Connect - Ranch & Coast

Aquatic Adventures/Ocean Discovery Institute student Discovering Nature And Self Celebrating its tenth anniversary this month, Ocean Discovery Institute (ODI, formerly Aquatic Adventures) provides tuition-free hands-on science programs to over 6,000 under-served and at-risk youths each year. Director and founder Shara Fisler was an instructor in physical and biological oceanography and evolutionary biology at the University of San Diego for nine years. "Connecting to the environment not only helps to give people a sense of place but also a sense of connectivity to others and greater systems. It helps the students who have quite complicated lives to find peace, perspective and purpose." (858/488-3849, www.oceandiscoveryinstitute.org) MIA STEFANKO Above: Raja the Bengal Tiger, inset below: Bakari the lion Lions Tigers And Bears — Oh My! After discovering the effects of the exotic animal trade and the cruel living conditions that so many tigers, jaguars, and other big cats endure, Bobbi Brink knew she had to make a difference. So six years ago she founded Lions Tigers and Bears (LTB), an organization nestled in the hilly countryside of Alpine near Cleveland National Forest, where she takes in badly abused and abandoned exotic cats so that they can be restored to good health at the no-breed, no-kill facility that provides a quality lifetime home. The facility, which sits on a 93-acre ranch, currently provides a five-acre home to three lions, four Bengal tigers, three bobcats, an African serval, a leopard, and a mountain lion. Brink currently has licensing for 30 wild cats, and hopes to build habitats for more rescues as funding allows. The nonprofit organization runs on an all-donation basis provided for through memberships, events and fundraisers, and educational programs, with operating costs at about $15,000 per month. This provides food and healthcare for the animals, their enclosures, enrichment toys, and exercise facilities, and it covers administrative costs like utilities and insurance, LTB’s largest expense. LTB also has a group of veterinarians who bring their services to a clinic set up on site. Touring the facility, we were able to get much closer to the wild cats in their enclosures than you can at any zoo. Standing mere inches away from a gorgeous tiger like LTB’s Natasha_ with only a chain link fence between us was truly an awe-inspiring experience. As Brink introduced us to each feline, I could hear the strong emotion in her voice as she shared their stories and spoke of the abuse and abandonment that these beautiful creatures experience across the nation. The ranch’s oldest feline is Bob the bobcat who is now 15. One of Brink’s most memorable rescues, Bob came to the ranch after he was found locked in a rabbit hutch several days after new homeowners moved into the house they had bought. From what Brink can tell, he had been kept there for years with an improper diet and no healthcare or exercise — he was emaciated, hardly able to walk, and suffering from severe dental problems. "When I picked him up, I honestly never had any idea he would even make it, let alone do as well as he has," says Brink. After time at the ranch and some dental work, Bob has slowly regained the ability to run and jump, and is very friendly and happy with his caretakers. Unfortunately the circumstances of Bob’s discovery are not uncommon. Many exotic cats are found cooped up in cages or basements with no food, sunlight, fresh air, or room to stand up or turn around. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the exotic animal trade is second only to that of drugs and weapons in the United States when it comes to illegal trafficking. Twelve states have yet to make the exotic animal trade illegal. And most animal smugglers don’t even face jail time for a first offense, unlike drug offenders. "Hundreds of exotic big cats are bred and we have no idea where they end up. There’s no legitimate tracking or regulation," Brink explains. While most states have laws pertaining to ownership of these animals, those laws do not prohibit breeding or selling. Brink believes that around 10,000 exotic cats are living in captivity in the U.S., and have been bought or bred through illegal animal trafficking. Sold through auctions, advertisements, and online, exotic cats often wind up in situations in which their owners cannot or don’t know how to properly take care of their physical and psychological needs, or in which they will outgrow their use and profitability at four months (the age at which exotic cats become an insurance liability). "Once the young cats they have lost their utility as photo-ops or play-things, they are discarded, abused, and abandoned, because they become too big and dangerous for people to handle," says Brink. She adds that there is no government funding to protect and provide for these animals, and big cats often end up in roadside menageries, in homes as pets, or in exotic game facilities where they will be hunted. Through educational programs and workshops, LTB hopes to inform the public about the exotic animal trade and teach that wild animals belong in the wild, not as pets or moneymakers. Future plans include educational programs on- and off-site, summer day camps, and internship programs. While making a difference in the lives of big cats in the face of these harsh realities, Brink and her coworkers take joy in their triumphs as well. For example, Bakari, Suri, and Jillian, the ranch’s trio of lions who