As Earth Day approaches the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy April 18 continues its series of Earth Day celebrations, featuring a series of engaging events that inspire environmental stewardship, community connection, and outdoor accessibility for all.
Festivities will feature remarks from a special guest speaker, Austin Nicassio, director and founder of Accessible Off-Road or AOR. Nicassio will speak at all the Wild & Scenic Film Festival Tour screenings about his mission to break down barriers to outdoor access for people with mobility disabilities.
RLN spoke to Nicassio ahead of the festival about AOR. In 2022 Nicassio became disabled from a mild case of COVID-19. He suffered brain damage, it caused issues in his ability and cognition and he had to take a year off from his job as an engineer.
Since then, through a combination of Eastern and Western medicine and some of the best doctors in the world, he reached the point where his cognition is doing much better but to this day, the outdoor enthusiast still has mobility struggles. He is an ambulatory wheelchair user, meaning he can walk short distances but for anything longer his body gives out.
“Pre-disability, my wife and I would always go to state parks [and] national parks,” said Nicassio. “We’d hike, I’d surf, I’d mountain bike. Losing the ability to do that was horrible for my mental health. I didn’t realize how much I relied on outdoor access to be sane. It was part of my routine [that] I took it for granted. When I lost access to it, it was hard enough dealing with a new disability that changed my life but not having the outlet of outdoor access to help heal was horrible.”
Nicassio began seeking out devices to assist him. He discovered “truck chairs” which look like tanks because they have seat tracks and he managed to gather the money to purchase one.
“It was absolutely life changing for me,” he said. “That was the origin for Accessible Off Road. I am blessed [to] afford one of these but the vast majority of people cannot and of course, they’re not covered by insurance. I started Accessible Off Road to make these devices accessible to everyone with a disability.”
His efforts have been successful. When he decided to make these devices available he knew the best way to do it was to partner with the government.
“The government has the best land, the best parks, and trails in Southern California,” he said. “I reached out to the LA County Parks and Rec and California State Parks, the two largest organizations. It took a lot of educating, pitching, live demos, me bringing my chair, and trying to convince them that they need these chairs in their parks. And that I was going to do the fundraising to pay for them.”
With all the fundraising and education Nicassio said it’s been going good, “slow and steady, as you can imagine, working with the government and getting them to accept these devices. The demand is growing very fast.”
California Department of Healthcare Services reports one in four adults in California have a disability. Nicassio said over two million people have mobility disabilities in the state and there aren’t many ways for them to get outdoors unless they have these chairs. Nicassio is working with California State Parks, in multiple jurisdictions and the organization is setting up pilot programs with both California State Parks And LA County Parks. In addition, Accessible Off Road helped the City of Burbank launch a program two months ago where the city has two chairs, free to rent, at a nature center in Burbank.
“I underestimated what it would be like working with the government but the support from the community, from the press, from friends and family members has been incredible, and the people are really excited.
“The support is what keeps me going to make this happen. We’re always fundraising and right now, we’re fundraising $45,000 for the next two chairs, most likely to be placed at one California State Park and one LA County Park. If people have it in their hearts to donate they can donate on our website.”
Back to Earth Day Events
On April 18 community members are invited to roll up their sleeves for the Earth Day volunteer outdoor day from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at White Point Nature Preserve (1600 W. Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro). Participants will help beautify public open spaces and restore native habitats through activities such as planting, weeding, native seed preparation, and watering gardens. Families can also enjoy children’s activities at the nature center. Volunteers can enter a free raffle for exciting prizes. Sign up for the outdoor volunteer day at: pvplc.org/calendar
Film
The film festival has a second presentation on April 25 at 4 p.m. at the Olguin Auditorium in San Pedro, presented in partnership with the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. The engaging two-hour program features nine films to entertain, inspire, and motivate audiences of all ages. Guests are encouraged to stay afterward and explore the newly reopened aquarium.
The final event takes place on April 26 at 12 p.m. at the Olguin Auditorium in San Pedro, also presented with the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. Following the screening, attendees can enjoy the Arts Open San Pedro Festival from 2 to 7 p.m., featuring live music, food trucks, and more.
“We are incredibly excited to bring these events to the community this Earth Day,” said Adrienne Mohan, executive director of the Palos Verdes Peninsula Land Conservancy. “Our goal is to foster a deeper connection between people and nature, whether through inspiring films, hands-on volunteer opportunities, or providing access to outdoor spaces. These celebrations are a reminder that protecting our environment is a shared responsibility, and everyone has a part to play.”
Another highlight of this year’s Earth Day celebration is a silent online auction, open now and running through April 28. The auction features exclusive vacation homes, unique adventures, works of art, and more, with all proceeds benefiting the care, habitat restoration, and educational programs at the 102-acre White Point Nature Preserve.
Mark your calendars and get ready to shop for a cause. Start bidding and make a difference at:biddingowl.com/PalosVerdesPeninsula
Wild & Scenic Film Film Festival Tour
The Moon Had a Shadow (6 mins)
A Little Story About Forever (10 mins)
The Marks We Leave (6 mins)
Bears in Hot Tubs (17 mins)
Thank You Bees (13 mins)
The Leap Beneath (4 mins)
The Rewilders (38 mins)
Time: Various, April 12 to 26
Cost: $20 (or $25 at door)
Details: Tickets, pvplc.org/earthday