Kevin L. Nelson

Kevin would have been over the moon about the purchase of the Banning Ranch. If only he could have been here to share the victory.

He was a great man and I miss him.

I was so sad and shocked to learn that Kevin had passed away. I met him through the effort to save Banning Ranch from development. He was indeed very passionate about this endeavor. I remember him talking about growing up in Costa Mesa, and riding his bike as a kid in areas where it was all undeveloped. When I saw him at the 20th Anniversary dinner last November, I had no idea he was battling cancer. I do appreciate so much all of his efforts and work to help save Banning Ranch. My...

So very sad. Kevin's passion for saving Banning Ranch was infectious! He will be missed, and we will always remember his devotion to the cause of preserving Banning Ranch. My deepest sympathies to his family. Thank you for sharing Kevin with us.

Kevin was a great, passionate, and persistent supporter of the Banning Ranch cause. His photos were instrumental in the fight to save the land from development, and I know he was gratified to have lived long enough to attend the gala at which the $50 million pledge from Frank and Joann Randall was announced. We will surely miss his presence when the nature preserve is finally opened to the public. My sincere condolences go out to his family and the rest of his friends.

As a Founding Board Member of the Banning Ranch Conservancy, Kevin Nelson was a passionate supporter of the effort to Save Banning Ranch, indeed all open space, and a fierce opponent to those who believed differently. He was serious about his passion, but always quick with a joke of his own and laughed heartily at others' efforts to make one. His photographic documentation of Banning Ranch was a key element in saving Banning Ranch from massive development. He discovered an arroyo on the...

I knew Kevin through our mutual passion over Banning Ranch (maybe obsession is a better word). He was a founding board member of the Banning Ranch Conservancy. He and I were in our own world when it came to discussing the biology and natural features of Banning Ranch. When a new biology report or assessment was made available, I knew there would be one person (Kevin) who would have already reviewed it and be ready to talk for hours. Our conversations would focus on details so specific,...