Community Events

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Community Events 2018

June | July | August | September | December

Click here to review our cancellation policy

June

Taking Flight: Documentary Film Screening of “A Thousand Cranes”
And presentation with Veronica Bowers, Native Songbird Care and Conservation
Thursday, June 21, (Summer Solstice!), 7:00-9:00pm
Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$12-25 sliding scale (non-refundable). Pre-registration required (see below).
Benefits Laguna Foundation and Native Songbird Care and Conservation

Join us to celebrate the summer solstice with a rare screening of a very special documentary -- Brian Kahn's Award-Winning Documentary "A Thousand Cranes" followed by a presentation by Veronica Bowers of Native Songbird Care & Conservation about the role of the Laguna de Santa Rosa in the Pacific Flyway. Local writer Michele Anna Jordan will introduce the film with two brief stories, one the tale of how she tracked down its maker and another of how she saved, or helped save, 4000 ravens with just 15 minutes of work. "A Thousand Cranes" opens with the folding of hundreds of origami cranes in an effort, by a young woman with cancer, to make a thousand of the delicate paper birds, at which time, Japanese legend tells us, the folder is granted a wish by the gods. Narrated by Joanne Woodward, the film then uses the parable of the cranes to explore both the threat of nuclear annihilation and the remarkable efforts by Soviet and American scientists, who worked together to save the beautiful Siberian crane from extinction. The film is at once alarming, compelling, tender, beautiful, delightful and optimistic and shows how individuals from vastly different cultures can come together out of shared love and shared knowledge to undo damage perpetrated by humans who unknowingly threaten other species as they struggle to survive themselves. The film is appropriate for all ages. Following the screening of this exquisite film, Veronica Bowers will make a verbal and visual presentation about the role the Laguna de Santa Rosa plays in the Pacific Flyway. Light snacks will be provided during the event.

In 1987, Brian Kahn, who served as Sonoma County Supervisor for the 1st District (Sonoma Valley and East Santa Rosa) from 1977 to 1980, released "A Thousand Cranes" documentary. The film was praised worldwide and received numerous awards, including the President's Medal at the Salerno International Film Festival. It was shown around the world but has somehow been overlooked in the digital age. This is a rare opportunity to see it. Brian currently lives in Helena, Montana, where he produces and hosts Home Ground Radio, now in its 21st year, which a listener describes as "a cumulative portrait of our culture in transition." He is a writer, journalist, author of five books to date, and former president of the California Fish and Game Commission. For more information about his work, visit his radio website. Veronica Bowers founded Native Songbird Care & Conservation in 2004. The non-profit organization cares for over 1000 songbirds each year in a rehabilitation center located on the edge of downtown Sebastopol. Veronica's understanding of and passion for these birds forms the foundation of this all-volunteer effort to heal and release songbirds that have been injured in their natural environment. She cares for over 60 species each year. Michele Anna Jordan, best known for her writing about food, wine, and Sonoma County, fell in love with this film when it was first released and, a few years ago, set out to find Brian when the film proved unavailable online or elsewhere. Her interested is fueled by her prodigious love of both birds and the Laguna de Santa Rosa, where she enjoys watching egrets, herons and ravens. For more information about her work, visit her website.

Coloring the Garden in Colored Pencil
Drawing Workshop with Nina Antze
Saturday, June 30, 10:00am-3:00pm
Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$95. Pre-registration required (see below).

Summer is the time for warmth, exuberance, relaxation, and working in the garden. Colored pencils are a fun, safe, portable, and meditative way to express oneself artistically. Come explore and draw the beautiful plants of the summer at the Laguna Environmental Center, or bring favorite flowers from your own garden to draw. We will explore a variety of colored pencil techniques and learn how to blend, burnish, and create new colors while incorporating the techniques of botanical drawing. We will focus on color theory, color application, value and form. All levels welcome. Suitable for 12 year olds and up (children under 15 must be accompanied by a parent). Participants bring their own lunch and art supplies (a supply list will be provided). Hot drinks and light snacks will be provided.

Nina Antze is a Sonoma County botanical artist and quiltmaker. She has a degree in Fine Art from San Francisco State and a Certificate in Botanical Illustration from the New York Botanical Gardens. She teaches colored pencil and botanical workshops throughout the Bay Area. Learn more at her website.

