CONNECTING DEEPER WITH RANCHO LOS CERRITOS
Article and photo by John Grossi
Finding connection… It’s at the heart of Rancho Los Cerritos’ draw. Visitors walking through its native gardens or touring the home—one of Southern California’s oldest—feel a connection. While they learn more about the origins of the region they call home, they may sense influences from the past still impacting life in today’s Southern California.
But how can one connect even deeper? If you’ve walked the grounds, taken a tour, and felt inspired by the connection and intrigued by the history, how do you—for lack of a better word—become a regular?
Becoming A Rancho Regular
This fall, Rancho Los Cerritos (RLC) is reminding locals that volunteering for the Rancho is what allows the casual visitor to become a regular. RLC volunteerism offers a variety of rewarding opportunities, all of which involve both keeping local history alive and adding to it. From tending the gardens, to giving tours, to working in the historical archives, anyone who feels a connection to the Rancho can find a match for their skillset, and a chance to connect more deeply with the living history of Long Beach.
There’s no better example of a person benefiting from that deeper connection than longtime RLC volunteer, Dr. Leslie Reese. For over 30 years, Reese and her husband have volunteered in a variety of capacities at RLC, all while raising a daughter and balancing demanding careers. Now, three decades after she decided to become a regular at the Rancho, she has written a book on it—something she never imagined she’d do—that she hopes will help more people of all backgrounds also find connection at RLC.
Both my husband and I started volunteering about the same time, and I think for the same reason. We each remember when we were in 4th grade in the Long Beach school system; we went to the Rancho as part of social studies, and we cherished that amazing experience of going back in time.” Continuing her reminiscence, Dr. Reese, a Professor Emerita at Cal State Long Beach, said, “The Rancho is a special place… you’re stepping into a different space and it’s a nice antidote to the pressures of modern life too.
Dr. Reese and her husband didn’t wait until they had more time, busy schedules notwithstanding. Their volunteerism at RLC felt like an enriching escape, not added stress, and they brought their daughter along with them—contributing where they could, when they could. Today, their grown daughter works for the Rancho as Education and Public Programs Manager; and she is just as dedicated to the space as her parents. Meanwhile, Dr. Leslie Reese has had the honor of turning an idea from one of her “Volunteer Committees” into a published book.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Rancho Los Cerritos:
People Who Shape The Land
Written by longtime Rancho Los Cerritos volunteer, Dr. Leslie Reese, this historical non-fiction work focuses on the many peoples who have made the Rancho their home (not just the owners) including the Indigenous people who lived on the land before the Rancho was founded; the women; and workers on the Rancho throughout different eras, highlighting the diversity the Rancho represents.
The book is a culmination of the modern effort to make sure MORE people of all backgrounds find their connection to Rancho Los Cerritos and the history it represents, not only in Long Beach, but in the greater Southern California region which it encompassed, and in the broader perspective of national history.
Are you ready to become a Rancho Los Cerritos regular? Email LauraW@RanchoLosCerritos.org to find out more!
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