came from a Louisiana sanctuary as cubs, celebrated their second birthday in March. Like the other cats, the nearly full-grown lions spend their days lounging, gnawing on beef bones, eating 12-15 pounds of raw meat per day, getting exercise in the wide-open space of the Tiger Trails enclosure, and enjoying personal attention from Brink and other staff at the ranch. Most of the cats have playmates to interact with as well. Brink concludes, "These majestic felines represent a part of our Earth’s great history — how sad it would be to lose them through neglect." Lions Tigers and Bears will host its annual Wild In The Country event on May 9, which will feature a silent and live auction, music and dancing, barbecue, and, of course, a visit with the big cats. Larry Himmel will serve as emcee and auctioneer, and "Splash" artists will be on-site creating works to be auctioned off at the event. Tickets are $80 per person, $45 for children, and $750 for a table of ten. (619/659-8078, www.lionstigersandbears.org) RINA VAN ORDEN Lieutenant Amy Tomlinson and her F/A-18 Blue Angels jet Banner image above: Lieutenant Amy Tomlinson at approximately age four — already training for her role as navigator. Inset below: Tomlinson and her father, Captain Richard "Turtle" Redditt, U.S. Navy Retired, at her ROTC Commissioning Ceremony, photography by Bob Stefanko, pre-blue angel photos courtesy of the redditt family Navy Amy — Flying High As children there was no telling what she would grow up to be. Amy Redditt was fun-loving and always smiling, and her interests ran the gamut — she was into gymnastics and surfing and wanted to be everything from a pediatrician to the president to a professional pianist. She was the first to drive out of our group of friends, so we’d always pile into her blue Honda Accord, but little did we know she’d one day become the first female U.S. Navy Blue Angels pilot. So it was a true joy to watch her jet land recently at MCAS Miramar — seeing her come into view above the mountains sent chills up my spine. Although childhood photos illustrate that seeds were being planted along the way, Redditt (now Lieutenant Amy Tomlinson) admits, "I never knew I wanted to be in the military until college." After graduating from San Dieguito High School in Encinitas, she went on to USC and met a group of friends that were all on Navy ROTC scholarships. "The number one thing that peaked my interest was the people," she recalls. "They reminded me of my dad’s friends, Navy guys, a fun group." Tomlinson’s father, Captain Richard "Turtle" Redditt, U.S. Navy Retired, flew the F-8 Crusader during the Vietnam War, and was later a Top Gun instructor flying the F-5 at Miramar in the late 1970s. Both her maternal and paternal grandfathers, as well as an uncle, also served in the U.S. Navy. She was soon granted an ROTC scholarship, and during her college senior year, Tomlinson selected aviation as her warfare specialty, but explains, "The only drawback was I have really bad eyes. Pilot training was not for me because of my vision. But, the Navy has a position called a Naval Flight Officer — the ‘back-seater’ or ‘navigator’ — so that is what I chose to do. All I wanted to do was be a part of a squadron and fly on and off an aircraft carrier. If being in the back seat was my way to get it done, I was ready to do my very best." After flight school in Pensacola, FL, she was assigned to fly the F-14 Tomcat out of Virginia Beach, VA through 2006 (which included two combat cruises in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom). But it was during Tomlinson’s two years in Pensacola that she watched the Blue Angels practice every Tuesday and Wednesday like clockwork. "I would pull over to the side of the road, run outside of the hangar or out in my yard just to watch them. To me they were an example of perfection, always representing the Navy’s best. I knew very little about the F/A-18, but I wanted to. I knew I wanted to fly fighter aircraft, so one day I could apply to the Blue Angels." After Iraq, Tomlinson was assigned to be an instructor (just as her father had) in Lemoore, CA, flying the F/A-18 Super Hornet. As soon as she had the required 1,250 flight hours, she applied for the Blue Angels. She was selected in July 2008 and joined the team in September as a navigator and events coordinator. Tomlinson plans all 35 air shows, currently taking place through mid-November (the San Diego show takes place October 2-4 at MCAS Miramar). No detail gets left behind. She explains, "I spend a lot of time working out things like air show safety, FAA regulations, airspace requirements, hotels, cars, crowd safety, high school visits, recruiting activities, and timelines. I plan our schedule for the four days we spend in each city we go to, from when we show up until we leave. " There is no question that Tomlinson is extremely proud of what she does. In her sharp blue uniform, her smile extends from ear to ear and her positive energy is completely contagious. "The Blue Angels represent every squadron that is out there training hard and fighting for our freedoms. We get to show the American people what their Armed Forces are made of each weekend at air shows across the country. I was so fortunate to grow up in Carlsbad, go to a great high school, have great friends, play sports, learn music. I often hear ‘I could never do what you do’ from people I meet. My answer to that is yes you can! You can do anything if you work hard and stay positive. This message is very