06/01/2026
If you’ve ever been on a tour with the Conservancy, odds are you’ve climbed aboard one of our trusty 12-passenger vans: either the "SS Xantus", our Nissan vane named for John Xantus, a California naturalist and early western ornithologist who documented species in the Tehachapis in the late 19th century, or "Ben", our Ford van named after one of the Conservancy’s greatest supporters. What you may not know is that operating these vans requires a commercial driver’s license – and that is no small feat! It takes months of work, including advanced driver theory classes, behind-the-wheel training with a certified instructor, a medical exam, a written test, a multi-point vehicle inspection, and an advanced driving skills test. On top of that, our drivers and vehicle fleet are inspected and tested every year to stay in compliance. This is all a good thing, because safety is at the forefront of every one of our public access events. For the last several years, only two Conservancy personnel have had the license needed to drive these vans. But this morning, Senior Docent Don Britton officially earned his commercial license! That literally increases our capacity to lead van-based tours by 30%. Though these licenses are difficult to obtain, you can know that you are in excellent and experienced hands with our tour drivers. They really have to pass muster to get their commercial licenses! Keep on the lookout for a major increase in our event offerings in the near future. Huge congratulations to Don – and woo hoo for more Conservancy adventures ahead!
