Volunteers build a welcome mat

We are so grateful for this stylish and well-wrought bat box, built and donated by Sindy Harris and Steve Morgan of Benicia, and now installed on the barn at Rush Ranch.

If you live in Benicia or follow local news, you may have heard of the couple’s efforts to clean up trash along a stretch of the Interstate 780 and I-680 interchange. Sindy and Steve are Caltrans Adopt-A-Highway volunteers, and their "territory" is marked by "In Honor of Mother Earth" signs. Sindy is a retired lawyer, who does pro bono work regarding environmental issues of importance in Benicia and Vallejo, and both are board members of the Benicia Tree Foundation.

It means a great deal to have these true lovers of the natural environment support Solano Land Trust. If you have a space on your property that receives at least seven hours of direct sunlight, sits at a remove from trees where raptors and predators could congregate, and has water nearby, a bat box could be a great project.