VALLEY SUCCOTASH
Sonoma Ecology Center Victory Gardens are now yielding summer squash, peas, and beans in gardens throughout Sonoma Valley. We asked our friends at Valley Bar + Bottle to create a recipe using these ingredients.Indigenous farming traditions across America and Mexico...
Local Experts Give Fire-Smart Landscaping Advice in Upcoming Workshop
The Grove Street Fire Safe Council, a tax-exempt Sonoma Valley organization dedicated to mitigating wildfire risk, will co-sponsor an online workshop later this month on how to create landscapes that are beautiful, sustainable and fire-smart. The free workshop,...
Pollinator Week Brings Local Enthusiasts to Sonoma Garden Park
Did you know that last week, June 22-28, was Pollinator Week? As noted by scientists, naturalists and wildlife officials, pollinators—a diverse group of species including insects, birds and mammals—are responsible for pollinating three quarters of our flowering plants...
Sugarloaf Campground Reopens with New Guidelines
Campsites at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park are reopening on Monday, June 21, meaning all public resources at the park are available to the public again. That includes Sugarloaf’s parking lots, trails, restrooms, Visitor Center and Robert Ferguson Observatory. However,...
Another Look at the Van Hoosear Prescribed Burn (Video)
On Friday, May 22, Sonoma Ecology Center and its partners conducted a 35-acre prescribed burn at Van Hoosear Wildflower Preserve west of Sonoma. The burn was a success—and a glimpse at our possible future here in Sonoma Valley. As Restoration Program Manager Jason...
Counting Sheep at Montini
In order to reduce fuels at Montini Open Space Preserve, Sonoma Ecology Center has hired a grazing service to bring approximately 80 sheep to specially designated wildland-urban interface areas of the city-owned Preserve. Besides sustainably controlling flammable...
Saturday Morning Harvest Market Returns for Season
Our seasonal Harvest Market kicks off Saturday, June 13 at Sonoma Garden Park! We offer fresh-grown produce, eggs, honey, flowers and more for sale in the Straw Bale Barn. The market continues every Saturday morning from 9am to noon through the growing season. We grow...
Under the Surface of Sonoma Creek (Video)
From above, Sonoma Creek is quiet and serene. But below the surface it teems with life, as shown in video footage taken earlier this month by Sonoma Ecology Center Senior Scientist and Research Program Manager Steven Lee. The footage was taken as Steve and fellow...
The Bears Are Back—Let’s Make It a Happy Return
Recent black bear sightings around Sonoma Valley remind us of things we can do to live peacefully with this keystone species. The past couple weeks have come with numerous black bear sightings in Sonoma Valley, from Cavedale Road to the Keen Property to Jack London...
Prescribed Burn Leads to a Better Van Hoosear Wildflower Preserve
Use of controlled or “prescribed” burns is both an ancient art and a new science. Here in the North Bay, the practice was used for centuries before the arrival of Europeans. Today, it is an essential tool in promoting both fire resiliency and biodiversity. That’s why...