Cultivating Fire Resilience at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park: Photos Capture the First Prescribed Burn Since 1999
Photo by Austin Noble On June 16, 2025, staff from California State Parks in coordination with CAL FIRE’s Sonoma Lake-Napa Unit conducted a 14-acre prescribed burn at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park with support from members of the Sonoma Valley Wildlands Collaborative and...
Cultivating Fire-Wise Landscapes: SEC Partners with SRJC & La Luz to Empower Local Workforce
Photo by Austin NobleThis spring, Sonoma Ecology Center staff joined Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) and La Luz Center to lead a resilient landscaping course tailored to the development of ecological and fire informed approaches for landscape professionals. The...
Close to Home: By working together, we can alleviate climate change
Photo by Austin Noble This piece, written by former Sonoma Ecology Center Writer and Content Creator Stella Favaro, was originally published in the Press Democrat on June 2, 2025. Bay Area residents are more anxious than ever about climate change. Since Donald...
Sonoma Ecology Center Wraps Up Another Semester of Teen EnviroLeaders Program
EnviroLeaders Christian and Yomi consult with Sonoma Garden Park Assistant Manager Rebecca Kelly (left) on a weeding project.Since its inception in 2008, Sonoma Ecology Center's EnviroLeaders program has been instrumental in connecting driven, environmentally curious...
Sonoma Ecology Center Receives Grant from Impact100 Sonoma to Support Outdoor Gear Lending Library at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park
Sonoma Ecology Center (SEC) is proud to announce we have been awarded a $14,000 Impetus Grant from Impact100 Sonoma to support the permanent implementation of an important community resource: the Outdoor Gear Lending Library at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, which SEC...
55 Years For Earth Day, 35 Years for Sonoma Ecology Center
Photo by Marielle V Chua This article, written by Sonoma Ecology Center board member David Morell, was originally published in the Sonoma Sun on April 19, 2025. Never since its founding by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson and university activist Dennis Hayes on April...
Meet Rebecca Kelly, Assistant Garden Manager at Sonoma Garden Park
This fall, Sonoma Ecology Center welcomed Rebecca Kelly to the team as Assistant Garden Manager at Sonoma Garden Park. Originally from Miami, Florida, Rebecca grew up with a love of the outdoors that later transformed into a passion for working with the land. With her...
Gratitude From the Trails: A Recap of Headwaters to Headwaters 2025
Hikers gather at the Los Alamos Parking Lot at Hood Mountain Regional Park for the annual Headwaters to Headwaters Hike and Fundraiser on Saturday, April 12, 2025. Photo by Marielle V Chua.Sonoma Ecology Center's annual Headwaters to Headwaters Hike & Fundraiser...
Stewarding Sonoma County Through Art and Storytelling
On a sunny week in March at the Boys and Girls Club of Sonoma, Julia Megna watches her students put their paintbrushes to canvas, beginning a “mural-in-parts” to express their feelings and convey a message about climate change and the environment. Julia is an...
Introducing Bryn Miller, Environmental Planner and Project Manager
This previous October, Sonoma Ecology Center welcomed Environmental Planner and Project Manager, Bryn Miller. Having spent the last ten years living and working in California, Bryn brings a passion for the environment and background in field work and local government...
Looking Ahead: Headwaters to Headwaters 2025
This April, over one hundred community members will set out on the trail together for Sonoma Ecology Center’s annual Headwaters to Headwaters fundraiser hike. Over the course of the day, hikers wind through the northern half of Sonoma Valley and the Mayacamas...
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park – Wildflower Update, February 17, 2025
Spring is arriving early at Sugarloaf, and the trails are beginning to bloom. While we may not have a super bloom, there is always something new to discover. Delicate blossoms, vibrant petals, and hidden gems are waiting along the trails for those who venture out.
Most wildflowers can be found along the trails, where you must hike in to see them up close. This week’s report comes from the Brushy Peaks, Gray Pine, and Meadow Trails, brought to you by Jim Webb. Come explore and see what’s in bloom!
Sugarloaf Ridge State Park-Wildflower Update, February 13, 2025
Hoary manzanita (Arctostaphylos canescens), photo courtesy of Jim Webb.By James Webb About James (Jim) Webb: Jim began volunteering with Sugarloaf Ridge State Park last February 2023 as a trail patrol volunteer. His experience in previous work with USFS lends itself...
Introducing Emma Melendy, Educator
This January, Sonoma Ecology Center welcomed Emma Melendy to our Education Team. As a previous Enviroleader and SEC Environmental Ambassador, Emma brings her personal experiences with SEC’s educational programming to the team, as well as a passion for working with...
Meet SEC’s Content & Communications Specialists: Aila & Stella
This fall, Sonoma Ecology Center grew its Community Engagement Team with two new members—Aila Fassett, Communications & Events Specialist, and Stella Favaro, Writer and Content Creator. Both Aila and Stella come to SEC with strong communications backgrounds and a...
Sonoma Floods Again—an Eventful Week for our Watershed
A powerful storm flooded Sonoma this past Tuesday, February 4, 2025, following another atmospheric river event over the weekend. 2.75 inches of rain fell on Tuesday in Sonoma, adding to the prior evening’s rain for a storm total of 3.15 inches. The atmospheric river...
Remembering the Red Barn: A Legacy of Homesteading, History, and Renewal at Sugarloaf Ridge
September 2024 marked the four-year anniversary of the Glass Fire that destroyed the historic Red Barn at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park. Built over 100 years ago by the Hurd family, who homesteaded the area in 1914, the barn became a beloved landmark for hikers. Over time, the property changed hands, eventually becoming part of the state park in the 1960s. Professional photographer Diane Askew captured some of the last images of the barn before its destruction, preserving its memory. Diane’s photos now serve as a tribute to both the barn and her legacy following her passing in 2021.
Fungus Among Us February 6-9, 2025
By James Webb About James (Jim) Webb: Jim began volunteering with Sugarloaf Ridge State Park last February 2023 as a trail patrol volunteer. His experience in previous work with USFS lends itself to very detailed trail reports. His reports of “What’s...
Transforming Playgrounds Through The Green Schoolyards Project
In October 2023, Sonoma Ecology Center (SEC) received two planning grants from CAL FIRE to provide “greening” features and designs for 12 elementary schools in underserved communities, including four in Santa Rosa and eight in Pittsburg, located in the East Bay....
Digging Our Hands Into the Community Through Volunteer Work
Every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month, Sugarloaf Ridge State Park’s volunteer Trail Crew gathers to conduct park and trail maintenance together. Trail Crew is one of several volunteer opportunities available at Sugarloaf, which build community amongst volunteers...