The Bigfoot Trail Alliance is pleased to welcome four new members to our Board of Directors. As our organization continues to grow, strong leadership and diverse perspectives are essential to advancing our mission. Each of these individuals brings meaningful experience in community service, conservation, and organizational leadership that will strengthen our work stewarding the Bigfoot Trail across Northwest California.
Vic Spain — Treasurer
A long journey through science, compassion, and public health has shaped Vic’s life. After a career as a veterinarian, animal-welfare researcher, and epidemiologist — framed by doctorates from UC Davis and Cornell — Vic turns his analytical gifts and caring spirit toward the stewardship of wild places. Growing up near the mountains of Virginia and West Texas planted deep roots of wonder in him, an affinity for water trails and hidden springs that still calls him to hike and bike through Sierra ridges with his family. Off the trail, his soul finds harmony in music, where he’s a cellist of 50 years, blending discipline and artistry much like the balance we seek in trail stewardship.
Andrew Barnett — At Large
Andy’s earliest memories are etched in the splendor of the Sawtooth Range — fishing waters and scrambling along streams as a fourth-grader — and that innate curiosity about the natural world has only grown more expansive with time. After moving to Southern Humboldt in 1980, he became deeply involved in woodworking, music, forestry issues, and community service. Andy’s work with Rotary exemplifies his belief in the power of coalition and collective action, especially where youth engagement and community connection meet the wild places we protect. His presence on the board strengthens our commitment to weaving community strands into the fabric of trail stewardship.
Patricia Cambianica — At Large
Patricia’s love of the wild began as a child roaming the backcountry of the Ojai Valley and Sespe Wilderness, where curiosity became her compass. That spirit of exploration later found expression not only on trail corridors and ghost routes hidden in brush, but also in the rhythms of daily life as an entrepreneur. After more than two decades running a neighborhood restaurant with her husband, Patricia now channels her energy into garden, globe, and backcountry alike. Her dedication to trail work speaks to the heart of the Bigfoot Trail Alliance’s ethos: inviting all into the wild, inspiring exploration, and deepening the roots of community for generations to come.
Amy Ziegler — At Large
From formative summers in the Sierra Nevada to a distinguished 32-year career in wildland fire with the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service, Amy brings a lifetime of deep connection to landscapes shaped by flame, water, and footfall. Her work as a wildland firefighter and later as a regional planner imbued her with a reverence for craftsmanship, wilderness ethics, and the stories trails tell — marks of human passage in the wider narrative of the wild. Now retired, she tends her time to hiking, woodworking, gardening, and those moments that remind us why wildlands matter so profoundly.
How They Fit Into Our Shared Journey
As the Bigfoot Trail Alliance continues to grow, our Board of Directors serves as a constellation of hearts and minds navigating the work ahead. These four new leaders will help guide the Alliance across our three core committees:
- Community Engagement and Outreach — nurturing meaningful connections between people and place, honoring the diverse voices of trail users, neighbors, and stewards.
- Programs — advancing education, field projects, and youth engagement that invite everyone onto the trail and into a deeper relationship with wildlands.
- Operations and Fundraising — ensuring the foundations of our work are nourished with integrity, sustainability, and the kind of foresight that honors both community and terrain.
In welcoming Vic, Andrew, Patricia, and Amy, we are reminded that stewardship is not the task of one, but the chorus of many — each bringing their unique perspective to the wide horizon of wild places we love. May their time with us deepen our collective journey along the Bigfoot Trail, inspiring new paths of discovery, care, and shared purpose.
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