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July

How Waterways Wrote Our History: The North Bay up to the 1800s
Part I, Presentation with archaeologist Dr. Mara Vejby
Saturday, July 7, 3:00-4:30pm
Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$12 (non-refundable).Pre-registration required (see below).
The North Bay has a rich and unique history within California. Its environment, particularly its waterways, has shaped human culture and migration for thousands of years. In part one of this two-part lecture, we will wade into the cultural significance of the North Bay waterways to the native peoples of the region. We will then navigate the use of these rivers as political boundaries between the Russians and the Spanish in the 1800s. Part two, “How Waterways Wrote Our History: The 1800s to Present,” takes place Saturday, July 14 (details below).

Dr. Mara Vejby is an archaeologist and the founder of Locality Research and Preservation. She currently works as an analyst for the Board of Supervisors in Santa Clara County. Dr. Vejby’s interest in how people interact with the past has shaped her research in Europe and California, and it continues to influence her work to preserve our local history and archaeology.

Dragons in our Watershed: A Field Survey of Laguna Dragonflies
Natural History Outing with Laguna Foundation’s Executive Director, Kevin Munroe
Sunday, July 8, 9:30am-4:30pm
Meeting at Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$25-50 Sliding scale. Pre-registration required (see below).

Join us for a fun-filled, day-long adventure as we travel around the Laguna de Santa Rosa Watershed together, exploring different aquatic habitats and chasing down dragonflies. One of the most bio-diverse ecosystems in Northern California, the Laguna de Santa Rosa is a dragonfly hotspot. We have a good chance of seeing at least a dozen species, and hopefully catching at least half of them! You’ll learn how safely catch, gently handle, and carefully release these brilliant, magical, vital members of our local foodweb. Meeting at the Laguna Environmental Center and carpooling from there, we’ll visit lakes, streams and wetlands to stalk and watch these fascinating eagles of the insect world. Appropriate for adults and children age 12 and up if accompanied by an adult. A second dragonfly field trip will take place on Sunday, September 9 (details below).

Executive Director of the Laguna Foundation since 2015, Kevin Munroe is also a talented naturalist, educator, and dragonfly aficionado. He started the website, Dragonflies of Northern Virginia, and is enjoying learning all about west coast “Odes.” Kevin developed his passion as a naturalist in early childhood and subsequently transformed this interest into a rich career that includes conservation resource management, restoration, and environmental education.

The Laguna is Home to the California State Lichen!
Presentation with botanist and lichenologist, Shelly Benson
Thursday, July 12, 7:00-8:30pm
Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$12. (non refundable). Pre-registration required (see below).

Lace lichen (Ramalina menziesii, top photo on left) is the CA state lichen and it grows on oaks in the Laguna. Join Shelly Benson, former president of the California Lichen Society, for an evening lecture on lichens. These fascinating organisms are found all around us, growing in nearly every habitat and on almost any surface; however, they are commonly overlooked. Shelly will explain the intimate fungal-algal relationship known as the lichen. She will also cover the ecological importance of lichens and how humans have used them through time. The backdrop to this talk will be the Heron Hall art exhibit of paintings by Lucy Martin of Mushrooms and Lichens.

Shelly Benson has been studying lichens for the past 18 years. She received a Master of Science degree in 2001 from the University of Northern British Columbia, Canada, where she studied lichen ecology in the tree tops of old growth forests. Shelly served as president of the California Lichen Society from 2013-2016. She worked on several lichen inventories in the San Francisco Bay Area and continues to lead lichen walks and workshops around the region. Shelly is interested in using lichens as indicators for air quality and climate change.

How Waterways Wrote Our History: The 1800s to Present
Part II, Presentation with archaeologist Dr. Mara Vejby
Saturday, July 14, 2018, 3:00-4:30pm
Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$12 (non-refundable). Pre-registration required (see below).

The waterways of the North Bay have played a central part in the movement of peoples and in the way the history of the region has unfolded. In the second part of this two-part lecture we will follow the rivers’ winding histories as increasing amounts of trade and agriculture shape their banks. We will then attempt to bridge the gap between the past and the present, by taking a brief look at the region from the perspective of these waterways now. Part 1 of the lecture, “How Waterways Wrote Our History: The North Bay up to the 1800s,” takes place on Saturday, July 7 (details above).

