Boomer Bye-Byes

By C.J. Hirschfield

It’s public: After 17 years at the helm of Children’s Fairyland, I will be stepping out of my ruby slippers, hanging up my big wings and finding out what other magical adventures await me beyond our beloved park. And I am not alone. Over just the past few months, four other executive directors of high-performing local nonprofits have announced their departures.

Get ready, because there will be a wave of Baby Boomer retirements from the nonprofit sector, representing a remarkable opportunity for younger—and more diverse—leaders to rise.

"Welcome to your staff meeting!" C.J. Hirschfield and team in a 2005 photo

The Rotary Nature Center Is Back!

By C.J. Hirschfield

“I spent many happy hours here when I was growing up, trying to find the queen bee at the Rotary Nature Center’s hive,” said Oakland’s own queen bee, Mayor Libby Schaaf. She was referring to the hive that fascinated generations of kids and adults at this treasured institution in Lakeside Park. The center was closed for two years, but it’s back now, along with many new exhibits and programs, as we learned at the grand reopening last Saturday.

Inside the reopened Rotary Nature Center

For the last year, I’ve been honored to be part of a core team working to restore, reimagine and reopen the center. On Saturday we joined civic officials and center supporters to welcome the community back in – with some fanfare – to see some of the  changes that have been made, and to celebrate the 66-year-old institution that has meant so much to so many Oakland kids and adults.

Making Fairyland More Accessible

By C.J. Hirschfield

Tory Rose Full will graduate from UC Berkeley this year with a double major in psychology and social welfare. But we think it’s her minor – “education and the developing child” — that led her to become Fairyland’s UC Berkeley Public Service Center intern.

When she arrived, she took on a project we’ve long wanted to implement: increasing Fairyland’s accessibility for guests with special needs. We want to create more opportunities for guests with special needs to connect to the park – not just by removing barriers but also by delivering active benefits. We’re delighted about the work she’s doing, and thought you might want to hear about it.

Tory Full in Fairyland's Chapel of Peace, a spot we've identified as a quiet space for kids with special needs