Since 1990, we’ve worked to increase appreciation and stewardship of Sonoma Valley’s natural heritage and create measurable benefits in areas of land, water, climate change and biodiversity. Supporting our work enables us to move us all towards a better future.
Who We Are
Sonoma Ecology Center works to address challenges related to water supply and quality, open space, rural character, biodiversity, energy, climate change, and a better quality of life for all residents.
Vision
We envision a future where people, land, water, and wildlife thrive.
Mission
Our mission is to work with our community to identify and lead actions that achieve and sustain ecological health in Sonoma Valley.
How can people, land, water, and wildlife thrive in a fire-adapted landscape?
Watch this video on how we keep people safer while supporting our environment.
Upcoming Events
Volunteers play a crucial role at keeping Sugarloaf Ridge State Park open and accessible to all! Help Sugarloaf with trail restoration work by coming to our every-other-Thursday Volunteer Trail Crew. Activities include bridge and step construction, installing signs, clearing, lifting, carrying, and hiking.
Bring gloves, hat, and water that you can carry hands-free (i.e. bring a backpack). Wear long pants, boots or sturdy shoes and sunscreen. Long sleeves are suggested as poison oak is present. We have tools and trained crew leaders with tasks for all. Minors must be accompanied by a responsible adult. We will provide tools, and if allowed, lunch.
If you are a current Sugarloaf volunteer, log onto Better Impact to sign up. Not a Sugarloaf volunteer yet? RSVP to sugarloafvolunteer@sonomaecologycenter.org no later than the Sunday prior to the work day to ensure we have lunch for you.
First-time volunteers are welcomed and encouraged to formally join our volunteer program if they’d like to support us more frequently. Start here to become a volunteer.
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Every 3rd Friday of the month from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm we welcome existing and new volunteers for a fun morning of work and community building at Sonoma Garden Park. Depending on the season activities include prepping fields, planting, harvesting, weeding, pruning trees and prepping produce for the seasonal Saturday Harvest market.
Join us for a fun opportunity to enjoy the bounty of each season, and to share and learn from other gardeners. Existing and new volunteers are encouraged to attend—no experience is necessary! Please be sure to bring your gardening gloves, hat, SPF and water. At noon you enjoy a light garden fresh lunch at our shady picnic area provided by Sonoma Ecology Center as a thank you to our wonderful volunteers!
Los voluntarios juegan un papel vital en el Garden Park. ¡Te invitamos a ensuciarte las manos cada tercer viernes de mes! Únete a nosotros de 9:00 am. a 12:00 pm y conoce a los voluntarios existentes y nuevos. Las actividades incluyen deshierbe, siembra, poda y cosecha. Después del trabajo, disfruta de un almuerzo ligero proporcionado por el Centro Ecológico de Sonoma.
Sonoma Garden Park está ubicado en 19996 7th St E, Sonoma, CA 95476 y es un proyecto del Sonoma Ecology Center.
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We are selling a variety of California native plants to the public every Friday from 12:00-3:00 pm to help local gardeners create and maintain drought-tolerant and pollinator-friendly gardens and landscapes. Simply drop into our Native Plant Nursery. For questions, email our Native Plant Nursery Manager at hannah@sonomaecologycenter.org.
Our weekly plant sales will be cancelled October 6, 13, and 20, and November 24, 2023.
Sign up for our emailing list to stay updated on future events: sonomaecologycenter.org/newsletters-sign-up.
Venderemos una variedad de plantas nativas Californianas al público cada viernes de 12:00 a 3:00 pm para ayudar a jardineros locales a crear y mantener jardines y paisajes resistentes a la sequía y amigables a polinizadores. Simplemente acude a nuestro vivero de plantas nativas (ubicado dentro de Sonoma Garden Park). Si tienes preguntas, manda un email a nuestra gerente del vivero de plantas nativas por hannah@sonomaecologycenter.org.
Nuestra venta de plantas semanal en octubre 6, 13, y 20 se ha cancelado para prepararnos para nuestra venta estacional el 21 de octubre.
Inscríbete a nuestro boletín de noticias electrónico para estar al tanto de nuestros eventos futuros: sonomaecologycenter.org/newsletters-sign-up.
Part of our Hiking for Fitness program, these free, moderate-to-strenuous group hikes are geared to keep you motivated through the cold season. Registration is required. Parking fees apply. Hikes are (usually) every second and fourth Saturday of the month.
12/9 – Vista to Bald Mountain Loop: 6 mi, 1520 ft elevation, meets @ White Barn lot
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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit our calendar.
Winter in Sugarloaf offers many different colors, shapes, textures, and lighting: great for practicing nature photography.
California Naturalist John Lynch leads this easy, slow, 3.5 mile hike from creekside to hillside and back through the meadow using our cameras as tools to engage in the aesthetic appreciation of nature and natural landscapes while also documenting flora and fauna through iNaturalist.
If you haven’t used iNaturalist, or haven’t made an observation for a while, this is your chance – just make sure to load the iNaturalist app on your phone before you arrive and have your battery fully charged. Wear appropriate clothing and footwear. Bring at least a quart of water, a snack, sun protection, and if preferred, a digital camera/tripod.
Tickets are $15 for the general public and half price for students, youth (12-17 year-olds), Sugarloaf members, or Sugarloaf volunteers. Children under 12 can attend for free. Meet at the main parking lot. Bring at least a quart of water, sun protection, wear appropriate clothing and footwear for slippery and rocky trails, and if desired, a snack. Heavy rain cancels; parking fees apply.
Ease of access: the Creekside Nature Trail is short, flat, composite trail. The connection from Creekside to Hillside trail is a single-track, slopped uphill. Hillside Trail is a gravel fire road with two prominent hills of around 250 ft of elevation. Hillside Trail turns into Meadow Trail after the Brushy Peaks junction. Meadow, although not ADA-compliant, is a mostly flat fire road passable by wheelchair and stroller.
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For more events at Sugarloaf, visit our calendar.
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Understanding the connection between surface water, groundwater, and the environment with Caitlin Cornwall
By Sonoma County Groundwater Sustainability Agency When Caitlin Cornwall walks along Sonoma Creek and observes the native plant habitat, listens to the birdsong in the air and watches the current rippling downstream, she knows that the health of the ecosystem depends...
Learn of our partnership with the Mishewal-Wappo tribe at Sugarloaf
Desi Harp, our Educator and Events Assistant at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, describes doing traditional Wappo ceremonies at Sugarloaf as "one of the most impactful things that I have done in my life."Sonoma Ecology Center recognizes that our work is done on the...
An Update On Sonoma Valley’s Water Supply from our Senior Scientist
It’s been an incredible year for water in California. The influx of rain has eased the prolonged megadrought. Yet, our state of water is more complex than abating the drought. As we head into another wet season this year, we spoke to Sonoma Ecology Center’s Senior...
Sonoma Ecology Center Awarded Two CAL FIRE Green Schoolyards Planning Grants To Lead Greening Designs for 12 Schools
We are delighted to announce that Sonoma Ecology Center was recently approved for two CAL FIRE Green Schoolyards planning grants to prepare designs for greening 12 elementary school campuses in the Bay Area. In collaboration with our partners, we will design plans to...