The California State Parks Mounted Assistance Unit, Diablo Vista District, includes both equestrians and cyclists. The Mounted Assistance Unit (MAU) has 75 active equestrians and 15 active cyclists and provides approximately 5,000 hours/year in volunteer service to Annadel, Sugarloaf Ridge, and Jack London State Parks. Board of Directors: JoDean Nicolette, President
Michael Shulkin, Cycling Un
it President
Bunny Lincoln, Vice President
Nadine Lavell, Secretary
Chuck Levine, Records/Hours Keeper
Anna Lincoln, Scheduler
Sarah Reid, Member at Large
Marci Cook, Member at Large
Members must undergo formal testing and instruction with their bicycles/horses to ensure a high level of skill and safety, and also a six-week docent and park education series. Potential members must also participate in 3 evaluation rides with senior members to evaluate interpersonal skills, ability to manage conflict, and riding ability. Members may not patrol alone until they have achieved Senior Member status, which is granted after 50 hours of service. The primary roles of the MAU are to inform and educate. In general, members interact with the public regarding park rules and regulation, safety, location assistance, ecology, and cultural and natural history. The members provide light-duty trail maintenance while on patrol, and may participate in larger projects on scheduled work days. In addition, severe statewide budgetary constraints have necessitated that the mounted unit members play an increasingly important role as extended eyes and ears of the understaffed rangers. This includes not only issues of trail integrity, but also identification of illegal activity, and hazards such as fires. The MAU members can function in searches for lost visitors, and are often first on the scene in the case of injury or medical emergency. In the case of fire, or other hazards, the role of the unit is to direct visitors to the shortest, safest exit of the park. Important to recognize is that the MAU is not law enforcement. The members are educated in how and when to activate appropriate emergency services when the situation dictates. Additional services: The MAU has offered a uniformed presence during events to assist in direction, illness/injury identification, and course pre- and post-ride sweeps. Events have included the Annadel Half Marathon fundraisers, the Annadel 2010 Festival, and the 2010 Jacobs Ranch Trail Opening Ceremony (at which the uniformed riders were the only state park presence). Perhaps least obvious, but of great significance is the MAU’s role in public relations. An official patroller on horseback elicits uniformly positive responses from park visitors of all ages, many of whom have rarely or never interacted with a horse (especially children). In addition, uniformed horsemen/women add dignity and ceremony to activities and events.
