The Children's Nature Institute's 20th Anniversary Celebration and Dinner Honoring Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Eli Stein and Dr. Ted Stein with a special tribute to CNI's 2005 Visionary Circle Linda Bodek Mercene Chegwidden Valerie Durbin Susan Garcia Janna Harris Lynne Hopkins Joyce Ireland Lisa Pompan DeAnn Rushall Linda Sanoff Terri Ann Sullivan Kathy Tardy Phyllis Truby

On October 23, 2005, CNI hosted a 20th Anniversary Celebration and Benefit Dinner at The Victorian at Heritage Square in Santa Monica. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was honored with the CNI Gold Leaf Award for his work on behalf of inner-city children living in Los Angeles. Dr. Ted Stein and Eli Stein, long-time CNI Volunteer Walk Leaders, were honored with CNI’s Crystal Leaf Award for introducing at-risk children to the wonders of nature.

“I know that most of the kids that [CNI] work[s] with…are on the school lunch program and are disproportionately poor. When I go to some of those neighborhoods and look in the eyes of those young people, you see talent in their eyes. You see hope in their eyes, especially the young children. Our ability to tap that talent, to nurture it and develop it, much as we do with our own children, is going to go a long way to making this a better place to live, not just for them, but for us as well.”

–Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa,
2005 Gold Leaf Award Recipient

“The Kids Leading Kids program allows young people like Eli to teach, sing, and play with [inner-city] kids. Now that we have been with CNI on countless walks and festivals, I know this program is a simple, yet brilliant idea. To watch the interaction between Eli and the other kids is magical. For this alone, I wish to thank the board of CNI.”

–Dr. Ted Stein, father of Eli Stein, 2005 Crystal Leaf Award Recipient

“I used to think that as a walk leader it was my responsibility to plan the activities along the hike. I’ve learned that it’s so different. Nature has its own plan. Nothing I could ever plan for inner-city children would touch them as much as what nature has on tap...One girl [on an Outreach Walk] maybe five or six, spent about ten minutes feeling the dirt, letting it sift through her hands and dropping it onto the ground. When it was over, she asked her teacher why they don’t have ‘more of this stuff’ at school.”

–Eli Stein, 2005 Crystal Leaf Award Recipient

In 2005, CNI instituted a special honor for those who have dedicated their time and energy to CNI, and in the process, left their indelible mark on the organization. The 2005 CNI Visionary Circle includes some of CNI’s most influential, dedicated, and inspiring volunteers from CNI’s twenty year history. These thirteen women were responsible for the creation and implementation of CNI’s programs that have served more than 250,000 young children, their parents, and teachers throughout Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. They served on the Board of Directors, led thousands of nature walks, created the Outreach Discovery Program for underprivileged children, organized fundraising events, recruited and trained volunteers, wrote trail songs and activities, and contributed their professional and personal expertise to all administrative and programmatic areas of CNI.

The Children's Nature Institute's mission is to educate young children through interactive experiences with nature, and to inspire a sense of respect and responsibility for the natural environment. With a small staff and the help of 300 volunteers every year, CNI has served more than 250,000 young children since 1985.

Proceeds from the Benefit Dinner will support CNI's Outreach Discovery Program.

Dinner Committee

Hank Borenstein
Patrick J. Bowen
Judy Burns Fishman
Lizette Castano
Cynthia Cleveland
Carol Fuchs
Judy Holston
Karla Wiseman Bright

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