Community Events 2019
March | April | May | JuneClick here to review our cancellation policy
March
Biology of the Laguna de Santa Rosa
Presentation by Denise Cadman
Tuesday, March 26, 6:30 - 8:30 pm
Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$14 (non-refundable). Pre-registration requiredThe topography, soil and climate of the Santa Rosa Plain produce a mosaic of interwoven and diverse habitats that provide homes to many different plants and animals, including rare and endemic species. This rich ecosystem makes the Laguna a special and important place for us all. Join us for a lively visual journey to meet some of the life of the Laguna and to gain deeper understanding and connection to our shared home environment.
Denise Cadman has been an environmental steward of the Laguna for more than 25 years. She grew up in the wilds of Rincon Valley and earned her BA, secondary teaching credential, and Master of Arts degree in biology from Sonoma State University. She works as an Environmental Specialist for the City of Santa Rosa focused on creek stewardship, environmental education and resource management. Additionally, she teaches at Santa Rosa Junior College as an adjunct faculty member in the Life Science Department. Denise has been integral to teaching and inspiring a love of the Laguna through the Laguna Foundation’s docent training program since its inception in 1998. Denise attributes her career in natural resource management to a love of birds.
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April
Tule Berry-Gathering Basket
Workshop with Charlie Kennard
Saturday, April 6, 9:30 am - 3:30 pm
Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$95. Pre-registration required.
~This workshop is full. ~ Click the "Register Now" button below to join the waitlist.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 tule, (a giant species of sedge native to the Laguna and freshwater marshes all over North America), we will weave an Owens Valley Paiute-style scoop-shaped basket. This basket was used for gathering berries and for storing honey-dew collected from the leaves of common reed. Several unusual weaving techniques will be practiced during this workshop.
Previous experience with twining is recommended. Suitable for adults and teenagers. All basket-making materials are included in the registration fee. Participants bring 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.
Birds of the Laguna de Santa Rosa
Presentation by Denise Cadman
Tuesday, April 9, 6:00 - 8:30 pm
Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$14 (non-refundable). Pre-registration required.Birds are the one form of wildlife that nearly everyone encounters daily. These winged friends provide natural insect control. Birds are indicators of environmental health. Birds are found nearly everywhere in the world. They capture our imaginations, stimulate innovation and provide respite from the demands of our lives. And...birds...fly. Their arrivals and departures mark changing seasons. They even build tiny houses with just two feet and a beak. More than 200 species rely on the Laguna and its mosaic of habitats for food, shelter and nesting sites. Join us for a visual journey that includes an introduction to ornithology, plus a tour of some of the local bird habitats, and “meet” some the species that depend on them. Come learn, rekindle your avian affections, or maybe fall in love with our bird companions for the first time.
Denise Cadman has been an environmental steward of the Laguna for more than 25 years. She grew up in the wilds of Rincon Valley and earned her BA, secondary teaching credential, and Master of Arts degree in biology from Sonoma State University. She works as an Environmental Specialist for the City of Santa Rosa focused on creek stewardship, environmental education and resource management. Additionally, she teaches at Santa Rosa Junior College as an adjunct faculty member in the Life Science Department. Denise has been integral to teaching and inspiring a love of the Laguna through the Laguna Foundation’s docent training program since its inception in 1998. Denise attributes her career in natural resource management to a love of birds.
Side by Side with Wild Neighbors: The Living with Mountain Lions Project
Presentation by Audubon Canyon Ranch Wildlife Ecologist, Dr. Quinton Martins
Thursday, April 11, 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$14 (non-refundable). Pre-registration required.Living with Lions is a research and education project of Audubon Canyon Ranch in Sonoma and Napa Counties that is increasing scientific and public understanding of mountain lions. Recently, the scope of the project expanded, through the help of land owners, with the capture and GPS-collaring of mountain lion P14 in the West County area of Sonoma County. Within this project, researchers humanely capture and equip lions with GPS collars. Biological measurements and samples are taken to determine their age and health, as well as to map the genetic makeup of the region and state’s lion populations, identify priority habitat areas for conservation, and increase appreciation for these important top predators. The team also is investigating the impacts of the 2017 Sonoma County fires on large predators. Come and learn more about these majestic, yet elusive creatures living in our area. Dr. Martins will share some of the Project’s research findings, answer your questions, and address fears some of you may have about how we can co-exist with this ecologically significant species.
