John Gallagher was born in Oakland, California in 1949. He grew up in the Bay Area where he has early memories of spending time outside in Tilden Park and camping on Mount Diablo with the Boy Scouts. He attended Merritt College, Cal State Hayward, and UC Berkeley before getting his bachelor's degree in animal science while living in Colorado. He earned a master's degree in physiology and doctorate degree in veterinary in medicine in 1980. He moved back to the Bay Area in 1980 with his wife and son and opened his own veterinary clinic in 1983. He was introduced to Save Mount Diablo in 2000 and later became involved with the land committee, and later, the stewardship committee. In this interview, Gallagher discusses his early life, growing up in the Bay Area, his family, education, early introduction to Save Mount Diablo through Seth Adams, joining the land committee, transitioning to the stewardship committee, involvement with the beacon, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of land acquisition by Save Mount Diablo, as well as volunteer work, and his gratitude for previousgenerations of conservationists.