Outings & Events

Familias al Aire Libre en Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pools

Acompañe a Sonoma Land Trust y Ag+ OS para el paseo mensual llamado Familias al Aire Libre, los paseos son dirigidos en español, gratuitos, con actividades diseñados para toda la familia. Vamos a manejar juntos a Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pools done disfrutaremos de flores silvestres y de aves cuando caminemos por prados, bosques de robles para visitar piscinas vernales donde se encuentran flores en poco común.

La propiedad Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pools fue adquirida por Sonoma Land Trust en marzo de 2023. Como socio del proyecto, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space posee una servidumbre de conservación sobre la propiedad. Otros socios financiadores son Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, State Coastal Conservancy y California Natural Resources Agency. Esta protección de la tierra garantiza la salud permanente de las características naturales de la propiedad, incluyendo dos piscinas vernales, bosques de robles, praderas intactas y partes del arroyo Yulupa.

Nivel: Suave a Moderado

Este evento es gratuito, hecho posible gracias a los votantes del condado de Sonoma que financian el trabajo de Ag + Open Space con un impuesto de un cuarto de céntimo sobre ventas.

Join the Sonoma Land Trust and Ag+ OS for our monthly Familias al Aire Libre outing. They are led in Spanish with translations to English provided as needed, free of charge, and have activities curated for the whole family to enjoy. We will be carpooling to Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pools where we’ll enjoy wildflowers and bird songs as we walk through open meadows and oak woodlands to visit vernal pools.

The Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pools property was acquired by Sonoma Land Trust in March of 2023. As a partner in the project, Sonoma County Ag + Open Space holds a conservation easement on the property. Additional funding partners include the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the State Coastal Conservancy, and the California Natural Resources Agency. This land protection will ensure the ongoing health of the property’s natural features, including two rare vernal pools, mature oak woodlands, intact grasslands, and portions of Yulupa Creek.

Level: Gentle to Moderate

There is no charge for this event, which is made possible by the voters of Sonoma County who fund the work of Ag + Open Space with a quarter-cent sales tax.

Community in Nature: Forest Bathing

Take a break from work and join Sonoma Land Trust at the Prince Gateway Park for Mindful Mondays! We’ll be practicing the art of forest bathing—becoming aware of our senses and taking a mindful, gentle walk together. Regain your inner peace and calm while experiencing the nature surrounding Santa Rosa Creek in the heart of downtown.

Forest Bathing with Jenny Harrow-Keeler

A guided forest bathing session is a mindfulness-based practice that invites participants to slow down and connect deeply with nature. Led by a trained guide in nature, this practice involves a series of sensory invitations to engage sight, sound, touch, smell, and even taste. Participants are encouraged to move at a relaxed pace, savoring the details of their surroundings while practicing presence and mindfulness. The experience fosters a sense of connection not only with nature but also with others. Unlike a hike, forest bathing is not about reaching a destination but about immersing oneself in the healing atmosphere of the natural world.

The benefits of guided forest therapy are both profound and well-documented. Physically, it can lower stress hormones, reduce blood pressure, and boost immune function. Mentally and emotionally, the practice supports stress reduction, enhances mood, and promotes a sense of calm and clarity. Being guided ensures a structured experience that deepens these benefits, as the guide offers tailored invitations that help participants focus and tune into their senses. Whether in a group or alone, forest therapy creates an opportunity to recharge, reconnect, and nurture overall well-being in a way that feels restorative and accessible.

Jenny Harrow-Keeler is a certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide with a Master’s in Integrative Health Studies, where she wrote her thesis on the practice of forest bathing. She is the founder of EcoWisdom and the co-founder and executive director of the local non-profit Integrative Healers Action Network, supporting trauma-informed care for communities impacted by climate disasters. With over seven years of guiding forest therapy experiences, Jenny’s mission is to help people remember their innate relationship to the natural world, using it to foster healing, clarity, and resilience for both individual and collective healing.

Community in Nature: Sound Healing

Through the use of crystal sound bowls and other powerful instruments, enriched by the natural sounds of the environment, Amelia and Bob will guide you on a transformational journey, offering you a deeper connection to nature, the Earth, and community. As you settle into a safe and serene environment, you’ll be led through soothing sound frequencies that promote a deep sense of calm and tranquility. The sound vibrations from the crystal sound bowls move through the body and remove unwanted patterns, calm the nervous system, bring the body into coherence, and help us settle into a deep level of gratitude for all that we have and are.

Amelia and Bob have been using sound and guiding meditations as a way of transformation for more than a decade. Amelia and Bob have spent the past 20 years together, collecting tools to help ease and harmonize the awakening of others. Their years of experience with a variety of energy healing techniques—including shiatsu, breathwork, yoga, meditation, and mindful living—are what make their work with individuals and groups so powerful. The intention with this work is to empower others to discover the Joy, Happiness, and Abundance of well-being available to us all.