Dr. Quinton Martins is a Wildlife Ecologist with Audubon Canyon Ranch (ACR) at their Bouverie Preserve near Glen Ellen. As ACR’s principal investigator on the Mountain Lion Project , Dr. Martins is a leading expert on large mountain cats. The founder and former CEO of the Cape Leopard Trust in South Africa, Dr. Martins has over 20 years of field experience in wilderness areas throughout much of Africa, Saudi Arabia and the USA. His work highlights the manner in which charismatic and iconic apex predators like leopards and mountain lions, act as umbrella species, and can lead to broad ecosystem conservation
Big Brush Watercolor Painting
Workshop with Donna DeLaBriandais
Saturday, April 27, 9:30 am - 3:00 pm
Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$90. Pre-registration required.Paint the bounty of the Laguna Environmental Center! Spring is a time of renewal and the lush green fields of grass, flowers and new growth in the native plant garden at the at the Center will be fun and natural to paint spontaneously with a big brush. Learn techniques of capturing the essence of what you see "en plein air" on watercolor paper using a painterly approach. We will begin the morning in Heron Hall with fun, simple painting and drawing exercises focused on flowers, fruit and other natural objects. The day will then progress outdoors (weather permitting). Demonstrations, paint-along, and one-on-one help will be part of the learning experience throughout the day.
Some painting experience will be helpful but beginning to intermediate painters will learn new skills and techniques.
Donna DeLaBriandais is a third generation native of Sonoma County, California. She studied painting at the Academy of Art University and graduated from the University of San Francisco. She later spent a summer at La Romita in Italy painting "en Plein air." Donna is an Impressionist painter in oils and watercolor. She earned Signature Membership in the American Impressionist Society in 2007 and is an Associate Member in the California Art Club. Donna teaches art classes through the Santa Rosa Junior College, National parks and various Bay Area art centers. "My favorite subjects are landscapes painted in the late afternoon when the sunlight is warm and the shadows are long." www.donnasfineart.com
From Riverbanks to Floodplains: Watershed Perspectives on the Southern Laguna Discovery Trail
with Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation and Sonoma Water
Saturday, April 20, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
FREE, but pre-registration is required (see below)The Laguna de Santa Rosa is an ever-changing landscape, from a submerged wetland more akin to a lake during winter to a web of small streams in the heat of summer. This past February, we experienced firsthand how torrential rains can turn trickling creeks into flowing rivers and low-lying fields into flooded pools. Managing this complex system for the safety of our communities, health of the watershed and enjoyment of our rich backyard ecosystem is a large undertaking, and one that is worked on by many organizations and partnerships throughout Sonoma County. Join the Laguna Foundation and Sonoma Water for a leisurely spring walk on the Laguna Discovery Trail to learn more about our partner projects within the Laguna de Santa Rosa and understand this small piece of our 254-square-mile watershed. We will see past work on the stream channel, restored native plants, and discuss partner watershed projects while keeping an eye out for different insects and animals out enjoying the results of our work.
This free walk, just two days before Earth Day, offers a unique opportunity to explore a new area and connect with two inspiring local organizations. Transportation to the Southern Laguna Discovery Trail from the Laguna Environmental Center will be provided as well as light snacks and tea when you arrive.
This event is made possible through a partnership with Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation and Sonoma Water.
Getting to Know Wetland Birds
Bird Walk with Lisa Hug
Sunday, April 28, 8:30 am-1:00 pm
Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$55. Pre-registration required.The rich wetlands of the Laguna de Santa Rosa are home to an incredible diversity of waterfowl, birds of prey, and songbirds. These birds and their life histories vary almost as much as the landscape itself -from the nearly four-foot tall Great Blue Heron wading in a pond to the tiny Common Yellowthroat hiding in the cattails. Join us for a fun and leisurely learning experience with Lisa Hug, local naturalist and well-known birder. We will begin with hot drinks, snacks and a short presentation in Heron Hall to learn about some of the feathered friends we are likely to come across in the Laguna, and then carpool out to Meadowlane Ponds see and hear them in person. Finally, we will return to Heron Hall to eat our packed lunches together and make a list of the birds we encountered to round out the day.
Lisa Hug originally came to California from the Midwest in 1986. She was very involved with Point Reyes Bird Observatory and eventually became a contract biologist and freelance naturalist in the mid-1990s. She has been teaching for the College of Marin, Petaluma Adult School and Point Reyes Field Institute for over a decade. She was president of Redwood Region Ornithological Society for two years and received the Martha Bentley and Ernestine Smith Award For the Dedication to Wildlife Conservation Education in 2009. She was regional coordinator for the Sonoma County Breeding Bird Atlas and is currently one of the Sonoma County Reviewers for ebird.org . She is the editor for the Birds Checklist for the Laguna de Santa Rosa which can be bought through the Laguna Foundation Store.
