, the California Coastal Trail will offer a low-cost, easily accessible and healthy form of recreation to Californians, 80 percent of whom live within 25 miles of the coast. Currently, about 62 percent of the trail follows existing trails and beaches.

Coastwalk is a 20-year old organization. The group completed a similar hike in 1996. On that walk, participants "proofed" topographical maps that became incorporated into the two-volume hiking guide entitled Hiking the California Coastal Trail. This year, the organization has a grant from the California Coastal Conservancy to digitally photograph the trail. The photographs will later become part of a Conservancy website that makes information on the trail available to the public.

The Western Alliance for Nature, a Malibu-based land conservancy, is active in protecting endangered birds at Ormond Beach. Completion of the California Coastal Trail falls within the organization's goals of securing the public's access to the California Coast. It hosted a reception for Coastwalk in Malibu on Sept. 2 attended by a number of organizations including Vote the Coast, Surfrider Foundation, Access for All, Malibu Coast Land Conservancy, California Coastal Protection Network and Wetlands Action Network, all of which support the Coastal trail and public access.