Restoration and Trail Art in Sonoma County

Another business trip involving restoration, but this is a really neat one. As part of the Western Section of the Wildlife Society 2015 annual meeting for wildlife professionals like myself, Point Blue Conservation Science's STRAW Program offered a field trip for conference participants to spend a morning helping restore floodplain and riparian habitat on private ranch land in Sonoma County, California. The STRAW Program (Students and Teachers Restoring a Wetland) involves conservation scientists and landowners working with teachers, parents, and students (generally K-8) to give school kids and local communities an opportunity to learn about and participate in habitat restoration.

On this particular project, the STRAW program teamed up with the Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District and Prunuske Chatam, Inc. to revegetate the banks of lower Green Valley Creek, a tributary of the Russian River. The restoration project will provide winter habitat for sensitive fish species such as the federally threatened Chinook salmon, endangered Coho salmon, and threatened steelhead trout. The restoration will stabilize the banks with vegetation and create floodplain habitat and low-flow areas for the fish to take refuge from high, fast flows during peak flooding events. The floodplain restoration will provide an environment that increases bugs and insects for the fish to feed on while they hang out there. Over time, the planted trees will mature into a riparian forest that supports terrestrial wildlife as well.

Early on the morning of January 27 we were taken to the Thomas Creek Ranch near the small community of Forestville, off of Highway 116 west of Santa Rosa, California.

The Thomas Creek Ranch is a coalition of landowners, ranchers, and farmers that collaborate with conservation groups to improve the ecological value of their property. The day was special because it wasn't just us professionals and college students showing up to do the work, but also a couple of bus loads of 8th graders full of energy and enthusiasm. STRAW staff explained the reason we were there, gave us some safety tips, and showed us how it's done. Then we set out in groups planting trees and grasses and building up the landscape.

Tree planting demonstration

Students at work

Planted trees on the bank

Green Valley Creek and tributary

After a morning of working we were given a catered lunch of sandwiches and after wrapping up, taken back to Santa Rosa. I won't bore my readers with details of the conference, besides being upgraded to a king-size room with a jet tub at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek Hotel and Spa to relax in solitude after long busy days. I will point out a couple of highlights in downtown Santa Rosa, though. One is the Prince Memorial Greenway, otherwise known as the Civic Artwalk. I started from behind the Hyatt on Railroad Avenue and walked along the Santa Rosa Creek trail, which connects downtown and the greenway and meets up with the Joe Rodota trail to Sebastopol. Some day I want to take that 8-mile bike trail, but for this evening stroll I needed just a little exercise and serenity. Besides the nice scenic views of the creek,

mallard on the rocks

I enjoyed the work of talented artists who turned walls and concrete bridge pylons and foundations into canvases. The trail was like a free outdoor art museum, with gorgeous murals, paintings, and colorful collages.

dragon wall

The other Santa Rosa highlight was lunch at the Russian River Brewing Company. I didn't get a chance to sample the artisan beers (I was driving after that unfortunately), but locals say there is one brew that is served nowhere else and only on one particular weekend--so rare that people line up around the block just to get inside and get a pint. And then people are kicked out after a few hours to make room for the next eager folks waiting to get into the door. Now those are die-hard beer lovers. I might not go that far. But perhaps on the day I return to take the 8-mile trail, I'll top that trip off with some crafty brews. And that's just a few things the great town of Santa Rosa has to offer.