Robbie BOS

   Robbie Bos  and his wonderful wife Christie Walker moved to the Big Bear Valley in 2002. The Bos’ wedding ceremony  took place in their own front yard, with 140 family and friends all dressed in renaissance peasant attire.  Hiking, snow skiing, bowling, movies, and drinks and dinner in town became the norm life-style. 

As a graphic artist, Robbie kept a few choice clients from L A and Orange counties. Over the years, that experience helped with many local businesses in designing and printing program books, posters, brochures, rack cards, and logos. 

Robbie has worked at Snow Summit as a lifty and security, mostly to enjoy the benefits of free skiing with family and friends. To increase his experience and knowledge of first-aid and survival techniques, Robbie became a Sierra Club hike leader, as well as, he joined the Big Bear Sheriff Search & Rescue Team. Map  reading and compass, issues, learning local mountain areas and trails, medical-aid, native and medicinal plants, desert and winter survival, all became part of his experience and journey in life.

A thirteen-year committee member of the Award Winning Annual Xeriscape Garden Tour, Robbie has become aware of the valley’s native plants and the present  water conservation needs. Robbie started a Help-You-Landscape business,  specializing in helping homeowners landscape with native and drought tolerant plants, all at an affordable costs. Plants and landscape design have been major passions of his since grade school.

Robbie Bos has spent a few years in the conservation department at the City of Big Bear Lake Department of Water (DWP), further enforcing his conservation beliefs. He is quoted as saying, ‘Plumbing has allowed man to become the worst water-waster, ever’!  While working with the DWP, he secured a location for the Xeriscape Demonstration Gardens. Robbie designed the demo gardens, and with the DWP staff, and many plants donated by Hunter’s Nursery, the all landscaped and demo gardens, is now a native and drought tolerant plant highlight on Fox Farm Road, to the south of CVS Pharmacy. 

Having a vegetable garden at his home in Big Bear Lake, appropriately, he has inherited the title of Mountaintop Master Composter.  Thinking composting must be difficult at this altitude, Robbie found, it is not!  Same everywhere!  After a few presentations about growing food, it became obvious we needed a community garden. 

Another friend and friend Jean Sweet, Robbie, and many volunteers from the community repaired and resurrected the beds, with start-up money from The Lighthouse Project.

With the school well along on it’s growing season, Robbie pulled away to concentrate on the community gardens for the citizens of Big Bear Valley. With cooperation and help from the City of Big Bear Lake, Big Bear Parks and Recreation Department, The Lighthouse Project, Butcher’s Block, and a committee of dedicated people, a Community Garden on Fox Farm Road was created. Since then, additional gardens have been established in the valley. Currently Big Bear Parks and Recreation Department and the Big Bear Valley Community Gardens Project are working on a five acre site in Erwin Lake, called The Ranch Community Gardens. The dream is growing!

Robbie and Christie purchased a few acres in Baldwin Lake, designed and built an eco friendly home on what they call Pinyon Hill. Their all electric home is powered by an egg beater wind turbine and an array of solar panels. These days Robbie is landscaping his property, growing a family owned and operated booming business, and enjoying playing guitar with friends at open mic nights in town. Plus you can catch him playing in the dirt at any of the community garden locations in our valley. Robbie encourages you, ‘Come out and be a part of the vegetable garden growing experience!’