Dr. Mara Vejby is an archaeologist and the founder of Locality Research and Preservation. She currently works as an analyst for the Board of Supervisors in Santa Clara County. Dr. Vejby’s interest in how people interact with the past has shaped her research in Europe and California, and it continues to influence her work to preserve our local history and archaeology.

Twilled Cattail Mat
Workshop with Charlie Kennard
Sunday, July 15, 9:30am-3:30pm
Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$95. Pre-registration required (see below).

Enjoy a delightful day full of hands-on learning in Heron Hall and around the peaceful Laguna Environmental Center grounds with master weaver, Charlie Kennard. We will make plaited table mats (like the greenish one pictured) based on a central Mexican technique for rodilleros, mats for kneeling on when grinding corn at home. When new, they have a delightful grassy scent and a muted variable green color. The technique involves the frequent smacking of the fabric with a rock, so this workshop will be noisy! The mats are typically made on the floor, but tables will also be available for use. All basket-making materials are included in the registration fee. Participants bring a water bowl, a wide house-painting brush, and, if they wish to work on the floor, a thin cushion, as well as their own lunch. Hot drinks and snacks are provided.

Charlie Kennard of San Anselmo is a long-time basket weaver and student of California Indian and European techniques. He has taught for MAPOM, Point Reyes Field Institute, East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden, and in many schools and at teacher trainings. Tule boats made in his workshops can be seen at the California Academy of Sciences, the Bay Model in Sausalito, the Oakland Museum, and the one in Heron Hall! You can also visit a basketry plant garden he created at the Marin Art and Garden Center in Ross, where he and four friends recently wove a basket 13 feet in diameter. Charlie is active in native habitat restoration in Marin, managing several projects for Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed.

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August

Painting Bark and Lichens in Gouache
Workshop with current Heron Hall exhibitor, Lucy Martin
Saturday, August 11, 2018, 10:00am-3:00pm
Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$95. Pre-registration required (see below).

If you’ve had a chance to see Lucy Martin’s beautiful Heron Hall art exhibit “Microcosms: A Closer Look at Mushrooms and Lichen” (on display through August 29), you know that Lucy’s artwork is all about close observation. The Laguna de Santa Rosa is full of wonderful lichens that abundantly repay a close look. You will find a whole world on an oak branch! There are many other botanical subjects around us as well. Join Lucy to learn about her painting technique. She uses gouache, which is similar to watercolor, but more opaque. Gouache technique is quite different from watercolor technique. You will learn some of the techniques Lucy uses to produce her very detailed paintings of bark, leaves, lichens, moss and oak galls. Enjoy a quiet, peaceful day in Heron Hall, surrounded by Lucy’s inspiring art exhibit and the native plant garden at the Laguna Environmental Center, to enhance your observation and painting skills. Suitable for adults and teens 14 years, and at least some drawing experience is helpful. A supply list will be sent upon registration. Questions? Email Anita.

Lucy lives in Sonoma County, California. She is mainly self-taught, with some formal training including classes with Mary Jo Koch. She exhibits in the Sebastopol Gallery and Calabi Gallery, as well as annually in Art Trails, the juried Sonoma County Open Studio art tour. Her work was purchased for the Permanent Collection of the Special Collections and Archives Department at the McHenry Library at UCSC. She has exhibited in international shows of the American Society of Botanical Artists and solo shows at the Library at the San Francisco Botanical Garden. Visit her website at www.lucymartinart.com.

Vamos Afuera: Aventura en la Laguna
Spanish Language event with LandPaths and the Laguna Foundation
Sunday, August 12, 5:30pm-8:30pm
Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Free. Pre-registration required through LandPaths here.

¡Únete a LandPaths para una noche de aventura familiar llena de diversión en la Laguna de Santa Rosa! Comenzaremos disfrutando de algunos bocadillos livianos y una breve presentación de la Laguna y LandPaths en Heron Hall. Después de un atractivo recorrido por el paisaje de plantas nativas y el paisaje infantil, caminaremos por los campos de heno hasta Irwin Creek y Lower Stone Farm, donde exploraremos la restauración del arroyo, observación de aves y buscaremos rastros de la abundante vida silvestre. Concluiremos con una cena comunitaria al aire libre a lo largo de las orillas de la Laguna. (Favor de traer su propia comida.)

