Blog — Sonoma Land Trust

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eNews

April 1, 2025

Sonoma in bloom: a springtime wildflower guide

Spring has arrived, and Sonoma County’s hills are bursting with color! Now is the perfect time to get outside and…

Joan Vilms holding plants with poppies nearby.

Advocacy

March 16, 2026

A golden moment for nature: Sonoma Land Trust turns 50

To celebrate our jubilee year, we’re kicking off our celebrations by chatting with one person who’s seen it from the start: Joan Vilms. Read on to hear her amazing story.

A mountain lion walking juxtaposed next to a truck driving on highway 12.

eNews

September 1, 2025

The Right of Passage: Restoring Wildlife Movement in Sonoma Valley

In Sonoma Valley, forested hills, meandering creeks, open grasslands, and oak woodlands stretch across the landscape. So does Highway 12….

Rendering of Petaluma River Community Park with people walking on the trails and paddle boarding on the water

eNews

March 1, 2024

Fostering inclusive community engagement

In the heart of Petaluma lies a new home for community, art, and nature: the Petaluma River Park. Spearheaded by…

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eNews

July 7, 2026

Natural Attractions—Exploring Creekside Park

Natural Attractions is your guide to exploring Sonoma County right now, with recommendations straight from Sonoma Land Trust experts. This issue, planned giving manager Camille Matson takes us to a hidden gem in West County where skateboards, swimming holes, and community gardens share the same stretch of creek—and the whole neighborhood shows up!

eNews

July 7, 2026

To build a state park

How does a California State Park get made? Sometimes with a real estate deal, sometimes with a decade of advocacy, and sometimes both. Find out how Sonoma Land Trust contributed to the iconic landscapes of Sonoma Coast State Park and Jack London State Historic Park.

eNews

July 7, 2026

Potential to restore a creek and so much more

This creek tributary holds a key to helping salmon return to the Russian River, and we’re excited to have a new opportunity that prioritizes it through a coordinated, intentional approach to freshwater health, we may repair a critical portion that could make the greatest impact. Could this historic coho run be reinvigorated? Find out more.

eNews

July 7, 2026

What’s real, true, and worth protecting

Jim Perry never planned to become a rancher—but when he married into the McCormick family, he fell in love with the land as much as his wife, Sandra. Years after her passing, he honored her legacy by helping protect the 654-acre McCormick Ranch forever, ensuring the place she called "real and true" will stay that way for generations to come.

eNews

July 7, 2026

You can’t talk about land without talking about water

We may be called a “land” trust, but our mission is to protect the lands and the waters of Sonoma County to secure healthy and thriving futures for all. Every acre of land we protect sits somewhere in a watershed. That means this work requires an understanding of how a watershed functions within a landscape, and with over a dozen distinct district watersheds within Sonoma County covering over 1,500 square miles, there’s a lot to know!

Collage of birds that live in Sonoma County.

eNews

June 9, 2026

Explore eBird: discover birds and contribute to science

Whether you're a lifelong birder or just starting to notice what's singing outside your window, free tools like Merlin and eBird make it easy to identify birds, log sightings, and contribute to real conservation science—no expertise required.

Black-headed grosbeak and California thrasher and Kate Freeman.

eNews

June 9, 2026

Natural Attractions—Exploring Riverfront Regional Park

Natural Attractions is your guide to exploring Sonoma County right now, with recommendations straight from Sonoma Land Trust experts. This month, birding expert and land acquisition program manager Kate Freeman, takes us to Riverfront Regional Park, a shady, bird-filled gem where brown creepers spiral up redwood trunks and California thrashers lurk in the coyote brush.

eNews

June 9, 2026

The Birds of the West 9th St Rookery

Four species of herons and egrets have taken over a Santa Rosa street median—and for the 14th year running, a dedicated crew of volunteers is there to make sure their chicks survive it. Hear from our friends at Madrone Audubon about what's happening on West 9th Street in Santa Rosa, and why it's one of the most remarkable wildlife spectacles in Sonoma County.

eNews

June 9, 2026

Chapter one of Sonoma Land trust’s history: A parks story

Together, Sugarloaf Ridge State Park and Hood Mountain Regional Park form one of the most significant protected landscapes in the North Bay—but the "SugarHood" beloved by locals didn't come together overnight. Here's the story of how Sonoma Land Trust helped close the gaps, one acquisition at a time.

eNews

June 9, 2026

Eyes on the sky with bill perry: Surveying birds is a lifestyle

Meet Bill Perry—retired scientist, avid cyclist, birder, and co-leader of the Sunday HawkWatch team at the Jenner Headlands, where he counts migrating raptors every fall. For Bill, every outing is a chance to survey the sky for feathered friends, and every season brings someone new.

Circular chart showing the seasons of fire by month.

eNews

May 12, 2026

How to prepare for El Niño this fire season

A powerful El Niño is building in the Pacific, and its effects will likely begin to influence California this month. We're breaking down what that means for fire season in Sonoma County—and sharing the steps you can take to protect your home, your family, and your community.

eNews

May 12, 2026

Quincey Tompkins Imhoff brings global vision home to Sonoma County

Growing up with one of conservation's great visionaries shaped her perspective, but for Quincey Tompkins Imhoff, the work is about more than scale. After decades of building her own path through international conservation, she's coming home to Sonoma County with everything she's learned—and a growing passion for building up the next generation of conservation superstars.