The Laguna de Santa Rosa stretches for 220 square miles that cover areas from Windsor to Cotati, and it all starts somewhere. At this event, our perspective of our watershed will start at the highlands. Join us to explore Sonoma County volcanics, and how the geology of Sonoma Mountain affects downstream weathering, erosion, landslides and mass wasting. From the course of Copeland Creek to vegetation types and herpetofauna populations, we will see how geomorphologic changes affect the plants and animals on Sonoma Mountain.

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.

Whether obvious or not, we're all feeling the effects of climate change. At home in the North Bay this might look like sweltering indoor heat, rationed water, unhappy landscape plants, fewer garden visitors or increased flood and wildfire danger. The responsibility to address climate change also lies, at least partially, with us all. In this webinar, we'll learn about five different ways to spruce up the outdoor spaces around our homes - from urban apartment porches to suburban backyards to more rural homestead land - into areas that help to both mitigate the effects of climate change we feel at home, and act as part of the solution on a larger level: rain gardens, urban trees, fire resilient landscapes, plant species selection, and encouraging beneficial insects. Watch recorded event here: Landscaping for Climate Change, March 21, 2023

Mountain lions are the largest ranging terrestrial mammal in the western hemisphere, and commonly associated with pristine landscapes lacking human disturbance -- but this is not always the case. Though rarely seen, these charismatic mammals posses the ability to persist within urbanized landscapes. Join us to discover the North Bay’s apex predator and the many behavioral modifications necessary to survive amongst humans. Jake will take us on a deep dive into his graduate work involving analyzing mountain lion diet, habitat use, and energetics in California’s San Francisco North Bay, including at SSU's own Fairfield Osborn Preserve, noting ecological changes as human disturbance increases. See what landscape features mountain lions prefer and avoid while feeding on their preferred prey, black-tailed deer, and learn more about how you can be a part of the research -- and the solution. Watch recorded event here: Mountain Lions Along the Urban Edge, February 20, 2023

Nature journaling is noting observations of the natural world, including flora such as flowing plants. Join us to observe oak woodland, pond and grassland vegetation communities to discover flower shapes, leaf shapes, and more while learning to identify a variety of early-blooming plant species. We will explore Osborn Preserve through recording words, pictures and numbers to document our observations. What do we notice when we observe plants using our senses? Learn how outdoor inquiry through nature journaling can transform your daily life, as well as how it can give children hands-on experience involving what they study in school.

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. We will explore the landscape through a cultural lens, and also learn about brand-new SSU Historical Ecology Research on the Osborn Preserve.

Curiosity in nature supports a deeper understanding of the natural world. Join us to discover, celebrate and develop the free spirit of nature inquiry on Sonoma Mountain. We will explore Osborn Preserve’s hidden secrets through the process of inquiry. What various colors of fungus can be found, what are slime molds, where are amphibians hiding, what senses can we use to observe plants? Learn how outdoor inquiry can transform your daily life, as well as how it can give children hands-on experience of what they study in school.