Este programa gratuito es posible gracias a la asociación entre LandPaths, Laguna Foundation y el Distrito de Preservación Agrícola y Espacio Abierto del Condado de Sonoma. Este es un recorrido de ida y vuelta de 2 millas sobre terreno y pasto mayormente plano pero irregular. Todas las edades son bienvenidas.

Translation: Vamos Afuera Adventure at the Laguna (this event will be led in Spanish). Join LandPaths and the Laguna Foundation for a fun-filled evening of family adventures at the Laguna de Santa Rosa! We'll start off by enjoying some light snacks and a brief overview of the Laguna and LandPaths at Heron Hall. After an engaging tour of the native plant landscape and children's playscape, we'll walk across the hayfields to Irwin Creek and Lower Stone Farm where we'll explore streamside restoration, birdwatch, and look for signs of the abundant wildlife. We'll conclude with a picnic meal (bring your own) together along the banks of the Laguna. This is a 2-mile round trip walk over mostly flat but uneven dirt and grass. All ages welcome. This free program is made possible through the partnership between LandPaths, the Laguna Foundation and Sonoma County Ag + Open Space.

Western Bluebird photo by Michael Leahy

Early Birds: Laguna Watershed Perspectives Walk
Birding the Santa Rosa Creek Trail with Laguna Foundation and Regional Parks Staff
Meeting at Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Saturday, August 18, 7:30am-10:30am
$10 (non-refundable). Pre-registration required (see below).

The Laguna de Santa Rosa bursts with birdlife, especially in the early morning! Join us for this early-morning exploration of one of the Laguna Watershed’s largest tributaries, Santa Rosa Creek. With more than 200 species of birds found in the watershed, birders of all ages and skill levels will enjoy this leisurely stroll along the Santa Rosa Creek Trail where we will discover patterns of bird behavior, communication, and habitat. We will meet at the Laguna Environmental Center for snacks and a brief watershed overview, then we will carpool together to the Santa Rosa Creek Trail for a naturalist-led walk among the birds. We will cover up to 2-3 miles on mostly flat but uneven terrain, and return to the Center by 10:30am where people are welcome to stay and bird some more.

To learn more about the Santa Rosa Creek Trail, click here, and about other Regional Parks and trails, click here. The Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation’s website has information about our watershed’s amazing wetland complex, the Laguna de Santa Rosa, the Laguna Foundation’s home base at the Laguna Environmental Center, Laguna recreation opportunities, and more!

ALBATROSS Film Screening
Thursday, August 23, 7:00-9:00pm
Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
FREE (donations gratefully accepted). Pre-registration required (see below).

Directed by Chris Jordan, ALBATROSS (97 minutes) is a powerful visual journey into the heart of an astonishingly symbolic environmental tragedy. On one of the remotest islands on our planet, tens of thousands of baby albatrosses lie dead on the ground, their bodies filled with plastic. Returning to the island over several years, the film team witnessed the cycles of life and death of these birds as a multi-layered metaphor for our times. This story is framed in the vividly gorgeous language of state-of-the-art high-definition digital cinematography, surrounded by millions of live birds in one of the world’s most beautiful natural sanctuaries. The viewer will experience stunning juxtapositions of beauty and horror, destruction and renewal, grief and joy, birth and death, coming out the other side with their heart broken open and their worldview shifted. Stepping outside the stylistic templates of traditional environmental or documentary films, ALBATROSS takes viewers on a guided tour into the depths of their own spirits, delivering a profound message of reverence and love that is already reaching an audience of millions of people around the world. ALBATROSS is an adult film with strong emotional content, so it is recommended for viewers age 12 and above. Doors open at 6:30pm. Light snacks provided.

To watch the trailer, visit the film’s website, visit their Facebook page and read this Guardian article about the film. The film team says, “A primary intention of ALBATROSS is to delve into feelings of a kind that we might usually tend to avoid. This film looks deeply into sadness, grief, beauty, and love, in ways that can feel uncomfortable. But as director Chris Jordan likes to say, that is the whole intention: when we allow ourselves to feel our sadness for what is being lost in our world, then we connect with the part of ourselves that loves our world. In this way, coming to know the true nature of grief can be a liberating experience. When grief is no longer seen as a “bad” feeling, then it can be embraced as a portal to deeper connection with life.”

