New research on the impact of climate change on global ecosystems continues to send our thinking in new directions. One of those sacred principles being challenged is the notion that nativeness is the gold standard in conservation biology. That isn’t necessarily so. Naturalized wild honeybees in remote landscapes are part of novel ecosystems. A Sonoma County nonprofit, Apis Arborea, has begun a seven-year research project on the Galbreath Wildlands Preserve to investigate the life cycles of wild honeybees and their role in a diverse pollinator community. Come visit several bee trees on the preserve with us, and learn about a successful bee-tree-locating technique called beelining.

California grassland is a unique ecosystem which provides habitat to a highly diverse group of plants and animals. How can we manage our grasslands to maximize native species diversity? We will explore the Osborn Preserve grasslands and learn about management techniques which support native plants as well as native wildlife species including rare amphibians, mammals and reptiles.

Join us for a hands-on community trail work day at Galbreath Wildlands Preserve. Well-built trails protect habitat and species, and prevent erosion while keeping sedimentation from falling into waterways. Properly planned and maintained, trails can be interesting to hike, lead us to beautiful and inspiring spaces, and be sustainable year after year. You might come away with new ideas and skills for use on your property or another place. For Galbreath, this trail project day will help provide access for future guided outings so more people can learn from and experience our wonderful preserve. You get to experience the beauty of nature on the preserve while also contributing with volunteer service and practice trail maintenance skills.

Water is our life’s blood. We all know this, and realize we must take whatever steps we can to conserve and use it wisely. For landowners, the protection and storage of water can be vital. In this two-part series you will learn about effective approaches to preserving and enhancing the creeks and ponds vital for local ecosystems. This will include the role of maintaining stream flow, woody debris, restoring riparian vegetation and invasive species control (with a focus on bullfrogs and invasive plants). 

The first field day will be at the Hopland Research and Extension Center (HREC), the University of California's principal field research facility for agriculture and natural resources in the North Coast region. The following week we will meet at Sonoma State University’s 3,670-acre Galbreath Wildlands Preserve in the upper Navarro watershed in Yorkville. The properties are very different from each other and the approaches to restoration have been different. It is encouraged, but not necessary, to attend both sessions in order to to learn actionable skills.