Third Annual Huey D. Johnson Legacy Walk Recap
We loved seeing you at the Third Annual Huey Johnson Legacy Walk.
Thank you for being a part of this wonderful tradition.
Brilliant blue skies welcomed us back to Tennessee Valley on January 7 to remember and honor Huey Johnson on what would have been the day after his 91st birthday.
This year, we were thrilled to be joined by Sue Johnson, Huey’s wife of nearly 60 years and a lifelong environmentalist in her own right. Having Sue with us felt like old times when she and Jhango would stop by our Mill Valley office, always excited to hear about our latest work.
It meant so much to share our thoughts and memories of Huey as we start the new year. Many thanks to Michael Warburton for putting Huey’s work in the context of the public trust principle, to Tom Hicks for helping us understand the instream water rights precedent that Huey worked for decades to establish, and to Miles Johnson for telling us about the passion he and his grandfather shared for Alaska and the magnificent California coast. And we’re grateful to Peggy Lauer and Susan Ives whose readings captured much of what we loved about Huey. Reading from former RRI staff member, Marlene Broemer’s moving poem, “Lake Superior,” Peggy reminded us of Huey’s lifelong love of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, north of where he grew up. Then, quoting from a brilliant speech delivered by environmentalist Edward Abbey, Susan evoked the sheer joy Huey experienced in nature, a joy that reinvigorated his commitment to environmentalism throughout his life. And of course, we heard from Huey himself in his seminal five-minute Co-Evolution Quarterly speech that enriches me each time I read it.
As we exchanged stories, I was struck by how Huey’s legacy continues to grow. Mia Monroe, the Marin Community Liaison for the National Park Service and a great friend of RRI, surprised us with the news that the earthen dam just east of Tennessee Cove will soon be demolished by the Park Service, reconnecting the creek to the ocean. The creek will be renamed “mee muku creek” meaning green chert trail or green rock trail in the language of the local Coast Miwok people. We acknowledge that this site is part of the unceded ancestral lands of the Coast Miwok people of present-day Marin and southern Sonoma Counties. We honor with gratitude the land itself, and all of its ancestors: past, present, and emerging. We also thank Huey and his many compatriots for making this new restoration possible by keeping Tennessee Valley an open space.
As many of you know, Mia has played an instrumental role in the development of a permanent three-panel signage that will soon be installed at the Tennessee Valley trailhead to mark both the last-minute rescue of the headlands from the Marincello development and the 50th anniversary of the GGNRA. We appreciate Mia’s reaching out to us to review the installation content. I was especially honored to be the first to show you a sample of the panel that highlights Huey’s historic role in the process. I also want to call out Susan Ives for her ongoing commitment to getting this important project off the ground and keeping it moving forward. We expect the exhibit will be completed very soon and look forward to seeing all of you at the commemoration.
The story of Marincello is told in detail in Huey’s memoir, Something of the Marvelous: Lessons Learned from Nature and My Sixty Years as an Environmentalist, published by Fulcrum Books. Huey’s longtime friend and principle of Fulcrum Books, Bob Baron, generously donated copies of the book to share with all of us at the Legacy Walk. Thank you very much, Bob. We hope you will be able to join us next year and share your own stories.
Finally, I noticed that we all commented on how bustling and busy Tennessee Valley was that morning. Hundreds of bike racers, hikers, and picnickers were out enjoying a beautiful day in nature, surrounded by open space. As Huey said, “What else can we do in life that would possibly be here a thousand years from now.”
We look forward to seeing you at 10 a.m. January 5, 2025!
