New Accessible Ramp Installed at Sugarloaf’s Community Science Office
This Spring, we finished the installation of a new accessible ramp at the Community Science office at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, which our Senderos Naturales staff and volunteers use for their work. We were able to complete this ramp installation using a grant from the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF).
Advancing Environmental Education with Free UC CalNat Course for Local Teachers
In our mission to bring high quality environmental education to all students in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Ecology Center hosted a UC California Naturalist for Teachers (CalNat) course last Fall to support our Valley’s educators in their environmental education programs. Teachers are now sharing ways that they have been able to use the learnings from the course to improve their environmental instruction.
Propelling the biochar movement forward: A Conversation with SEC’s Biochar Program Manager, Raymond Baltar
Today, we sat down with Raymond Baltar, SEC’s Biochar Program Manager, to better understand how biochar is produced and used in our region and beyond, and what the potential is for more widespread biochar usage.
Hannah’s Garden Picks from the Spring Native Plant Sale
Hannah Aclufi, our Native Plant Nursery manager, is excited to share with you her top native plant picks for your garden this Spring. All of these species will be sold at our Spring Native Plant Sale.
Sugarloaf Volunteer’s iNaturalist Observation Featured in Academic Journal
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park has long been more than just a park. Managed by Sonoma Ecology Center, Sugarloaf is a community gathering space where nature enthusiasts, researchers, and citizen scientists can come together and learn about and contribute to our understanding of the natural world. Galen Freed-Wilhelm, a Sugarloaf volunteer and an avid participant of citizen science, made an observation of a new scorpion species on iNaturalist that was featured in a peer-reviewed, scientific journal called ZooKeys.
Partnership with Sonoma Botanical Garden for California Native Plant Demonstration Garden
Sonoma Botanical Garden (SBG), in partnership with Sonoma Ecology Center and Habitat Corridor Project, has proudly announced our dynamic, new collaboration to design and establish a leading-edge California native plant demonstration garden at SBG. The project aims to...
What Does the Land Transfer at Sonoma Developmental Center Mean? A Conversation with Caitlin Cornwall
Caitlin is a Senior Project Manager at Sonoma Ecology Center.This January, it became official that 650 acres of the Sonoma Developmental Center (SDC) has been transferred to California State Parks. For decades, Sonoma Ecology Center has advocated for a vision for the...
SEC Spearheads Seed Collection of the Kenwood Marsh Checkerbloom
As part of our mission to steward the biodiversity of Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Ecology Center, along with partners from California Department of Fish & Wildlife (CDFW), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and UC Berkeley Botanical Garden conducted a site visit...
Introducing Maria Mauricio: Our New Sugarloaf Volunteer Coordinator | Presentando a Maria Mauricio: Nuestra Nueva Coordinadora de Voluntarios en Sugarloaf
Maria with an invasive Red-eared Slider Pond Turtle, captured in a Turtle Trapping-Live Capture and Release Survey for Western Pond Turtle Conservation in Sacramento.Sugarloaf Ridge State Park is home to a network of more than 215 volunteers. These volunteers make...
SEC Conducts Tests to Evaluate the Emissions From Biochar Production in the Field
To further evaluate the environmental impact of creating biochar, Sonoma Ecology Center recently took part in a team that conducted emissions tests on three different methods of burning surplus forestry (waste) material: the conservation burn technique, a flame-cap...
Former Enviroleader Joins SEC’s Board of Directors
A three-time Enviroleader alumna of Sonoma Ecology Center, Ava Castro recently joined Sonoma Ecology Center’s Board of Directors. We sat down with Ava to hear her perspective on the role of regenerative thinking in environmental work, and what she hopes to bring to SEC as a new member of our Board of Directors.
SEC’s Education Program Manager to be Incoming Chair of Sonoma Environmental Education Collaborative (SEEC)
Tony Passantino, SEC’s Education Program Manager will be the Chair of Sonoma Environmental Education Collaborative’s (SEEC) steering committee starting in January 2024.
Understanding the Connection Between Surface Water, Groundwater, and the Environment with Caitlin Cornwall
Caitlin Cornwall is a Senior Project Manager at Sonoma Ecology Center. She also serves on the Sonoma Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency Advisory Committee. She is a proponent of managing a sustainable water supply by creating or recreating low flat places that slow the flow of surface water, so it can sink or seep into the ground and naturally recharge aquifers.
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...
Alma Shaw, Our Bilingual Program Coordinator Recognized by Los Cien | Alma Shaw, nuestra coordinadora de programas bilingüe reconocida por Los Cien
[Español abajo]Our Bilingual Program Coordinator, Alma Shaw, was selected as one of the top 5 nominees for the prestigious Puente y Ganas award by Los Cien Sonoma County. The Puente y Ganas Award honors and recognizes the service of Sonoma County individuals and...
Sonoma Ecology Center Volunteers Represent Three Nominees and Two Recipients of the 3rd Annual Heart of Sonoma County Awards
Two of Sonoma Ecology Center’s Volunteers, Faline Howard and Jonathan Ling (standing to the outermost right), with other recipients of the 3rd Annual Heart of Sonoma County Volunteer Awards.This past June, we were honored to attend the 3rd Annual Heart of Sonoma...
Meet Bob: Sonoma Ecology Center’s Design and Implementation Project Manager
Like many of our staff here at Sonoma Ecology Center, Bob Schneider nurtured his love for the natural world through many years and roles: think botany, animal tracking, permaculture, construction, and more. We sat down with Bob to learn more about how these...
SEC Expanded the Montini Trail Network through partnership with the City of Sonoma and American Conservation Experience | SEC expande la red de senderos en Montini a través de una colaboración con la Ciudad de Sonoma y American Conservation Experience
[Español abajo]Sonoma Ecology Center has been stewarding Montini Open Space Preserve, a hilly 98-acre property at Sonoma’s northern edge, for over 10 years as a part of our mission to steward Sonoma Valley's natural heritage. We recently expanded the network of the...