Past Events

Saturday, May 6, 2023

a naturalist presenting to a group on a trail

Natural History Hikes

10:00am to 2:00pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

University students and community docents will be your guide. Our guides are trained in natural history of the mountain and interpretation of preserve programs. They will lead you on one of many trails into this 450-acre preserve on the shoulder of Sonoma Mountain. Hike options include visits to the headwaters of Copeland Creek and spectacular vistas of the Santa Rosa Valley and Valley of the Moon.

Saturday, April 29, 2023

a man holds a stick in the air in the forest

Ezell: Ballad of A Land Man

5:00pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Creating art that explores and inspires the possibility of living in harmony with nature and with one another, Clear Creek Creative presents their theatrical work Ezell: Ballad of a Land Man. An environmental, cultural, and spiritual parable derived from living in the foothills of Appalachia, about one man among many seeking to make sense of the time, place and condition in which we live. The development and sharing of this theatrical work is an attempt to make plain and disrupt domination — to reveal the patterns of domination behavior within this character Ezell, within his relationship to others and the land, within his livelihoods and his ways of being, within his ancestry and his belief system.

a naturalist presenting to a group on a trail

Natural History Hikes

10:00am to 2:00pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

University students and community docents will be your guide. Our guides are trained in natural history of the mountain and interpretation of preserve programs. They will lead you on one of many trails into this 450-acre preserve on the shoulder of Sonoma Mountain. Hike options include visits to the headwaters of Copeland Creek and spectacular vistas of the Santa Rosa Valley and Valley of the Moon.

pinned spotted lanternfly

Get to Know Tree-Killing Bugs (Galbreath)

9:30am to 2:00pm
Galbreath Wildlands Preserve

For the past decade, California’s forests have been experiencing unprecedented levels of tree mortality due to drought and invasions of non-native pests. Sonoma County’s Valley oaks are currently being attacked by the invasive Mediterranean Oak Borer, and pines and firs are declining due to increased attacks by beetles that are native to California. While Mendocino County has not seen the Mediterranean Oak Borer, if we aren’t all careful, we will. The sustained drought conditions have weakened many trees and shrubs, causing them to be more susceptible to attack, decline and potentially death, from insects and diseases. In this program you will learn about native and non-native pests, how to recognize them, and what you can do to stop their spread.

Friday, April 28, 2023

a man holds a stick in the air in the forest

Ezell: Ballad of A Land Man

5:00pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Creating art that explores and inspires the possibility of living in harmony with nature and with one another, Clear Creek Creative presents their theatrical work Ezell: Ballad of a Land Man. An environmental, cultural, and spiritual parable derived from living in the foothills of Appalachia, about one man among many seeking to make sense of the time, place and condition in which we live. The development and sharing of this theatrical work is an attempt to make plain and disrupt domination — to reveal the patterns of domination behavior within this character Ezell, within his relationship to others and the land, within his livelihoods and his ways of being, within his ancestry and his belief system.

Thursday, April 27, 2023

a man holds a stick in the air in the forest

Ezell: Ballad of A Land Man

5:00pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Creating art that explores and inspires the possibility of living in harmony with nature and with one another, Clear Creek Creative presents their theatrical work Ezell: Ballad of a Land Man. An environmental, cultural, and spiritual parable derived from living in the foothills of Appalachia, about one man among many seeking to make sense of the time, place and condition in which we live. The development and sharing of this theatrical work is an attempt to make plain and disrupt domination — to reveal the patterns of domination behavior within this character Ezell, within his relationship to others and the land, within his livelihoods and his ways of being, within his ancestry and his belief system.

Sunday, April 23, 2023

Asian Longhorned Beetle

Get to Know Tree-Killing Bugs (Osborn)

2:00pm to 5:00pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

For the past decade, California’s forests have been experiencing unprecedented levels of tree mortality due to drought and invasions of non-native pests. Sonoma County’s Valley oaks are currently being attacked by the invasive Mediterranean Oak Borer, and pines and firs are declining due to increased attacks by beetles that are native to California. While no evidence of Mediterranean Oak Borer has been detected at Osborn Preserve, just miles away it has. Further, the sustained drought conditions have weakened many trees and shrubs, causing them to be more susceptible to attack, decline and potentially death, from insects and diseases. In this program you will learn about native and non-native pests and diseases like Sudden Oak Death, how to recognize them, and what you can do to stop their spread.

Saturday, April 22, 2023

a naturalist presenting to a group on a trail

Natural History Hikes

10:00am to 2:00pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

University students and community docents will be your guide. Our guides are trained in natural history of the mountain and interpretation of preserve programs. They will lead you on one of many trails into this 450-acre preserve on the shoulder of Sonoma Mountain. Hike options include visits to the headwaters of Copeland Creek and spectacular vistas of the Santa Rosa Valley and Valley of the Moon.

Monday, April 17, 2023

fence by pond in front of hill with trees

Cut the Red Tape to Improve Your Land

11:00am to 2:00pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

Would you like to improve your land for conservation but worried about all the regulatory red-tape? Join us for a hike to discuss the various permitting actions available to you through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), including those that provide benefit for listed species. 

Throughout California, a large amount of endangered species habitat is on private land, so land owners are essential for successful conservation efforts. However, many are hesitant to take action that attract endangered species for fear of receiving regulatory consequences or restrictions. This event will illuminate strategies to still undertake land improvement projects without being subject to these drawbacks. We'll also get an overview of the California Endangered Species Act and talk about how CEQA fits into all of this. Lastly, we'll learn about (and hopefully see) species right here on the Osborn preserve that are listed or of special concern.

Saturday, April 15, 2023

a naturalist presenting to a group on a trail

Natural History Hikes

10:00am to 2:00pm
Fairfield Osborn Preserve

University students and community docents will be your guide. Our guides are trained in natural history of the mountain and interpretation of preserve programs. They will lead you on one of many trails into this 450-acre preserve on the shoulder of Sonoma Mountain. Hike options include visits to the headwaters of Copeland Creek and spectacular vistas of the Santa Rosa Valley and Valley of the Moon.

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