Full-Moon Exploration of Irwin Creek and Lower Stone Farm
Walk and Picnic with LandPaths and Kevin Munroe, Laguna Foundation’s Executive Director
Sunday, August 26, 5:30pm-9:00pm
Beginning at the Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
FREE. Pre-registration required through LandPaths.

Join us for this special full-moon evening adventure, including a picnic dinner alongside the Laguna in an area not usually open to the public. Bring your own picnic, and we'll provide the hors d’oeuvres. On this 2 mile walk over mostly flat but uneven terrain, we’ll explore the beautiful area’s animal and plant life and learn about the history of Stone Farm and the on-going collaborative restoration work that’s bringing back a thriving ecosystem. We'll also focus on the critters large and small that come out at dusk and the plants used in restoration work that support wildlife, water quality, and us all. Starting in Heron Hall with hors d’oeuvres and a brief presentation, we'll head out for a leisurely amble across the picturesque hay field to Irwin Creek. We’ll cross Sanford Rd. to quiet Lower Stone Farm and the Laguna channel, where we'll enjoy our picnic dinners (tarps to sit on provided) and keep our eyes open for evening-feeding swallows, raptors and dragonflies! We'll start heading back after sunset to watch the full moon rise, keeping our ears and eyes open for resident owls, coyotes, egrets, river otters, mink, frogs, bats and any other emerging evening wildlife. Suitable for adults and youth 9 years old and up (children must be accompanied by an adult). Rain cancels (in which case, we will notify you). Details sent upon registration.
This free program is made possible through a partnership between the Laguna Foundation, LandPaths and the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District. The District permanently protects the diverse agricultural, natural resource and scenic open space lands of Sonoma County for future generations. It is funded through a quarter-cent sales tax that was voted in by the residents of Sonoma County.

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September

Dragons in our Watershed: A Field Survey of Laguna Dragonflies
Natural History Outing with Laguna Foundation’s Executive Director, Kevin Munroe
Meeting at Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Sunday, September 9, 9:30am-4:30pm
$25-$50 sliding scale. Pre-registration required (see below).

Join us for our second dragonfly fieldtrip this year, as we look for late season species not present on our July outing. We’ll visit new sites and hopefully observe some late-season migratory behavior.

On this fun-filled, day-long adventure we will travel around the Laguna de Santa Rosa Watershed together to explore different aquatic habitats and chase down dragonflies. One of the most bio-diverse ecosystems in Northern California, the Laguna de Santa Rosa is a dragonfly hotspot. We have a good chance of seeing at least a dozen species, and hopefully catching at least half of them! You’ll learn how safely catch, gently handle, and carefully release these brilliant, magical, vital members of our local foodweb. Meeting at the Laguna Environmental Center and carpooling from there, we’ll visit lakes, streams and wetlands to stalk and watch these fascinating eagles of the insect world. Appropriate for adults and children age 12 and up if accompanied by an adult.

Executive Director of the Laguna Foundation since 2015, Kevin Munroe is also a talented naturalist, educator, and dragonfly aficionado. He started the website, Dragonflies of Northern Virginia, and is enjoying learning all about west coast “Odes.” Kevin developed his passion as a naturalist in early childhood and subsequently transformed this interest into a rich career that includes conservation resource management, restoration, and environmental education.

Drawing Autumn Colors
Colored Pencil Techniques Workshop with Nina Antze
Saturday, September 29, 10:00am-3:00pm
Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$95. Pre-registration required (see below).

Whether focusing your drawing on the last of summer fruits and berries, rose hips, pods, or autumn leaves, enjoy a peaceful meditative day at the Laguna Environmental Center learning to create the subtle colors of Autumn with colored pencils. We will cover blending, layering and burnishing techniques while incorporating the basics of botanical drawing. All levels welcome. Suitable for 12 year olds and up (children under 15 must be accompanied by a parent). Participants bring their own lunch and art supplies (a supply list will be sent upon registration). Hot drinks and light snacks will be provided throughout the day.

Nina Antze is a Sonoma County botanical artist and quiltmaker. She has a degree in Fine Art from San Francisco State and a Certificate in Botanical Illustration from the New York Botanical Gardens. She teaches colored pencil and botanical workshops throughout the Bay Area. Learn more about Nina at her website.

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December

Weave a Willow Basket
Workshop with Charlie Kennard
Sunday, December 2, 2018, 9:30am-3:30pm
Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$95. Pre-registration required (see below).

