With today’s “new abnormal” of drought, heat domes and an extended fire season, our local wildlife and winged migrants are scrambling to adapt. In this program you’ll learn how to create sanctuary in your neighborhoods for reptiles and amphibians, insect pollinators, bats and birds. Many of these animals have seen their natural ranges, migratory routes, seasonal patterns and ability to reproduce come under serious climate threat. We’ll use current climate-change information to design effective backyard wildlife shelters and finish by doing simple DIY projects together with common household materials, and sharing easy and exciting citizen science projects. Watch recorded event here: Local Nature: Create Climate Sanctuary for Backyard Wildlife, November 16, 2021

Take advantage of the healing powers of nature while exploring diverse ecosystems on Sonoma Mountain. SSU Naturalists will lead you on a tour of this university education and research site, and give you insights into the ways we can work together to restore regional landscapes. Activities will be subject to change based on the most recent guidance about COVID safety. 

Local food systems are more resilient to the kinds of climate disasters that affect transportation and can reduce energy costs, transportation and CO2 emissions. At this event, we focus on how local food initiatives are building community resilience. This is the second event in the 2021-22 North Bay Forward "Building Resilience" monthly speaker series, a year-long conversation to increase community collaboration on resilience to climate change. Watch recorded event here: Building Resilience: Local Food Systems & Disasters November 10, 2021

Nature-deficit disorder is a non-medical diagnosis first publicly described in 2008 by the author Richard Louv. It is now part of our everyday vocabulary. We have raised our awareness, but the problem remains. Children are plugged in: not to the natural world in which they live, but to electronic devices, with potentially dangerous consequences. Suzanne DeCoursey, the Center’s education manager, will give us an overview of the importance of the outdoors, including the research and impact on our children. She will also highlight ways adults can help bring relief to this very real problem. Watch recorded event here: Learn With a Naturalist: Expand a Child's World, November 7, 2021

Take advantage of the healing powers of nature while exploring diverse ecosystems on Sonoma Mountain. SSU Naturalists will lead you on a tour of this university education and research site, and give you insights into the ways we can work together to restore regional landscapes. Activities will be subject to change based on the most recent guidance about COVID safety. 

Take advantage of the healing powers of nature while exploring diverse ecosystems on Sonoma Mountain. SSU Naturalists will lead you on a tour of this university education and research site, and give you insights into the ways we can work together to restore regional landscapes. Activities will be subject to change based on the most recent guidance about COVID safety. 

Vehicles and wildlife do not mix well. Thousands of animals are killed on roads, highways, and railways each year and ecosystems are broken into small pieces by this infrastructure. Human lives are also endangered when smaller vehicles collide with large wildlife. In addition to driving attentively, there are things we can do as a society and as individuals. Many states and countries have created crossings over and under major thoroughfares and saved countless wildlife and people from injury. Learn more about these crossings and the data that drives location and design to effectively fit the natural movement patterns of different species. Watch recorded event here: Deep Dive: Dangerous Intersection, October 26, 2021

Bring researchers into your classroom and give students a window into the process of scientific inquiry. Join us for an informal chat with researchers studying invasive species in freshwater systems in Ohio, Ontario, Canada and California. Find out who they are, how they got interested in their research, and the scientific questions they are asking. Instructor Guide and Event Resources available. Watch recorded event here: Live from the Field: Freshwater Invasions, October 25, 2021

Take advantage of the healing powers of nature while exploring diverse ecosystems on Sonoma Mountain. SSU Naturalists will lead you on a tour of this university education and research site, and give you insights into the ways we can work together to restore regional landscapes. Activities will be subject to change based on the most recent guidance about COVID safety. 

Human beings have evolved into creatures with a markedly visual perspective of the world: seeing is believing. We are often aware of changes in our environment by seeing them. Soundscape ecologists, however, have been observing these changes by listening, and are alarmed at what they are learning. There is a cacophony of man-made noises bombarding all living organisms, including humans. In this hour, come learn the latest research and current thinking about our sonic world, and how you can become an active participant in seeking positive approaches to encouraging tranquility and mitigating noise pollution. This event will not be recorded so sign up now for the live presentation.