important to me and the Blue Angels allow me to carry it from city to city to thousands of children. It allows me to give back a little, and I love it!" As for what Tomlinson will conquer next? "The next goal I have in life is to become a mother. I have a wonderful husband, also a Navy fighter pilot, and we want to start a family after my time with the Blue Angels." There is no doubt in my mind that she will also be the very best mother. MIA STEFANKO STS-125 mission specialist, astronaut Megan McArthur takes a break from training to pose for a photo in the Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS) Motion Based version, photography by NASA/James Blair No Space Cadet This spring, when the space shuttle Atlantis launches on its final repair mission to the aging Hubble Space Telescope, a former San Diegan will be among its seven-member astronaut crew. First-time flyer Megan McArthur received her PhD from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in 2002. McArthur, a NASA Mission Specialist 2 (also known as Shuttle Engineer), will sit behind the commander and pilot during ascent, ready to assist if anything goes wrong in the cockpit. During the on-orbit phase of the flight, she’ll operate the shuttle’s robotic arm, which she’ll use to position the spacewalkers doing the important repairs. The challenges of the mission are daunting: The Hubble orbits 350 miles above the earth, and the shuttle’s risk of suffering a hit from micrometeorites or debris is 1-in-185. But McArthur says fear is the last thing on her mind. "Scared isn’t the right word. I’m very excited. I think what you’d hear from most astronauts is that you just want to do your job well. You don’t want to let down the team. If you spend time thinking about anything, it’s that you don’t want to screw up." Though McArthur is well prepared for every possible scenario, the one thing she can’t predict is the emotional impact of traveling to space. "You are working so much — your days are so packed with stuff to do — that you really have to remind yourself to stop and say, ‘You know what, I’m going to look out the window for a couple of minutes and think about where I am.’ I’m looking forward to that." ANNAMARIA STEPHENS
		Christopher Rutgers Photography by Bob Stefanko Changing Lives Outdoors Christopher Rutgers calls himself "the original case study" for his organization, Outdoor Outreach, a local nonprofit that motivates at-risk and underprivileged kids through activities like backpacking, kayaking, rock climbing, snowboarding, and surfing. "I came from a really abusive background," he explains. "I was a mess as a kid. All the problems that we see in the kids we work with? I had them." When he was 18, Rutgers landed a job as a dishwasher at a ski resort in Utah. Awed by the alpine beauty around him, he learned to ski. He skied every day for half a year, in fact, and got really good at it. So good that he eventually became a competitive freestyle skier, touring the world and trying out a half-dozen other outdoor sports along the way. "What happened for me is that I found a passion," he says. "Something I loved to do more than anything. All day, every day, I enjoyed it. That was hugely healing for me. That, more than anything, is what we try to do for the kids — give them a place where they have joy in their lives." Rutgers started Outdoor Outreach a decade ago. He liked the idea of programs like Outward Bound, but knew that the youth he wanted to help — kids at homeless shelters, in foster care, and at inner-city schools — couldn’t afford fee-based adventures. "Ten years and 5,000 kids later, no kid has ever paid for any of our programs," he says. The organization’s core program is Outdoor Adventure Club. Rutgers’ team goes into inner-city schools and works with the staff to determine who is falling through the cracks. Those who join up help plan group activities (a trip to Joshua Tree, or an afternoon surf lesson) and do community service projects like beach cleanups and tree plantings. Outdoor Outreach also offers vocational training and enrichment activities. For the first time, these kids get outside and see how big the world is. They have fun. They gain confidence. And throughout the time they’re involved — Outdoor Outreach is for middle and high schoolers — they learn from positive, supportive role models, says Rutgers. "The kids that we’re working with, they’re all trapped in these negative cycles and patterns: drugs, gangs, poverty, abuse, neglect. Everything in their environment reinforces that. We’re trying to short circuit those cycles." Participants who stick with the club can eventually enroll in the leadership program, which trains them to become part-time instructors at Outdoor Outreach, where they can help the next group of kids. Outdoor Outreach, which has a small staff and some 100 volunteers, has produced incredible success stories. One example, a kid who formerly lived in a homeless shelter, graduated valedictorian of his high school and went on to attend UCSD on a Gates Millennial Scholarship. "People who are happy and successful have passion in their lives," says Rutgers. "If you’ve got that, everything else works out." (619/238-5790, www.outdooroutreach.org) ANNAMARIA STEPHENS Outdoor Outreach empowers at-risk and underprivileged youth to make positive, lasting changes in their lives through comprehensive outdoor programming. Presently, the organization’s biggest challenge is ensuring that all programs are sustainable and retain maximum impact.

