Poppy Hour: A Conversation with Charles Thomas

Outward Bound Adventures (OBA) is the oldest non-profit in the nation created and dedicated to providing outdoor education, conservation and environmental learning expeditions for primarily low income, urban and rural youth and their families who would not otherwise have the opportunity to experience time spent in wild places and open spaces.

Throughout Charles' life his work has revolved around OBA, where he worked seasonally and part-time for nearly 20 years, and worked full-time as Executive Director for 16 years. During that time he created several award-winning programs dedicated to enriching the lives of underserved urban populations, especially high-risk youth and their families, by introducing them to the therapeutic value of spending time in wild places and open spaces.

Currently, OBA is installing a California native plant garden at their Pasadena headquarters. Tune in to find out how this small grassroots club has grown to serve over 1,000 youth and their families per year, how they incorporate native plants and plant ID into their culturally relevant programming, and how the garden came to be!

Connect with OBA on Facebook, Instagram, or through their website!

Poppy Hour is our California native plant internet mashup. Part interviews, part garden tour, part happy hour, we explore the amazing diversity of people and ideas that connect to Southern California plants and landscapes. Join us!

All previous episodes are archived on our YouTube channel.

Thank you to an anonymous donor for making Poppy Hour Season 2 possible.