Steve and Sarah Foland: Board Member, Members, Volunteers
Sarah and Steve believe in outdoor recreation for everyone, including sitting and appreciating the views and strolling. “Go to a place where you can walk on the earth and see what’s there; rest your eyes.”
Benny Foland, 5
Stephen and Sarah Foland grew up in Indiana, met at Indiana University, and after Steve discovered California in the Peace Corps, escaped the Midwest together to live in San Francisco.
Sarah taught middle school math for 8 years and was also a yoga instructor. She then went into Marriage and Family Therapy and practiced for 20 years, the last five in Morro Bay.
Steve practiced family law for 20 years, specializing in mediation, helping families to be collaborative rather than contentious. He then served as Superior Court Commissioner in Family Court for 10 years, serving a population of 250,000 people.
They raised their children, Andy, Lara and Oliver in Livermore, and learned to love Cayucos when vacationing regularly with extended family near 14th and 15th Streets. They "enjoyed the compelling bluff top immediacy to the ocean, with its changing views and beach-as-playground." One year they stayed in the Post Office neighborhood, which led them to purchase on D St. in 1999. They built what is nearly a replica of the Ghezzi house that had been on the lot for decades and moved into it in 2005.
One day in 2001, when Steve and Sarah commented on their appreciation of the green hills surrounding town, someone said ‘There’s a group who takes care of that,’ and they’ve been active CLC members ever since.
Steve joined the CLC Board in 2010, just in time to chair the wildly successful CLC ‘Ice Cream Social’. He says that he was inspired to become involved by the community effort to restore the beach swing-set – “…because somebody DID something about it.” Sarah generously volunteers her time at every opportunity, and has been especially involved with walking Harmony Headlands.
Steve brought to the board his considerable legal expertise and an emotional perspective to land conservation that resonated with the CLC membership as well as the CLC Board. His passionate messages in the CLC newsletters always received the most enthusiastic responses.
Steve hopes that CLC will proceed with the Chevron land negotiations, look for ‘new blood’ on the CLC board, continue offering community conservation education and explore greater involvement with Cayucos School – perhaps with a scholarship program. As an aspect of land stewardship, Steve is greatly concerned about the harmful effects of herbicides and pesticides, especially glyphosate’s risk to pollinators.
Steve and Sarah say that they chose Cayucos as their home in retirement because of the natural beauty, the clean air and authenticity of the people. In time they also realized the “commonality of gratitude to live and visit here”.
From left to right: Eddie, Angela, Andy, Benny, Steve, Sarah and Jack Foland
Sarah Foland with her sister Susan Dodd - and a little green frog at Harmony Headlands State Park