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May
Eco-Friendly Garden Tour: Laguna Environmental Center Open House & Native Plant Sale
Saturday, May 4
10:00 am-4:00 pm: Open house
10:00 am-2:00 pm: Plant sale by the Milo Baker Chapter of the California Native Plant Society
2:30 pm-3:15 pm: Native Plant Propagation talk in Heron Hall
Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
The Eco-Friendly Garden Tour is FREE, but registration is required through eventbrite.Stop by the Laguna Environmental Center for this special Saturday Open House celebrating the many joys of spring, with a focus on native plants and eco-friendly gardening. We will have fun and engaging activities for all ages. In addition to CNPS volunteers, our Laguna Guides will be on hand to show you around the native plant garden or give you a tour of historic Stone Farm. Enjoy the Children’s Playscape. Look for Bald Eagles through the binoculars or watch nesting Bluebirds through the spotting scope. It will be a great opportunity to see the new Heron Hall exhibit Into the Fold: Oil and Acrylic Paintings by Angela Zocco Sturr. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the ever-changing views of the Laguna de Santa Rosa.
We are proud to offer this event in collaboration with our local partners. Take the self-guided “Eco-Friendly Garden Tour” provided by the Sonoma-Marin Saving Water Partnership, which showcases wildlife-friendly and water-saving plants for use in sustainable landscaping. Our friends with the Milo Baker Chapter of the California Native Plant Society will also be here selling native plants from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Buy a few to take home, thereby supporting our local California Native Plant Society chapter while nurturing local wildlife habitat in your own backyard! Join us in Heron Hall at 2:30pm for a talk on “Native Plant Propagation” by Walter Earle, Nursery Manager at the Laguna Foundation and formally the owner of Mostly Natives nursery in Tomales.
Sunset Vernal Pools Botanical Field Trip
Walk with Sarah Gordon
Thursday, May 9, 5:30 pm-8:30 pm
Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$35. Pre-registration required.“Golden hour”, a figurative term for the period just before sunset, is a great time to explore the blooming vernal pools of the Laguna de Santa Rosa watershed. Vernal pools, or temporary pools of water that provide habitat for distinctive plants and animals, are a unique feature of the Santa Rosa plain. Every year is different for vernal pool flora, which depends on many factors such as timing of rainfall, total amount of rainfall and daytime temperatures, to name a few. This botanical field trip will begin in Heron Hall with a brief overview of Santa Rosa Plain vernal pool ecology and the Laguna Foundation vernal pool conservation program, followed by a tour of one to two vernal pool sites where we will identify plants and talk about vernal pool conservation goals and challenges. We aim to find many different native vernal pool flowers and grasses, and possibly the rare Burke’s goldfields. The site(s) will be identified just prior to the field trip, but may include both natural and created vernal pools.
Vernal pools may be dry or holding water in early May, depending on rainfall for the season, hiking boots or waterproof boots will be required, depending on the amount of spring rainfall. Walking will be over short distances but on uneven and possible very wet ground. Because parking is often limited, we will carpool from Heron Hall to the field sites. Please arrive to the Laguna Environmental Center ready to begin promptly at 5:30pm to allow for plenty of time exploring the pools before dark. Rain will cancel.
A field guide to Vernal Pool Plants of the Santa Rosa Plain ($15) will be available for purchase.
Sarah Gordon joined the Laguna Foundation staff in February of 2017 as Conservation Science Program Manager to expand and develop a Santa Rosa Plain vernal pool conservation program. Sarah is a plant ecologist with experience in seasonal wetland plant ecology and rare plant conservation. She completed her M.S. degree at Sonoma State University and has worked as a lecturer, researcher and ecological consultant, specializing in botany, rare plants and vernal pool ecosystems, primarily in Sonoma County.
Motherhood and Nesting Exploration
Bird Walk with Lisa Hug
Saturday, May 11, 8:30 am-1:00 pm
Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$55. Pre-registration required.Spring is a lively time at the Laguna de Santa Rosa with blooming flowers, increasing daylight and birds singing to signal breeding and nesting season. What better way to celebrate Mother’s Day weekend than to watch the entertaining Double-crested Cormorants perform their parenting duties? We will look and listen for other birds, including colorful orioles and grosbeaks, on the way to the rookery, where we will spend some extra time observing the cormorants nesting behavior. This driving and walking tour with local birder and naturalist Lisa Hug will start at the Laguna Environmental Center (LEC) before carpooling out to Delta Pond, an area that is ordinarily closed to the public. At the end, we will return to the LEC to enjoy our packed lunches and create a list of birds encountered throughout the day.