		Anthony F. Smith Photography by bob Stefanko Anthony F. Smith When his father had a rough day on the job, Anthony F. Smith figured he could help. "I asked my Dad if I could go to work with him the next day and talk to the boss," he recalls. He was just six years old. While he never did have that talk, Smith had found a career. The successful management consultant has spent more than 20 years in corner offices, coaching top executives and learning what makes great leaders and companies. As co-founder and managing director of Leadership Research Institute in Rancho Santa Fe, Smith has counted ESPN, American Express, Walt Disney, the NFL, Goldman Sachs, and McKinsey & Co. among his clients. During a recent interview, Smith said the most effective leaders are born, almost of necessity. They start out with a vision, a mission, and realize they need to motivate people to reach their goals. "I doubt Bill Gates grew up saying, ‘I want to be a leader,’" Smith says. But the Microsoft founder had a passion for programming, recognized its potential, and knew he couldn’t do it alone. "So he started inspiring, or at least, articulating his vision," says Smith, "and that’s what ultimately brought others around. And before you know it, you’re a leader." Smith’s latest book, ESPN: The Company, the Story and Lessons Behind the Most Fanatical Brand in Sports, is due out later this year. The behind-the-scenes look at the 24-hour cable network coincides with ESPN’s 30th anniversary. Smith considers ESPN President George Bodenheimer "one of the most effective and capable leaders" he’s encountered, a humble yet charismatic man who rose from the mailroom to the executive suite of one of the most formidable brands in sports and entertainment. "He’s always in circulation, meeting senior leaders, managers and employees," writes Smith. "When he’s not physically connecting, he’s jotting notes, sending messages, checking in." Leaders like Bodenheimer, he writes, "make you feel special. They invigorate your sense of loyalty and make you want to contribute more." Smith is donating profits from the book to the V Foundation for cancer research and awareness, named in honor of the late basketball coach Jimmy Valvano. Smith’s 2007 book, The Ten Taboos of Leadership -The 10 Secrets No One Will Tell You About Leaders and What They Really Think, is worth a second read in light of the current financial crisis and fat bonuses for corporate executives. It gives a fascinating look inside the minds and rarified worlds of CEOs, who are used to power and perks, and believe they are worth every penny. For all their trappings of success, these corporate titans, Smith has learned, are all too human. They play politics and favorites. They spend more time at the office than at home. They have few people in which to confide. For corporate leaders, life is, indeed, lonely at the top, but then, writes Smith, they "wouldn’t have it any other way." ANDREA NAVERSEN

		Ruth and Sara Levy Photography by Bob Stefanko Formulaic Fashionistas Twins Ruth and Sara Levy, partners in Double Take Fashion Styling, have taken their style show on the road. The twins, first profiled in Ranch & Coast last September, recently appeared on the Rachael Ray show in New York. The Levys showed Ray their foolproof formula for dressing to help women hide figure flaws and play up natural assets. "The Fashion Code," as they call it, is based on a mathematical equation "used by everyone from da Vinci to Valentino," and works with any body type. The Levys insist the formula will make women "look ten pounds thinner, ten years younger, and ten times more stylish." The Rachel Ray show focused on Rancho Santa Fe moms Jori Potiker Brown, Barbara McClanahan, and Lisa Gillespie, who demonstrated in before and after shots how the code works for them. The Levy twins will show how their formula can "transform your existing wardrobe — and your shape — without costing a fortune" on Wednesday, May 20 at the Rancho Santa Fe Community Center. Tickets are $25 for members and $30 for non-members. (858/756-2461, www.thefashioncode.com) ANDREA NAVERSEN

		Photography by adams/hansen stock photos Take Time To Smell The Flowers A hillside covered in vivid blossoms heralds the arrival of spring in North County, and a recent ribbon cutting at The Flower Fields in Carlsbad made it official. This year, in addition to admiring nearly 50 acres of Giant Tecolote Ranunculi, families can try to find their way through a charming sweet pea maze and hop on a tractor for a ride around beds blooming in a rainbow of colors. The Flower Fields are open daily from 9am-6pm and also include a historic display of world famous Ecke poinsettias. Admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors, and $5 for children up to ten (two and under are free). (760/431-0352, www.theflowerfields.com) ELIZABETH HANSEN