Sonoma State University

Copeland CreekWorks

A Demonstration Site for Collaborative Action in California Urban Watersheds 

Copeland Creek student on log

Copeland CreekWorks reimagines the role of higher education in addressing real-world environmental challenges. Led by CEI in partnership with regional collaborators, the initiative transforms the Copeland Creek watershed into a shared platform for students, faculty, and community members to co-design and implement solutions to pressing ecological and public health issues.

More than a restoration project, CreekWorks serves as a replicable model for place-based, interdisciplinary collaboration. By focusing on measurable outcomes and documenting both process and impact, the initiative demonstrates how sustained academic–community partnerships can generate meaningful, lasting change—on campus, in the watershed, and in communities beyond.

Why Copeland Creek?

At just 2.9 square miles, the Copeland Creek watershed is a powerful microcosm of regional environmental issues—from erosion and habitat loss to flood risk and water quality. As it flows from Sonoma Mountain through the SSU campus and across urban landscapes into the Laguna de Santa Rosa, it offers opportunities for developing and implementing new solutions to address climate resilience, biodiversity, and community well-being.

While the initiative addresses challenges throughout the watershed, a 15-acre area on the SSU campus - the Campus Corridor - serves as an integrated learning laboratory where students and faculty members can conduct studies and pilot projects in ecological restoration, environmental monitoring, community resilience, public education, and regenerative land practices. The Campus Corridor includes:

  • 0.6 miles of riparian habitat along Copeland Creek
  • The Kenneth Stocking Native Plant Garden, featuring over 15 native plant communities
  • The Agroecology Garden, a long-standing site for food justice and sustainable agriculture

The initiative integrates academic inquiry with community knowledge, offering a replicable model for how universities and communities can co-create solutions that benefit people and ecosystems alike.

Building the Initiative Together

The Copeland CreekWorks initiative is shaped through collaborative workshops and projects. These events bring together participants, including SSU faculty, staff and students, tribal leaders, agency staff, nonprofit partners, and local officials. 

May 2024 Workshop I: Participants explored the idea of designating the 15-acre campus corridor as an outdoor classroom and catalyst for broader watershed collaboration. Three core focus areas emerged: sustainable water management, riparian biodiversity and ecosystem function, nature-based communities—from self-care to civic action.


February 2025 Workshop II: Building on the shared vision, participants joined breakout groups focused on groundwater, biodiversity, agroecology, civic engagement, and community health. Dozens of project ideas emerged, spanning curriculum integration, tribal partnerships, public engagement, and ecological infrastructure.

CreekWorks Projects

CreekWorks strengthens academic-community partnerships addressing environmental and social challenges in the watershed. Some projects are already underway; others emerge from ideas shared during the Copeland Creek workshops. Each project is part of a growing network of collaborative action, building on the leadership of individuals, organizations, and campus partners. At each link below, you will find:

  • Project description
  • Existing efforts in the watershed
  • Potential partners and collaborators
  • Opportunities for academic engagement 
  • Potential funding sources to support implementation and growth

Please contact us to get involved—whether through research, teaching, volunteering, or partnership.

Water Projects
  • Copeland Creek Detention Basin Project: This proposed multi-benefit project would create an off-channel basin to reduce flooding, recharge groundwater, and restore steelhead trout habitat, while improving access with a trail linking Rohnert Park to Crane Creek Regional Park. It is currently being advanced by local partners and agencies committed to ecological restoration and community safety.
  • Copeland Creek Watershed Climate Sensor Network: This proposed project will install an integrated network of sensors to track key elements of the water cycle, supporting real-time data collection, climate resilience planning, and experiential learning. Initial components, including a climate station network, are currently in early development. 
Biodiversity Projects
  • Regenerative SSU Campus:This initiative reimagines the SSU campus as a model for climate-resilient, community-centered land stewardship through regenerative landscaping, biodiversity enhancement, and food access. Early projects include pollinator corridors, edible gardens, and a pilot site developed in collaboration with ReScape California.
  • Watershed-Wide Riparian Restoration: This collaborative project proposes to align restoration activities along Copeland Creek from headwaters to confluence, enhancing ecological function and climate resilience across multiple jurisdictions. It is currently in the planning phase, with interest from agencies and nonprofits active in watershed stewardship.
Agroecology Projects
  • Center for Just Food Systems: Planned as a hands-on learning hub at SSU’s Agroecology Garden, this center will integrate food justice, policy, and regenerative agriculture through student programs and public engagement. The concept is actively being developed by SSU faculty Caiti Hachmyer in collaboration with community leaders.
Health & Wellness Projects
  • Creekside Classrooms: Building on the shared vision, participants joined breakout groups focused on groundwater, biodiversity, agroecology, civic engagement, and community health. Dozens of project ideas emerged, spanning curriculum integration, tribal partnerships, public engagement, and ecological infrastructure.
  • Greenlinks Project: Greenlinks is a planning initiative to connect the Copeland Creek/Crane Creek Trail to a broader network of trails, greenways, and ecological corridors throughout Rohnert Park. The vision is being explored in coordination with partners at the City of Sonoma to promote access to nature, active transportation, and ecological connectivity.
  • Crane Creek Trail Project: This regional project will expand Crane Creek Regional Park and extend the Copeland Creek Trail through SSU to the park, offering 2.6 miles of Class I bikeway and improved habitat access. The project is actively being implemented with funding from county and transportation sources.
Education Projects
  • Creek Conversations: Creek Conversations is a proposed educational signage project that will use QR-linked content to foster reflection, wellness, and ecological learning along the Copeland Creek trail. The first series, focused on health and movement, is being developed in partnership with SSU faculty and campus groups.
  • Dig Into Copeland Creek: This coordination effort connects and expands interdisciplinary, place-based education across the watershed on topics like restoration, wildfire, groundwater, and food systems. It is currently in development through collaboration among faculty, CEI, and community educators.
Informational Resource Projects
  • Copeland Creek Annotated Bibliography Project: This ongoing effort will create a comprehensive, accessible resource compiling academic studies, Indigenous knowledge, and historical records relevant to the Copeland Creek watershed. It is being developed to support teaching, research, and informed stewardship across disciplines.
  • Copeland Creek: Landscape Transitions: This project will produce an engaging overview of the environmental and cultural changes that have shaped the Copeland Creek watershed over time. Currently in development, it aims to help students and community members connect past transformations to present-day restoration work.

What’s Next?: The Sandbox

We’re imagining what's possible. The Copeland Creek Corridor is a growing platform with endless potential for new directions—future projects, partnerships, and student opportunities that will take shape as support and collaboration grow.

Get Involved

Have ideas? Want to partner, propose a project, or bring your class to the Corridor?

Contact Us