Language of the Land: Bringing the Salmon Home

Join Sonoma Land Trust for a presentation by Toz Soto, Fisheries Biologist for the Karuk Tribe, to learn about the 20-plus year history of the Karuk Tribe and others’ fight to remove the Klamath River dams. He will talk about the people who advocated for the dam removal, and some of the critical points that led up to the removal, including the environmental and economic factors that influenced the decision. In this presentation, he will also cover the mechanics of the removal and the effects, including impacts to fish and water quality. Toz Soto will present results from the Karuk Tribe’s water quality monitoring network during the draw-down and final coffer dam removal. He will also talk about salmon utilization after the dam removal and will show results from salmon migration and spawning surveys.

Spanish interpretation provided.

El lenguaje de la tierra: trayendo al salmón a su entorno natural

Acompaña a Sonoma Land Trust en la presentación de Toz Soto, biólogo de gestión pesquera de la tribu Karuk, para aprender sobre los más de 20 años de historia de la lucha de su tribu y otros grupos para desmontar las presas del río Klamath. Hablará de las personas que abogaron por la eliminación de las presas y de algunos de los momentos críticos que dieron lugar a su desmontaje, incluidos los factores medioambientales y económicos que influyeron en la decisión. En esta presentación, también hablará sobre la mecánica del desmontaje y los efectos, incluidos los impactos en los peces y la calidad del agua. Toz Soto presentará los resultados de la red de monitoreo de la calidad del agua de la tribu Karuk durante la reducción y el desmontaje final de la ataguía. También hablará sobre cómo los salmones utilizan el río tras el desmontaje de las presas y mostrará los resultados de los estudios de migración y desove del salmón.

Community in Nature: Forest Bathing

Forest Bathing with Jenny Harrow-Keeler

A guided forest bathing session is a mindfulness-based practice that invites participants to slow down and connect deeply with nature. Led by a trained guide in nature, this practice involves a series of sensory invitations to engage sight, sound, touch, smell, and even taste. Participants are encouraged to move at a relaxed pace, savoring the details of their surroundings while practicing presence and mindfulness. The experience fosters a sense of connection not only with nature but also with others. Unlike a hike, forest bathing is not about reaching a destination but about immersing oneself in the healing atmosphere of the natural world.

The benefits of guided forest therapy are both profound and well-documented. Physically, it can lower stress hormones, reduce blood pressure, and boost immune function. Mentally and emotionally, the practice supports stress reduction, enhances mood, and promotes a sense of calm and clarity. Being guided ensures a structured experience that deepens these benefits, as the guide offers tailored invitations that help participants focus and tune into their senses. Whether in a group or alone, forest therapy creates an opportunity to recharge, reconnect, and nurture overall well-being in a way that feels restorative and accessible.

Jenny Harrow-Keeler is a certified Nature & Forest Therapy Guide with a Master’s in Integrative Health Studies, where she wrote her thesis on the practice of forest bathing. She is the founder of EcoWisdom and the co-founder and executive director of the local non-profit Integrative Healers Action Network, supporting trauma-informed care for communities impacted by climate disasters. With over seven years of guiding forest therapy experiences, Jenny’s mission is to help people remember their innate relationship to the natural world, using it to foster healing, clarity, and resilience for both individual and collective healing.

What to Bring

• Comfortable walking shoes
• Layers of clothing
• A small backpack
• A water bottle
• A sun hat (if needed)
• A small blanket to sit on
• If you have mobility issues, please bring a small chair or let us know so we can provide one for you.

Community in Nature: Gentle Yoga

Community in Nature: Wellness Wednesdays at the future Southeast Greenway Park

Pre-registration required: space is limited

Join Sonoma Land Trust at the future Southeast Greenway park for a series of free Wellness Wednesday activities: yoga, sound healing, and forest bathing. Take time to relax outdoors in nature, utilizing guided techniques to let go of the stress and anxiety that disrupt our health and well-being. Regain a sense of balance and peace while enjoying the outdoors in community.

Gentle Yoga with Devorah Blum

In her fun, gentle class, Devorah teaches healthy ways to stretch, strengthen, and balance in the yoga poses. Devorah’s depth of understanding of the postures, along with her attentiveness, compassion, and sensitive guidance, allow her to inspire and nurture each student, specific to their abilities and limitations. Her soothing voice and use of restorative poses help students finish class feeling deeply relaxed.

Devorah began to study yoga in 1975, becoming a dedicated student of Iyengar Yoga at an early age. She studied with senior Iyengar teachers around the world, including BKS Iyengar and his family in India. Learn more about her yoga classes at http://www.yogastudioganesha.com/

What to Wear
It is important to wear comfortable clothes when practicing yoga. Although there is a variety of fancy yoga apparel to choose from on the market, you can also simply wear shorts and a t-shirt. You should have access to bare feet, so footless tights are more appropriate than ones with feet. It is nice to wear layers in case you get too warm or too cold. When you come to the session, please refrain from perfume, cologne, strongly scented lotions, or anything that has a lingering scent.

