Past Events

Saturday, September 7, 2024

two women weeding in the garden

Campus Corridor Cleanup

9:00am to 12:00pm
SSU Main Campus

Join SSU Students with "Sonoma Serves" in a volunteer service day to keep the natural areas on our campus biodiverse and beautiful! SSU's native plant and butterfly gardens are important links along the Copeland Creek Corridor that includes the garden classroom, emanating from high on Sonoma Mountain, connecting Fairfield Osborn Preserve to the lower portions of the Russian River watershed. The actions that happen here affect everything downstream. Come get “Environmentally Ready” with us by not only caring for these precious spaces that provide solace for students and the local community, but also learning about the valuable educational, research and restoration work taking place here.

Friday, September 6, 2024

people in front of a building in nature

Open House: Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria Learning Center

4:00pm to 6:00pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Visit the new Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria (FIGR) Learning Center at two Open House events! The Learning Center - only 15 minutes from campus - is an incredible new academic resource for all disciplines: wifi and digital classrooms, 450-acres on Sonoma Mountain, and easy to schedule through the Center for Environmental Inquiry (CEI) website. CEI Director and staff will be on-hand to schedule visits and discuss ideas for incorporating this new resource into courses, programs and initiatives. Join us for refreshments and an optional 45 minute hike.

Sunday, August 25, 2024

people looking backwards at fallen tree

Naturalist Ed Series: Human Relations with the Osborn Preserve

2:00pm to 4:00pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Visitors sometimes refer to SSU’s Fairfield Osborn Preserve as “pristine”, untouched by human hands. In fact, the preserve’s vegetation communities are deeply informed by pre-colonial land management practices, to the point that many of them could be considered “human made” until Europeans arrived with very different land management approaches. Join us to explore the Osborn Preserve landscape through a cultural lens.

nature journal page about oak tree

Naturalist Ed Series: Plants on Sonoma Mountain in August

10:00am to 1:00pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Explore the diversity of plant life of Sonoma Mountain during the fall! We will explore a variety of vegetation communities including oak woodland, riparian, grassland and more where we will observe plants through sight, touch and smell. Find out what different types of plants including mosses, ferns, cone-bearing plants and flowering plants are up to this fall season.

Saturday, August 24, 2024

steelhead young in creek

Naturalist Ed Series: Fish of Osborn Preserve

10:00am to 1:00pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Join us to learn about Osborn Naturalists’ recent fish observations in Osborn Preserve’s Copeland Creek! We will explore a beautiful section of the perennial creek while we learn about new SSU research involving a special-status fish species that typically uses both fresh and saltwater to complete its lifecycle.

Sunday, August 18, 2024

Naturalists observing oak trees

Naturalist Ed Series: Become an Osborn Naturalist - Fall 2024

11:00am to 4:00pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Learn how to share nature’s secrets with others while exploring the stunning ecosystems of Sonoma Mountain with university faculty and other experts. This Naturalist Educator Series will give you new insights into the natural history of local species and new ideas for sharing your knowledge with children. Join a community working to eradicate Nature Deficit Disorder in the North Bay! Become an Osborn Naturalist and acquire the skills to get “Environmentally Ready.”

man with binoculars at the creek

Naturalist Ed Series: Trail Activities & Planning Visits

11:00am to 4:00pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Learn Osborn Preserve’s hiking trails, games to play with children on the trail and how to gain additional access to the preserve on your own! Are you curious about the flexible program requirements to become an Osborn Naturalist to gain amazing opportunities that SSU’s Osborn Preserve has to offer? This event is mandatory for those who would like to become an Osborn Naturalist and optional for those interested in learning more about becoming an Osborn Naturalist.

Saturday, August 17, 2024

Western Screech Owl on limb

Naturalist Ed Series: Owls of Sonoma Mountain

5:30pm to 8:30pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Owls vocalize to claim and defend territories, to attract mates and keep in contact with each other. Observing owl sounds and identifying calls is particularly important when it comes to these primarily (but not always!) nocturnal species since they are often easier to observe by sound than sight. Join us as we traverse slowly through the Osborn Preserve on Sonoma Mountain to listen for owls and learn about owl diversity!

gopher snake on soil

Naturalist Ed Series: Reptiles of Sonoma Mountain

1:30pm to 4:30pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Reptiles are “cold-blooded” vertebrates, including but not limited to turtles, snakes and lizards. Join Sonoma State University’s Vertebrate Biology Instructor, Wendy St. John, to explore the habitats of various reptile species as we travel through Osborn Preserve. You will also learn about SSU research involving the Western Pond Turtle, a special-status species that occurs at the preserve.

Sunday, May 19, 2024

person clearing brush

How to Prepare Your Land for Good Fire - Good Fire Series 2024, Part II

10:00am to 2:00pm
Galbreath Wildlands Preserve

Prescribed burning, or “good fire”, was a primary land-management tool for millennia, helping people control the spread of invasive species, and maintain desirable ecological or cultural resources. On this field trip, you will get hands-on experience identifying prescribed burn goals and preparing the land for burns to meet those goals.

This is the second part (rescheduled, originally planned for April 13) of a three-part series, the "Good Fire Series 2024." The third and final part, Rx Burn Permits and Process, will be April 29 on Zoom from 5:30 – 7:00. See below for more information and to register.

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