Candace Mumm’s community involvement began at a kitchen table a decade ago. She knew the power of kitchen tables. As a child in the early 1970s, she played with the children of Judy Patterson and Judy Wilkes, women who became known as “the two Judys” for their work preserving the history and the rural lifestyle on Spokane’s Five Mile Prairie. The two Judys did much of their organizing at their kitchen tables.

Last week, Mumm, along with friend Jeri Garwood, celebrated a civic victory. The Spokane Park Board gave the go-ahead for the purchase of 24 acres of land along Austin Ravine in Five Mile Prairie. The land will be protected under the Conservation Futures program, if Spokane County commissioners give their approval next month. Wildlife, birds and hikers share the ravine, which will remain ravine into perpetuity when added to Spokane County’s conservation properties. Mumm and Garwood nominated the land for inclusion in the program.

Civic involvement often starts close to home. Mumm and Garwood’s journey from the kitchen table to the preservation of 24 acres was taken small step by small step. The steps of their journey provide a map for others who hope to become involved in issues in their neighborhoods and communities. Their goal was the preservation of land, but their strategy translates to almost any neighborhood or community issue.

Here’s their advice to others:

• Know your neighborhood. The two women grew interested in preserving the ravine because they walked through Five Mile Prairie for exercise. They loved the open spaces. They also noticed that the area was being discovered by homeowners eager to live among the beauty. They appreciated the need for both development and open space. But they wanted to make sure some open space would remain always.

• Find mentors. Mumm and Garwood ran into the two Judys at a community potluck in the early 1990s. They told the two Judys about their goal to preserve some of the natural beauty of the prairie. The two Judys told them: “If you want to make a difference, find a way to put the land in some sort of trust or entity that will keep it open space or park space into perpetuity.” They took the advice to heart.

• Do your research. Mumm and Garwood realized the ravine area might qualify for preservation under the Conservation Futures program. They researched the criteria (now available at the Conservation Futures Web site www.spokanecounty.org/parks/conservation.asp). Then they made sure their proposal met the criteria. They researched the history of the area in the Northwest History Room in Spokane’s library downtown. The looked over maps in the county assessor’s office and also relied on documents kept by a Five Mile preservation group.

• Find allies. The two women contacted the Audubon Society and experts in fish and wildlife. They also contacted hikers who use the ravine and cross-country teams from area schools who used the land for practice.

• Don’t get discouraged. Mumm and Garwood nominated the property in 1997, but negotiations with landowners took many years. The two women didn’t give up hope. As Mumm said: “It was the right thing to do, and we figured if we didn’t do it, no one else would.”

They stepped forward and got it done. And provided others an important blueprint for civic involvement.