Enjoy a delightful day full of hands-on learning in Heron Hall and around the peaceful Laguna Environmental Center grounds with master weaver, Charlie Kennard. Using freshly-gathered native grey willow, we will make open weave twined baskets for holding fruits or nuts. This workshop requires manual dexterity, and prior experience with twining is helpful. Suitable for adults and teenagers. All basket-making materials are included in the registration fee. Participants bring garden clippers or small wire cutters and a sharp knife, as well as their own lunch. Hot drinks and snacks are provided throughout the day.

Charlie Kennard of San Anselmo is a long-time basket weaver and student of California Indian and other traditional basketry techniques of the world. He teaches throughout the Bay Area, and in many schools and at teacher trainings. Tule boats made in his workshops can be seen at the California Academy of Sciences, the Bay Model in Sausalito, and in the collection of the Lake County Museum. You can also visit a basketry plant garden Charlie has created at the Marin Art and Garden Center in Ross, where he and friends have woven a basket 13 feet across. Charlie is active in native habitat restoration in Marin, managing several projects for Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed.

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Also on tap, coming up ... Stay tuned for details!

September 16 - EcoPrint Workshop and Irwin Creek Walk with Regional Parks and Laguna Foundation

September 23 - Watershed Perspectives, Shiloh Ranch hike with Regional Parks and Laguna Foundation

September 27 - Vernal Pool presentation with Sarah Gordon

Native Plants presentation with CNPS Milo Baker Chapter and Laguna Foundation

Monarchs and Pollinators presentation

Behind the Scenes Restoration walks with Laguna Foundation staff

Nature Journaling classes

Wildlife Watching Evenings at the Laguna Environmental Center

Laguna for Little Ones, playscape fun for caretakers and toddlers

Talks about climate adaptation, botany, anthropology, reptiles, arachnids, bats, and butterflies

And much, much more!!!

Cancellation Policy

If you are registered for an event and need to cancel, please notify us as soon as possible so that others may attend. Cancellations received more than 30 days in advance of the event date will receive a refund minus a $10.00 processing fee. Cancellations made between 30-7 days in advance will receive a 50% refund. We are sorry but refunds cannot be given on cancellations made less than 7 days in advance. Please also note that we often need a minimum number of participants to conduct most events. If the Laguna Foundation needs to cancel the event for any reason, we will notify you as soon as possible (at least 1 day prior to the event) and you will receive a full refund.

Non-Refundable Fee

Events that cost $20 and less are non-refundable (except in case of our cancelling for inclement weather or other extenuating circumstances, in which case we will issue full refunds). This is due to administrative costs and significant processing fees associated with online registration services such as Eventbrite. Thank you for your understanding and for your interest and support of our programs!

For more information, contact Anita Smith, Public Education Manager
(707) 527-9277 xt. 110 or by email at anita@lagunafoundation.org.

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	How Waterways Wrote Our History: The North Bay up to the 1800s Part I, Presentation with archaeologist Dr. Mara Vejby Saturday, July 7, 3:00-4:30pm Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 $12 (non-refundable).Pre-registration required (see below). The North Bay has a rich and unique history within California. Its environment, particularly its waterways, has shaped human culture and migration for thousands of years. In part one of this two-part lecture, we will wade into the cultural significance of the North Bay waterways to the native peoples of the region. We will then navigate the use of these rivers as political boundaries between the Russians and the Spanish in the 1800s. Part two, “How Waterways Wrote Our History: The 1800s to Present,” takes place Saturday, July 14 (details below). Dr. Mara Vejby is an archaeologist and the founder of Locality Research and Preservation. She currently works as an analyst for the Board of Supervisors in Santa Clara County. Dr. Vejby’s interest in how people interact with the past has shaped her research in Europe and California, and it continues to influence her work to preserve our local history and archaeology.

