Volunteers are almost always how hiking, biking, and horseback riding trails get built, and Lompoc is no exception. With the aim of developing six new public trails in the Lompoc Valley, the city Trails Committee (aka the Lompoc Hike and Bike Club) needs some help, especially from anyone with excavator experience. For our annual Volunteers Issue, Senior Staff Writer Caleb Wiseblood writes about the trails project and what needs to be done next, while Staff Writer Chloë Hodge from our sister paper, New Times, writes about Heroes on the Water, a volunteer organization dedicated to providing veterans with kayaking experiences.
—Camillia Lanham
Scoring vista points: All-volunteer group Lompoc Hike and Bike lays groundwork for new public trail network
By Caleb Wiseblood
Serving community: Heroes on the Water fosters healing and connection for veterans and first responders
By Cholë Hodge
This article appears in January 8 – January 15, 2026.
writes about Heroes on the Water, a volunteer organization dedicated to providing veterans with kayaking experiences.