Ecological by Design: Practicing “The Simple Act of Observation” with Restoration Technician Josh Zupan
Screenprint, 2019, by Josh Zupan Ecological by Design brings artistic expression and environmental stewardship into conversation, as we speak with artists in our community about how their relationship with nature and their creative practice inform one another. In this...
Living With Fire in Sonoma Valley: a Multi-Benefit Approach to Fire Resilience
March, 2026—Sonoma Ecology Center's Restoration Team, supported by volunteer stewards from the Good Fire Alliance, conduct pile burns as part of year-round fuels reduction work at Van Hoosear Wildflower Preserve. Photo by Conor Hagen.The Ledson Fire in July forced us...
Remembering Steve Carara, Guardian of Sonoma Garden Park
Photo by Kristen Russell Remembering Steve Carara, Guardian of Sonoma Garden Park By Tony Passantino I knew Steve Carara maybe not better than all, but longer than most people at Sonoma Ecology Center. I started my career at SEC 13 years ago, first as an educator...
Richard Dale Named Sonoma County Climate Crisis Champion: Looking Back on Four Decades of Building Common Ground in Sonoma Valley
Photo by Eddie Ramirez If you ask anyone about Richard Dale, Sonoma Ecology Center’s co-founder and executive director, recently named this year’s Sonoma County Climate Crisis Champion by Congressman Mike Thompson, a common thread emerges. Richard’s approach, much...
Join Our Team!
Photo by Eddie Ramirez Sonoma Ecology Center is hiring for two dynamic positions on our Community Engagement Team and Restoration Team. Know someone who'd be a great fit? Please share these opportunities with your network! Sonoma Ecology Center offers a supportive,...
Growing Climate And Community Resilience Through Native Plants
This blog article by Sonoma Ecology Center's GrizzlyCorps Fellow, Faith Shortridge, was originally published on grizzlycorps.org under the title 'Native Plants Are Our Friends' on April 7, 2026.A cart of California native plants for sale, arranged by Faith. If you...
Remembering Hannah Aclufi
It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of Hannah Ronit Aclufi's passing. Hannah was a beloved member of the Sonoma Ecology Center community, and her presence will always be felt at Sonoma Garden Park, where she managed the Sonoma Native Plant Nursery alongside...
Welcoming Spring at Sonoma Garden Park
Photo by Melania MahoneyThere is an Edenic feel to Sonoma Garden Park this time of year: fruit trees are a wash of vibrant pink and white blooms, birds are chattering, and there is a lush greenness in every direction. The landscape feels poised on the cusp of renewal,...
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park Spring Wildflower Report
Baby Blue Eyes (Nemophila menziesii), photo courtesy of Jim Webb. Wildflowers start to bloom along the trails at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park as early as January, hinting at the promise of spring! Now retired from the United States Forest Service (USFS), Jim Webb lends...
Planting the Seeds of Stewardship at Stoneman Elementary School—an Update on the Green Schoolyards Project
Evan Jones of CAL FIRE assists students of Stoneman Elementary School in blending soil, compost, and biochar to amend the tree and shrub plantings. Photo by Raymond Baltar.The Green Schoolyards Project continues to move from vision to reality, with visible progress...
City of Sonoma General Plan Update—Talking Points from Sonoma Ecology Center and Our Partners
Sonoma Valley residents have a chance to influence the City of Sonoma’s General Plan for the next 20 years, before the public comment period closes on February 18, 2026. The General Plan controls how land can be used, how streets and trails develop over time, how many...
Honoring a Legacy of Service at Nathanson Creek Preserve: Community Comes Together for MLK Day Event
Photo by Melania MahoneyOn a warm and bright Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a group of 17 volunteers and 6 Sonoma Ecology staff members came out for a day of service to help clean up Nathanson Creek. The crew worked hard throughout the day removing trash and clearing...
Meet Mickey Abate, Sonoma Ecology Center’s New Environmental Educator
Mickey Abate joined Sonoma Ecology Center as an Environmental Educator in October, 2025.Rooted in Sonoma Valley and shaped by a lifelong relationship with its ecology, Mickey Abate brings both local insight and reflective curiosity to her new role as Environmental...
Caring for Our Creeks Through Community-Based Stewardship
Photo by Austin NobleOn a crisp November Saturday, volunteers fanned out along several Sonoma Creek access points for a Watershed-Wide Creek Cleanup, answering a timely call to action as the first winter rains approached. With storms on the horizon and floodwaters...
Meet Josh Zupan, Sonoma Ecology Center’s New Restoration Technician
Josh Zupan joined Sonoma Ecology Center as a Restoration Technician in November, 2025. Sonoma Ecology Center is excited to welcome Restoration Technician Josh Zupan! Hailing from the Sierra Foothills by way of Nevada City, Josh brings both a strong field background...
Finding Your Footing in Environmentalism: SEC Board Member Ava Castro Reflects on Her Time as an EnviroLeader
Sonoma Ecology Center Board Member and EnviroLeaders Alumna Ava Castro. Photo courtesy of Daily Acts.For nearly two decades, the EnviroLeaders program—launched by Sonoma Ecology Center in 2008—has been a hands-on gateway for Sonoma Valley teens to explore...
Celebrating One Year of SEC’s Gear Lending Library, and the Youth Campouts it’s Made Possible
Photo by Christie ClarkThis November marked the one-year anniversary of Sonoma Ecology Center’s outdoor gear lending library at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park—a community resource we are deeply proud of. The library was created to expand environmental education and...
Reflecting on 2025 at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, Through the Lens of Sugarloaf’s Volunteer Community
Lynn Pelletier welcomes fellow Sugarloaf Volunteer Eric Beckman across the finish line at the Annual Headwaters to Headwaters Hike in April 2025. Photo courtesy of Austin Noble.As 2025 draws to a close, we want to highlight the vibrant community of volunteers that...
Meet Sonoma Ecology Center’s Senderos Naturales Program Assistant, Mario Coronado | Conoce al Asistente del Programa Senderos Naturales del Sonoma Ecology Center, Mario Coronado
Sonoma Ecology Center's new Senderos Naturales Program Assistant, Mario Coronado, at one of the program's bilingual family campouts. Photo by Alma Shaw. | El nuevo Asistente del Programa Senderos Naturales de Sonoma Ecology Center, Mario Coronado, en uno de los...
Serious New Threat to Sonoma’s Oak Trees
Photo by Alma ShawSonoma’s native oak trees, a defining feature of our landscape and cultural heritage, are in critical danger due to the rapid spread of the Mediterranean oak borer, a small invasive beetle. Please read the following update from Sonoma Ecology...
