Sonoma Ecology Center Land Services
Our Restoration Team employs best management practices to protect habitat, water quality, and biodiversity. We assist owners with lands of all sizes. To schedule a consultation, please fill out the Land Service Request Intake Form and email pictures of your property to restoration@sonomaecologycenter.org. You can also contact us at (707) 996-0712 ext:116 to learn more or schedule a consultation.
Video by Conor Hagen
“Sonoma Ecology Center brings a host of services and resources that can help people, the public, in managing their landscapes and providing perhaps protections for the community at large. I thank the Sonoma Ecology Center for maintaining the beautiful Valley that we live in.”
—Ted Bucklin, Family Member, Van Hoosear Wildflower Preserve
LAND SERVICES
Fire Resilience
- Ecologically informed fire fuels treatment and responsible biomass disposal
- Fire-ready, wildlife-friendly landscapes in the 100-foot defensible space
- Post-fire erosion control
Invasive Plant Control
- Invasive species management using manual removal and integrated pest management approach
- Prescribed fire management
Erosion Control and Stream Work
- Erosion control: regrading, wattle installation, coco coir, jute net biodegradable fabrics
- Streambank and streambed stabilization and restoration
- Permitting
- Any of these treatments can be paired with native species planting
Native Plant Propagation
- Native nursery with 60,000 plant capacity growing 80+ native species
- Registered with CDFA Nursery Stock Registration and Certification Program
- Plant sizes from 4”-6” plugs, tree bands, D40, D60, 1 gallon, tree pots, to 5 gallon pots
- Watershed-specific propagule collection
Revegetation and Ecological Restoration in a wide variety of ecological communities
- Biological site assessments
- Site planning, design, and permitting
- Site preparation
- Planting and plant protection
- Irrigation design and installation
- Project maintenance and monitoring
Service Costs
- $2000-$4000 per day for 4-5 person crew, depending on slope, complexity, access, etc
- Contact us for custom project costs
Please reach out to us at restoration@sonomaecologycenter.org or (707) 996-0712.
Wildfire Risks Along North Bay Creeks
Creeks in some settings act as barriers to wildfires, with flowing water, moist soils, and shady groves of trees. However, riparian (creekside) vegetation can also provide an avenue for rapid spread of fires owing to dense vegetation, infestations of invasive flammable shrubs and trees, and accumulations of dead wood resulting from years of drought and disease.Map of recent wildfires in the Sonoma Valley area.In the Sonoma Valley and surrounding areas, large wildfires swept over mountains and through forests, vineyards, and neighborhoods in 2017 and 2020. The fires swept across and along riparian corridors. Even streams as large as the Napa River and Sonoma Creek were ineffective in slowing the wind-driven fires. In cultivated and residential areas, the thick vegetation along streams provides routes for fires to spread. Riparian corridors following wildfires have reduced canopy cover, less shade, higher water temperatures, and large concentrations of dead and down and dead standing...