The People of the Land Trust: Jon Marks

The Land Trust is excited to unveil our new interactive map highlighting conservation properties and trails. Designing the map was  a complicated process, and wouldn’t have been possible without the volunteer work of Jon Marks.

Jon out enjoying Land Trust lands.

Growing up on the slopes of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County and playing in the redwood and oak forests of northern California, Jon’s interest in the outdoors is easy to explain, but his technical expertise that built the new interactive map came in a more circuitous route.

With a degree in journalism and a career in construction in San Francisco, Jon pivoted to IT in the early 2000s.

“I was never technically talented, but I was unafraid of technology, loved to learn, and greatly admired the engineers around me,” Jon said. 

Jon’s connection to the Truckee area started early, skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer with his parents. They fell in love with the Martis Valley, eventually buying a vacation home with another family.

“Martis Valley to me is a small piece of paradise,” Jon said. “With the forests, meadows, streams, and wildlife all under the dramatic Sierra ridges. And then you have the skiing, hiking, biking, fishing, and watersports all at your fingertips. To me there is nothing like it, and I knew from when I was a young man that one day, I’d make Truckee my home.” 

Jon and his wife Romi made the full-time move to Truckee in 2020. It was also in the Martis Valley that Jon first came to learn about the Truckee Donner Land Trust through the acquisition of Waddle Ranch.

“That acquisition was really personal for me. Just to know that another piece of this amazing valley would be preserved was a great feeling,” Jon said. “From that moment I was looking for any way I could help contribute to the Land Trust’s mission.”

Since then, Jon and Romi have spent time at many of the Land Trust’s projects, from Webber Lake to Royal Gorge, to Lower Carpenter Valley and beyond.

“We have an opportunity to conserve these natural systems and amazing beauty for future generations to enjoy, and the Land Trust is a big part of this effort.” Jon said. “Every contribution to the Land Trust, whether in time or money, or just sharing their story, becomes a contribution to preserving these mountains.”

The Land Trust is grateful to Jon for his volunteer effort on our map, and for Jon and Romi’s ongoing support. To find out how you can join them in helping the Land Trust, click here.