Connected by Nature: Celebrating 50 Years of Sonoma Land Trust

Our 50th anniversary offered a moment to celebrate what we’ve achieved together, and to look ahead to all that remains within our reach.  

On Sunday, October 4, we spent the day in Sonoma Valley, where our story began in 1976. Gathering at Glen Oaks Ranch, families explored our history, music filled the air, and community members and public leaders recognized the lasting importance of protecting Sonoma County’s natural heritage. Both Sonoma County and the California state legislature recognized the milestone, with Supervisor Rebecca Hermosillo and Assemblymember Damon Connolly presenting resolutions on behalf of the county and state. 

The celebration carried into an evening of conversation, poetry, and shared visioning at Oak Hill Farm, one of our first conservation easements. U.S. Poet Laureate and Sonoma native Ada Limón read an original poem dedicated to Sonoma Land Trust, while Emmy Award-winning science communicator Alie Ward brought conservation leaders Caryl Hart, Melodie Grubbs, and Obi Kaufmann together to explore how our understanding of nature is changing, and how the decisions we make now will shape the landscapes and communities of the future. After a short video highlighting the major milestones of the last 50 years, Executive Director Eamon O’Byrne looked toward the next 50 years, when the work of protecting and restoring the places we love will matter more than ever. 

Our theme rang loud and clear: conservation is a shared, ongoing commitment. It takes people who speak up for the land, those who care for it, those who make its protection possible, and everyone who believes the people of today and the future deserve a healthy, thriving place to call home. Whether you’ve been part of Sonoma Land Trust’s story for decades or are just discovering this work, you have a place in what comes next. 

There is still so much to protect, restore, and reimagine. The next chapter is ours to shape together. Let’s keep caring for the land and waters that sustain us, so that 50 years from now, Sonoma County remains a place where nature thrives, and where our communities do, too. 

We’re deeply grateful to the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria for their generous Vision Sponsorship, to all sponsors of the day, and to the many people and partners whose time, care, and generosity helped make this milestone possible.