Flowers gone wild at Sears Point

Over the last weekend in March, Baylands program manager John Brosnan led wildflower hikes for the public on Cougar Mountain at Sears Point — and the land cooperated. So many flowers blanketed the fields that it was like being in the land of Oz! Hiker Terrie Miller wrote on Facebook: “Thanks for a spectacular wildflower hike today at Sears Point Ranch!” Spring has sprung!

For a virtual wildflower hike, click here

Food for thought at Artisan Cheese Festival

This youngster, standing in front of the Land Trust’s booth, had a good time at the recent Artisan Cheese Festival in Petaluma — along with hundreds of other attendees. Former SLT land steward, Nathan Boone, now an organic farmer, spoke at the opening panel and reminded us that how we eat impacts the planet more than anything else we do. Cowgirl Creamery’s Sue Conley remarked on how cheesemakers are helping to keep local ranchers in business. And food consultant Clark Wolf emphasized that for 13,000 years, conventional produce was organic — and that produce now labeled conventional is really industrial. Thought-provoking, to be sure.

Making music … saving land
Free tickets for SLT members & friends

The Santa Rosa Concert Association, which has been bringing great artists to Sonoma County for 60 years, will honor the Sonoma Land Trust at its afternoon concert on April 26 at Wells Fargo Center for the Arts. Classical pianist Antonio Pompa-Baldi, a Van Cliburn award winner, will play selections from Hummel, Schumann, Debussy and Rachmaninoff. In honor of SLT, the association is offering 80 free tickets to SLT members and friends for this performance. If you would like to attend, send an email asap.

Learn more about the performance

New life springing from old

One of the old barns at Sears Point Ranch came down in March after several years of slow deterioration. In 2007, the barn started to lose its roof and tin sheeting began coming loose in high winds, threatening the safety of volunteers working at the adjacent native plant nursery. But some of the barn will have a new life in the Baylands Education Center, which will be constructed later this year. The old barn’s redwood boards will become the walls inside the new center.

Pitkin Marsh is for the birds

The wetlands at SLT’s Lower Pitkin Marsh preserve are widely known for their rare plant life, but the property offers excellent wildlife habitat — notably mature riparian woodland — and provides an important movement corridor for wildlife as well. Determining the best ways to manage the preserve requires that we gather information about all of its occupants, from algae to snakes to bobcats. Skilled volunteers in recent weeks began surveying for birds at the preserve. Among the initial sightings were a white-tailed kite harassing a red-tailed hawk, snipe, common yellowthroat and wood duck. The list of bird species known to use the preserve, already at 24, will grow now that SLT and our volunteers are paying attention.

April 2009

Visions of Jack London on top of the mountain

The spirit of Jack London pervaded Sonoma Mountain Ranch the day the SF Chronicle came to see this breathtaking property. It was clear and sunny and the views went on forever. Look for the article in an upcoming issue of the Chron.

See the ranch in springtime

Keep land conservation moving forward
April 30 is matching grant deadline

During this economic downturn, while there is little money available for land conservation projects, The Evelyn Tilden Mohrhardt Trust of the San Francisco Foundation has awarded us a $100,000 grant — but it must be matched, dollar for dollar, by April 30. The impact of every dollar we raise between now and April 30 will be doubled. We realize these are challenging times, but if you have the capacity to renew your membership early or make a special gift for 2009, now is the time. Thank you!

Meet SLT’s new board chair!

Occidental venture capitalist Mark Jacobsen has become the new chair of the Land Trust.

Learn more

Estero Americano makes the front page

Sunday’s Press Democrat prominently featured a story and video about the Estero Americano, a “hidden treasure,” with photos from SLT’s preserve and insights from Estero manager Shanti Wright.

Read and view them here

Got spring fever?

Enjoy the land! Our April–June workday schedule has just become available.

Join SLT’s Facebook Group

Facebook is the place to learn about important Land Trust happenings as they occur. If you’re a member of Facebook, please become a member of the SLT group on Facebook today!

  Check it out.

Didn’t receive our spring newsletter?

Read it here