Sonoma Ecology Center

As Sugarloaf Ridge State Park recovers from wildfire, wildlife moves back in, including bears. This clip was recorded by one of our critter cams on Dec. 21.

Questions for Senator Bill Dodd about Covid, schools and vaccines? He will be holding a town hall Tuesday at 6pm.

60,840 birds of 171 species were counted in the 2020 Sonoma Valley Christmas Bird Count, organized by Eugene Hunn and, for the 15th year and 16th count, co-sponsored by Sonoma Ecology Center. Here are pictures of just a few of these species by our Community Science Coordinator, Dr. Dan Levitis.

New life is bursting out everywhere @sugarloafpark, and you can help Sonoma Ecology Center scientists document fire recovery (while helping yourself) by participating in our weekly Nature Challenge. Each week through @sugarloafpark, we have invited people to participate in an iNaturalist challenge. Here are pictures from the two winners, @giantsguy, for his photos of Valley, Leather, and Coast Live Oaks and dog person via iNaturalist for a picture of a new growth shooting o...ut of charred ground. There are a prizes for you both at the Sugarloaf Ridge State Park Visitor Center! This week’s challenge is to document three living fungi in burned portions of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park by Sunday, January 10th. Video tutorials to help you get started with iNaturalist are here: https://www.inaturalist.org/pages/video+tutorials It is free, easy (kids can do it), fun, educational, and really helpful.

Our critter cam has captured the first bear sighting at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park since the Glass Fire!

Good public transit is vitally important to our communities. Join the Sonoma County Transportation Authority this Thursday afternoon for a bilingual discussion on the future of transportation in Sonoma County.

Update from @sonoma_enviroambassadors: On Wednesday afternoons, we host Environmental Discovery Days in which everyone is invited to come and learn about Sonoma’s ecosystems and engage in fun activity stations! Sign ups are required, so visit https://sec.simpletix.com/e/59173 if you would like to attend. For October, these took place at Montini Open Space Preserve, but we will switch locales to Maxwell Farms Regional Park for the month of November.

Our Restoration team is partnering with Team Sugarloaf to work with the community along Adobe Canyon Road below homes and structures impacted by the recent Glass Fire. This is the initial effort of a long term fire recovery project to contain toxic runoff from entering the waterways in sensitive habitat. Just as when we launched the Watershed Protection Program after the 2017 fires, our work is to put in place materials to help keep soil in place and deter soil and toxic waste from entering storm drains, culverts and creeks. This is a vital first step in a larger coordinated regional effort.

Amazing fire footage from Sugarloaf.

Still a few spots for our interpretive walk stations set up at montini this afternoon! Starting times are 1:30 and 3:15. Come out and bring the little ones for a short afternoon hike to stretch out those zoooooom legs!

Reminder that our educators and teen EnviroAmbassadors will be at Montini tomorrow afternoon, ready to guide local kids on hikes and other fun outdoor activities! Sign up for our free Environmental Discovery Days, held on Wednesday afternoons, at https://sec.simpletix.com/e/59173.

How can people, land, water, and wildlife thrive in a fire-adapted landscape? For 30 years, Sonoma Ecology Center has worked with our community to enhance the ecological health of Sonoma Valley. We work to understand our local ecology and take action to keep people safer while supporting our environment. Directed by Conor Hagen. Filmed while smoke from the LNU Lightning Complex fire was impacting Sonoma Valley.

Last week, through a project made possible by Sonoma Water the Restoration team stabilized a 50 foot stretch on an erosive section of Nathanson Creek in preparation for the storm season. The team utilized bioengineer approaches with biodegradable Coco Coir fabric and Willow stakes to further secure the bank and revegetate the area. After the first rains, the team will plant Santa Barbara Sedge and other CA Natives into the slope to root into the bank and help to stabilize the slopes.

Please enjoy this fond look back at the Red Barn of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, which stood for over a century until the Glass Fire burned it down late last month. Photos by Diane Askew Photography.

Sugarloaf Ridge State Park needs our support. Right now, Sonoma Ecology Center’s Board of Directors will match your gift dollar for dollar. For the second time in three years, approximately 75% of the park has been impacted by wildfire. Sonoma Ecology Center and Team Sugarloaf needs your support to repair trails, bridges, steps, and safely reopen the park. We look forward to welcoming you back and sharing the many positive impacts of wildfire on the land, such as increased biodiversity and wildflowers.

In anticipation of the fires generating additional debris this upcoming storm season the restoration team clears jams in the tributaries of Sonoma Creek.