	Dragons in our Watershed: A Field Survey of Laguna Dragonflies Natural History Outing with Laguna Foundation’s Executive Director, Kevin Munroe Sunday, July 8, 9:30am-4:30pm Meeting at Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 $25-50 Sliding scale. Pre-registration required (see below). Join us for a fun-filled, day-long adventure as we travel around the Laguna de Santa Rosa Watershed together, exploring different aquatic habitats and chasing down dragonflies. One of the most bio-diverse ecosystems in Northern California, the Laguna de Santa Rosa is a dragonfly hotspot. We have a good chance of seeing at least a dozen species, and hopefully catching at least half of them! You’ll learn how safely catch, gently handle, and carefully release these brilliant, magical, vital members of our local foodweb. Meeting at the Laguna Environmental Center and carpooling from there, we’ll visit lakes, streams and wetlands to stalk and watch these fascinating eagles of the insect world. Appropriate for adults and children age 12 and up if accompanied by an adult. A second dragonfly field trip will take place on Sunday, September 9 (details below). Executive Director of the Laguna Foundation since 2015, Kevin Munroe is also a talented naturalist, educator, and dragonfly aficionado. He started the website, Dragonflies of Northern Virginia, and is enjoying learning all about west coast “Odes.” Kevin developed his passion as a naturalist in early childhood and subsequently transformed this interest into a rich career that includes conservation resource management, restoration, and environmental education.

	The Laguna is Home to the California State Lichen! Presentation with botanist and lichenologist, Shelly Benson Thursday, July 12, 7:00-8:30pm Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 $12. (non refundable). Pre-registration required (see below). Lace lichen (Ramalina menziesii, top photo on left) is the CA state lichen and it grows on oaks in the Laguna. Join Shelly Benson, former president of the California Lichen Society, for an evening lecture on lichens. These fascinating organisms are found all around us, growing in nearly every habitat and on almost any surface; however, they are commonly overlooked. Shelly will explain the intimate fungal-algal relationship known as the lichen. She will also cover the ecological importance of lichens and how humans have used them through time. The backdrop to this talk will be the Heron Hall art exhibit of paintings by Lucy Martin of Mushrooms and Lichens. Shelly Benson has been studying lichens for the past 18 years. She received a Master of Science degree in 2001 from the University of Northern British Columbia, Canada, where she studied lichen ecology in the tree tops of old growth forests. Shelly served as president of the California Lichen Society from 2013-2016. She worked on several lichen inventories in the San Francisco Bay Area and continues to lead lichen walks and workshops around the region. Shelly is interested in using lichens as indicators for air quality and climate change.

	How Waterways Wrote Our History: The 1800s to Present Part II, Presentation with archaeologist Dr. Mara Vejby Saturday, July 14, 2018, 3:00-4:30pm Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 $12 (non-refundable). Pre-registration required (see below). The waterways of the North Bay have played a central part in the movement of peoples and in the way the history of the region has unfolded. In the second part of this two-part lecture we will follow the rivers’ winding histories as increasing amounts of trade and agriculture shape their banks. We will then attempt to bridge the gap between the past and the present, by taking a brief look at the region from the perspective of these waterways now. Part 1 of the lecture, “How Waterways Wrote Our History: The North Bay up to the 1800s,” takes place on Saturday, July 7 (details above). Dr. Mara Vejby is an archaeologist and the founder of Locality Research and Preservation. She currently works as an analyst for the Board of Supervisors in Santa Clara County. Dr. Vejby’s interest in how people interact with the past has shaped her research in Europe and California, and it continues to influence her work to preserve our local history and archaeology.

	Twilled Cattail Mat Workshop with Charlie Kennard Sunday, July 15, 9:30am-3:30pm Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 $95. Pre-registration required (see below). Enjoy a delightful day full of hands-on learning in Heron Hall and around the peaceful Laguna Environmental Center grounds with master weaver, Charlie Kennard. We will make plaited table mats (like the greenish one pictured) based on a central Mexican technique for rodilleros, mats for kneeling on when grinding corn at home. When new, they have a delightful grassy scent and a muted variable green color. The technique involves the frequent smacking of the fabric with a rock, so this workshop will be noisy! The mats are typically made on the floor, but tables will also be available for use. All basket-making materials are included in the registration fee. Participants bring a water bowl, a wide house-painting brush, and, if they wish to work on the floor, a thin cushion, as well as their own lunch. Hot drinks and snacks are provided. Charlie Kennard of San Anselmo is a long-time basket weaver and student of California Indian and European techniques. He has taught for MAPOM, Point Reyes Field Institute, East Bay Regional Parks Botanic Garden, and in many schools and at teacher trainings. Tule boats made in his workshops can be seen at the California Academy of Sciences, the Bay Model in Sausalito, the Oakland Museum, and the one in Heron Hall! You can also visit a basketry plant garden he created at the Marin Art and Garden Center in Ross, where he and four friends recently wove a basket 13 feet in diameter. Charlie is active in native habitat restoration in Marin, managing several projects for Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed.