What to Bring
There is nothing you need to bring to your first session except an empty stomach and an open mind. We have yoga mats and other supplies for you to borrow. If you become a regular student or yoga practitioner, we recommend buying your own mat for your personal practice.

Beginning Birding at Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pools

Beginning Bird Walks with Teresa and Miles Tuffli  

Join Teresa and Miles Tuffli for a spring birding walk at Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pools! With spring comes an increase in noticeable bird activity as many birds are singing and pairing up for their breeding cycle. We’ll slowly meander through the lush oak woodlands, grasslands, wetlands, and riparian corridors of the property in order to take in the lovely bird life surrounding us.  
  
Don’t be shy if you’ve never birded before, that’s what we’re here for!  All experience levels are welcome and beginners are especially encouraged. We’ll have a limited number of binoculars to borrow.  

We’ll start with a tutorial on using binoculars and an introductory discussion about birding. As we explore the area, stopping frequently to enjoy the birds we encounter, we’ll discuss a variety of topics such as: techniques for locating birds, what sorts of details to notice when observing a bird, species identification, bird vocalizations, and bird behavior and habitats.  

Level: Gentle to Moderate  

There is no charge for this event, which is made possible by the voters of Sonoma County who fund the work of Ag + Open Space with a quarter-cent sales tax.    

Caminata de aves para principiantes con Teresa y Miles Tuffli  

Acompañe a Teresa y Miles Tuffli en un paseo de primavera para observar aves en Sonoma Mountain Vernal Pools. La primavera aumenta la actividad de las aves, ya que muchas cantan y se emparejan para su ciclo reproductivo. Recorreremos lentamente los lujosos bosques de robles, las praderas, los humedales y los corredores ribereños de la propiedad para observar la hermosa avifauna que nos rodea.  

No se apene si nunca ha observado aves, ¡para eso estamos aquí!  Todos los niveles de experiencia son bienvenidos y se anima especialmente a los principiantes. Tendremos un número limitado de prismáticos para prestar.  

Comenzaremos con un tutorial sobre el uso de prismáticos y una discusión introductoria sobre la observación de aves. Mientras exploramos la región, deteniéndonos con frecuencia para disfrutar de las aves que encontremos, hablaremos de diversos temas como: técnicas para localizar aves, en qué tipo de detalles fijarse al observar un ave, identificación de especies, vocalizaciones de las aves y comportamiento y hábitats de las aves.   

Nivel: Suave a Moderado  

Este evento es gratuito y es posible gracias a los votantes del condado de Sonoma, que financian el trabajo de Ag + Open Space con un impuesto sobre las ventas de un cuarto de céntimo. 

Community in Nature: Sound Healing

Sound Healing with Amelia Belle and Bob Rudorf

Through the use of crystal sound bowls and other powerful instruments, enriched by the natural sounds of the environment, Amelia and Bob will guide you on a transformational journey, offering you a deeper connection to nature, the Earth, and community. As you settle into a safe and serene environment, you’ll be led through soothing sound frequencies that promote a deep sense of calm and tranquility. The sound vibrations from the crystal sound bowls move through the body and remove unwanted patterns, calm the nervous system, bring the body into coherence, and help us settle into a deep level of gratitude for all that we have and are.

Amelia and Bob have been using sound and guiding meditations as a way of transformation for more than a decade. Amelia and Bob have spent the past 20 years together, collecting tools to help ease and harmonize the awakening of others. Their years of experience with a variety of energy healing techniques—including shiatsu, breathwork, yoga, meditation, and mindful living—are what make their work with individuals and groups so powerful. The intention with this work is to empower others to discover the Joy, Happiness, and Abundance of well-being available to us all.

Sonoma County Pride

Join us in celebrating the annual Pride Parade & Festival, a lively and joyous gathering that pays tribute to our local “Queeroes” and honors the extraordinary contributions, resilience, and achievements of Queer individuals in our community. This event is not only for members of the LGBTQ+ community but also welcomes allies and supporters from all walks of life.

After the parade, continue the celebration at our Love in the Square community festival. Explore Fourth Street and discover local vendors offering a wide range of clothing, gifts, and hand-crafted art. Learn about best practices for water conservation and recycling and visit non-profit organizations to learn about the valuable work they do for our community.

Child in the Wild

Child in the Wild is a multicultural family celebration in nature to raise awareness of and participation in the creation of the future Santa Rosa Southeast Greenway park. Enjoy over a dozen booths with nature activities, a bounce house, face painting, hula hoops, and more! There are performances by the Sonoma County Pomo Dancers, ZunZun, Grupo Folklórico Quetzalén, Redwood Empire Chinese Association Lion and Dragon Dancers, Jeffrey Bearheart & The Wild Ones, and Danza Xantotl. Join in this free family event!