Joan Bekins collection of Terwilliger Nature Education Center records, approximately 1970-2005

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Summary

Creators:
Bekins, Joan, Terwilliger, Elizabeth, Elizabeth Terwilliger Nature Education Center, and Terwilliger Nature Education Center
Extent:
18.5 linear feet (14 cartons, 1 oversize box), 2 sound cassettes, 3 videodiscs (DVD), 1 videocassette (VHS), and 1 sound disc (vinyl)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

Joan Bekins collection of Terwilliger Nature Education Center records, BANC MSS 2022/117, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Background

Scope and content:

Records of the Terwilliger Nature Education Center (TNEC) and, partially, the Elizabeth Terwilliger Nature Education Foundation (ETNEF) and WildCare as collected by Joan Bekins. Includes administrative, Board of Directors, and program records documenting activities of TNEC, including its transition to WildCare. Also includes files relating to the Terwilliger Guild's efforts to fundraise for TNEC.

The collection documents the creation of a non-profit organization, including how to build a board of directors, recruit volunteers, nurture docents, generate media exposure, and create effective direct mail campaigns, fundraising events, brochures, press releases, photographs, radio and TV PSA's, publications, books, and invitations. A significant portion of the collection documents the creation and promotion of educational films about Elizabeth Terwilliger and the TNEC as well as general educational programs. Included are Terwilliger Nature Guide rosters, docent training materials and letterhead, Marsh and Ring Mountain Site Guides, teachers' correspondence, and portable Classroom Plant and Bird Kits loaned and delivered to teachers.

Biographical / historical:

Joan Linn Bekins had a long public relations career in agriculture before she married. In 1968, with her baby girl in a backpack and holding her toddler son by the hand, she began hiking with naturalist Elizabeth Terwilliger. As a volunteer, she expanded Terwilliger's unique multi-sensory teaching techniques for grades K through 5, by producing and distributing five "Tripping with Terwilliger" habitat films. Bekins founded docent Terwilliger Nature Guides in 197, and co-founded the non-profit Elizabeth Terwilliger Nature Education Foundation in 1975, later renamed the Terwilliger Nature Education Center. With a grant from the Beryl Buck Trust in 1979, the Elizabeth Terwilliger Nature Education Foundation (ETNEF) opened its doors at 7 Beach Road in Tiburon, CA 94920. As a condition of the grant, the Buck Trust specified that Bekins serve as Executive Director for one year and launch the programs. In time, she expanded Terwilliger's educational audience of 600 children to 60,000 a year with films, field trips, and the Terwilliger Nature Vans. ETNEF later moved to Corte Madera and San Rafael.

When Bekins turned 70 in 2000, she focused her camera on flower macro-photography with solo exhibitions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area benefiting non-profits. The same year, she became a photojournalist for the Ark newspaper, writing a column, "Wildflower Watch". She serves on the board of the Terwilliger Nature Education Legacy, funding the terwilligerfilms.org website. She has received numerous awards for her volunteer work including Marin Women's Hall of Fame, Belvedere's Citizen Emerita of the Year, the Pelican Award, CINE Golden Eagle, and Chevron's Conservation Award, and is an active member of the Explorers Club.

The Elizabeth Terwilliger Nature Education Center later merged with the California Center for Wildlife to become WildCare, the San Rafael wildlife hospital and nature-education center.

Acquisition information:
Gift of Joan Bekins, 2022.
Physical location:
Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.
Physical description:
Original folders retained, except when either original folders were overstuffed or, in some cases, when materials were not originally foldered.
Rules or conventions:
DACS

Access and use

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of University of California gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user. For additional information about the University of California, Berkeley Library's permissions policy please see: http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/about/permissions-policies.

Preferred citation:

Joan Bekins collection of Terwilliger Nature Education Center records, BANC MSS 2022/117, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Location of this collection:
University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library
Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US
Contact:
510-642-6481
bancref-library@berkeley.edu
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