	Taking Flight: Documentary Film Screening of “A Thousand Cranes” And presentation with Veronica Bowers, Native Songbird Care and Conservation Thursday, June 21, (Summer Solstice!), 7:00-9:00pm Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 $12-25 sliding scale (non-refundable). Pre-registration required (see below). Benefits Laguna Foundation and Native Songbird Care and Conservation Join us to celebrate the summer solstice with a rare screening of a very special documentary -- Brian Kahn's Award-Winning Documentary "A Thousand Cranes" followed by a presentation by Veronica Bowers of Native Songbird Care & Conservation about the role of the Laguna de Santa Rosa in the Pacific Flyway. Local writer Michele Anna Jordan will introduce the film with two brief stories, one the tale of how she tracked down its maker and another of how she saved, or helped save, 4000 ravens with just 15 minutes of work. "A Thousand Cranes" opens with the folding of hundreds of origami cranes in an effort, by a young woman with cancer, to make a thousand of the delicate paper birds, at which time, Japanese legend tells us, the folder is granted a wish by the gods. Narrated by Joanne Woodward, the film then uses the parable of the cranes to explore both the threat of nuclear annihilation and the remarkable efforts by Soviet and American scientists, who worked together to save the beautiful Siberian crane from extinction. The film is at once alarming, compelling, tender, beautiful, delightful and optimistic and shows how individuals from vastly different cultures can come together out of shared love and shared knowledge to undo damage perpetrated by humans who unknowingly threaten other species as they struggle to survive themselves. The film is appropriate for all ages. Following the screening of this exquisite film, Veronica Bowers will make a verbal and visual presentation about the role the Laguna de Santa Rosa plays in the Pacific Flyway. Light snacks will be provided during the event. In 1987, Brian Kahn, who served as Sonoma County Supervisor for the 1st District (Sonoma Valley and East Santa Rosa) from 1977 to 1980, released "A Thousand Cranes" documentary. The film was praised worldwide and received numerous awards, including the President's Medal at the Salerno International Film Festival. It was shown around the world but has somehow been overlooked in the digital age. This is a rare opportunity to see it. Brian currently lives in Helena, Montana, where he produces and hosts Home Ground Radio, now in its 21st year, which a listener describes as "a cumulative portrait of our culture in transition." He is a writer, journalist, author of five books to date, and former president of the California Fish and Game Commission. For more information about his work, visit his radio website. Veronica Bowers founded Native Songbird Care & Conservation in 2004. The non-profit organization cares for over 1000 songbirds each year in a rehabilitation center located on the edge of downtown Sebastopol. Veronica's understanding of and passion for these birds forms the foundation of this all-volunteer effort to heal and release songbirds that have been injured in their natural environment. She cares for over 60 species each year. Michele Anna Jordan, best known for her writing about food, wine, and Sonoma County, fell in love with this film when it was first released and, a few years ago, set out to find Brian when the film proved unavailable online or elsewhere. Her interested is fueled by her prodigious love of both birds and the Laguna de Santa Rosa, where she enjoys watching egrets, herons and ravens. For more information about her work, visit her website.

	Coloring the Garden in Colored Pencil Drawing Workshop with Nina Antze Saturday, June 30, 10:00am-3:00pm Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401 $95. Pre-registration required (see below). Summer is the time for warmth, exuberance, relaxation, and working in the garden. Colored pencils are a fun, safe, portable, and meditative way to express oneself artistically. Come explore and draw the beautiful plants of the summer at the Laguna Environmental Center, or bring favorite flowers from your own garden to draw. We will explore a variety of colored pencil techniques and learn how to blend, burnish, and create new colors while incorporating the techniques of botanical drawing. We will focus on color theory, color application, value and form. All levels welcome. Suitable for 12 year olds and up (children under 15 must be accompanied by a parent). Participants bring their own lunch and art supplies (a supply list will be provided). Hot drinks and light snacks will be provided. Nina Antze is a Sonoma County botanical artist and quiltmaker. She has a degree in Fine Art from San Francisco State and a Certificate in Botanical Illustration from the New York Botanical Gardens. She teaches colored pencil and botanical workshops throughout the Bay Area. Learn more at her website.