Lisa Hug originally came to California from the Midwest in 1986. She was very involved with Point Reyes Bird Observatory and eventually became a contract biologist and freelance naturalist in the mid-1990s. She has been teaching for the College of Marin, Petaluma Adult School and Point Reyes Field Institute for over a decade. She was president of Redwood Region Ornithological Society for two years and received the Martha Bentley and Ernestine Smith Award For the Dedication to Wildlife Conservation Education in 2009. She was regional coordinator for the Sonoma County Breeding Bird Atlas and is currently one of the Sonoma County Reviewers for ebird.org . She is the editor for the Birds Checklist for the Laguna de Santa Rosa which can be bought through the Laguna Foundation Store.
Taking Great Photos with Your iPhone/Smartphone
Workshop with Susan and Neil Silverman
Saturday, May 18, 2019, 9:00 am-4:00 pm
Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$105. Pre-registration required.What inspires you to take a picture? Is it natural beauty; a bizarre moment; a quirky expression; an adorable child; your dog at the beach? No matter what sparks your motivation to “click”, your photographs represent what is significant in your life. The best camera to capture those moments is the one you have with you. These days that is most likely your phone!
Come spend time in a fun and inspirational environment to improve your vision and learn techniques that will elevate the quality of your images. We will spend time indoors and outside learning about working with natural light, depth of field, achieving sharp images that will print beautifully, macro, detail and landscape photography, HDR, panos, filters, action, burst mode, selfies and editing in the phone. After practicing with our phones or tablets (iPads, iPhones or Android devices) we will return to Heron Hall to review, share and discuss.
Susan and Neil Silverman are a husband-wife team who have taught and photographed together for over twenty years. Their passion behind the lens is transmitted not only through their images, but to their students as well. They have been leading their own workshops for over ten years and taught for Great American Photography Workshops for ten years; have taught for Better Photo.com, Santa Fe School, PPA affiliates, PPC, B&H Photo, Pacific North West Art School, Gualala Art Center, Santa Rosa Junior College, and many more. Although they are well versed in Photoshop and Lightroom, they believe in getting the image in the camera. They love teaching and watching their students have that “Aha” moment of learning how to capture a wonderful photo. They forever seek "the Image, the Light, and the Moment" through their camera lens and their life experiences. Photography is fun, exciting and an ever-changing environment and they work hard to keep their finger on the pulse of the beat of the times. A photo can be good or great; and they believe in putting the "extra" in front of ordinary. Visit their website.
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June
Bird Courtship and Breeding Strategies
Bird Walk with Lisa Hug
Sunday, June 16, 2019, 8:30 am-1:00 pm
Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$55. Pre-registration required.June is the month when fledglings appear throughout the wetlands of the Laguna, emerging from deep within the tules, out of nests, and from cavities in trees. Often the male parent will take on feeding and protective responsibilities for the youngsters, who are just getting their webbed feet wet, or downy wings in the air. Watching these grebes, ducks, hawks and sparrows, among other birds, taking care of their offspring is a great way to celebrate Father’s Day! Join us for a fun-filled outing along beautiful, secluded Alpha Farm, which is normally closed to the public. We will begin the day at the Laguna Environmental Center (LEC) and carpool out to the site, and then return to the LEC to enjoy our packed lunches and create a list of birds we saw throughout the day.
Lisa Hug originally came to California from the Midwest in 1986. She was very involved with Point Reyes Bird Observatory and eventually became a contract biologist and freelance naturalist in the mid-1990s. She has been teaching for the College of Marin, Petaluma Adult School and Point Reyes Field Institute for over a decade. She was president of Redwood Region Ornithological Society for two years and received the Martha Bentley and Ernestine Smith Award For the Dedication to Wildlife Conservation Education in 2009. She was regional coordinator for the Sonoma County Breeding Bird Atlas and is currently one of the Sonoma County Reviewers for ebird.org . She is the editor for the Birds Checklist for the Laguna de Santa Rosa which can be bought through the Laguna Foundation Store.
Coloring the Summer Garden
Colored Pencil Techniques workshop with Nina Antze
Saturday, June 29, 10:00 am-3:00 pm
Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$95. Pre-registration required.Summer is the time for warmth, exuberance, relaxation, and working in the garden. Come explore and draw the beautiful plants of the summer at the Laguna- Clarkia, Nigella, wild roses, California poppies, penstemon, or favorite flowers from your own garden. 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, color theory, 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 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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Also on tap, coming up ... Stay tuned for details!
- April 20 – Laguna Watershed Perspectives Walk with Sonoma Water
- May 12 – Mothers Day Spring Walk and Craft
- June 22 – Nature Journaling with Marley Peifer
- June 29 – Colored Pencils Drawing workshop with Nina Antze
- 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 Allison Titus, Community Education Program Manager
(707) 527-9277 xt. 110 or by email at Allison@LagunaFoundation.org.[ top ]
. Banner Image by Gary Hundt
