A bench to honor Becky Blythe was recently installed on the Byrne Trail with the motto, all things are connected. We asked Becky's husband, John Cockrell, to share with us why the Byrne-Milliron Forest was special to Becky. Here's what he told us.

As an expression of her life-long love of nature, Becky Blythe was a fierce supporter of the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County. The genesis of Becky’s love of nature began in childhood among woods and fields near her Marin County home. As a young adult, Becky participated in the Outward Bound program and in internships in wildlife management studies that nurtured her passion for learning about wildlife. In her teaching career, Becky taught students in her classroom and in Outdoor Education programs about the natural world. She shared her love of nature with friends on local hikes or as a volunteer docent at Big Basin State Park. Becky particularly loved being in the redwood forests, where she felt a sense of peace, wonder, and healing.

Preserving our natural areas was very important to Becky. In recognition of the value of the Land Trust’s mission of preservation, Becky was a long time donor. She included a bequest to the Land Trust in her estate plan. We sadly lost Becky to cancer in summer of 2022. When the Land Trust offered to place a memorial bench for her, it was an easy choice to ask that it be among the redwoods of Byrne-Milliron Forest. We were fond of the quirky wood carvings there, as well as the lovely redwoods and phenomenal views. I hope anyone who chooses to sit and rest on Becky’s bench may also find a sense of peace, wonder and healing from being among those awesome trees.

Anyone who appreciates the beauty of our County can help protect our natural resources by donating to the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County.