Community Education
Walks, Talks, and Classes

SEPTEMBER  •  OCTOBER  •  NOVEMBER

The Laguna Foundation is proud to collaborate with local biologists, artists, educators, naturalists, and partner organizations to offer a wide range of natural and cultural history online programs, presentations, and outings all year long. Whether you’d like to learn a new skill, enjoy the beautiful Laguna scenery, or attend a fun event with your family, the Laguna Foundation has a variety of offerings to deepen your appreciation for the Laguna de Santa Rosa, connect with nature, and inspire a vibrant community dedicated to lifelong learning.

Please note: Heavy smoke, excessive heat, or heavy rain cancels outdoor programs. Lastly, please let us know in advance if you can no longer attend an outing so we can offer a spot to someone on the wait-list.

Select webinar recordings can be found on our YouTube channel.

For more information, contact Ashley Carreño, Education Coordinator, at (707) 527-9277 xt. 108 or by email

September
	Laguna Guides Training 12-hour training course begins Thursday, September 19, 2024. 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm $45. Registration Requested by September 1. Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA Join the Laguna de Santa Rosa Education Team - Become a Laguna Guide this Fall! Help the Laguna Foundation community events thrive! We offer a wide range of presentations, outings and workshops all year long to deepen our appreciation for the Laguna de Santa Rosa, connect with nature, and inspire a vibrant community dedicated to lifelong learning. These educational and outreach events are not possible without volunteer support! At each event, Laguna Guides are needed to help with a variety of tasks including: engaging participants and sharing about the Laguna, program set-up of tables and chairs, direct parking, take merchandise sales, clean-up, and help build enthusiasm and appreciation for the Laguna de Santa Rosa, a Wetland of International Importance. Guides not only help support the events, but they have the opportunity to attend those events for free! 2024 Training schedule (12–hour commitment): "Meet the Laguna Watershed" training on Thursday, September 19, 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. Training inside Great Blue Heron Hall on Saturday, September 21, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Training outside at Irwin Creek on Saturday, September 28, 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Lunch is provided.
Presented in Partnership With:	Laguna Stewards on the Laguna de Santa Rosa Trail Saturday, September 21, 2024. 9:00 am – Noon FREE. Registration required. Location: Laguna de Santa Rosa Trailhead, 6303 CA-12, Santa Rosa Kick-Off the First Stewardship Day of the Season! Join us for Laguna Stewards Day, a fun and meaningful way to volunteer while enjoying the outdoors. We will be meeting at the Highway 12 entrance of the Laguna de Santa Rosa Trail and hiking a half mile into Balletto Field, home to a restoration site on unique vernal pool habitat! This is a great way to get to know your community while stewarding this amazing site through invasive species control and other habitat management strategies. We have work for everyone, and all ages are invited, so bring a friend or bring the kids! We suggest wearing long pants, closed-toe shoes, and sun protection. Bring a water bottle, a smile, and some elbow grease; we’ll bring the tools, snacks, and fun facts about vernal pools. Only heavy rain cancels. PLEASE NOTE: All ages are welcome! No experience is necessary; tools and training are provided. Funding support by the State Coastal Conservancy, through the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018 (Proposition 68). --- Laguna Stewards en el sendero Laguna de Santa Rosa Sábado 21 de septiembre de 2024. 9:00 am – Mediodía GRATIS. Se requiere registro. Ubicación: Inicio del sendero Laguna de Santa Rosa, 6303 CA-12, Santa Rosa ¡Comienza el primer día de voluntarios de la temporada! Únase a nosotros para el día de Laguna Stewards, una forma divertida y significativa de ser voluntario mientras disfruta del aire libre. Nos reuniremos en la entrada de la autopista 12 del sendero Laguna de Santa Rosa y caminaremos media milla hasta Balletto Field, hogar de un sitio de restauración en un hábitat único de charcas vernales. Esta es una excelente manera de conocer a su comunidad mientras atender este increíble sitio mediante el control de especies invasoras y otras estrategias para atender el hábitat. Tenemos trabajo para todos, invitamos a todas las edades, ¡así que traiga a un amigo o traiga a los niños! Sugerimos usar pantalones largos, zapatos cerrados y protección solar. Traiga una botella de agua, una sonrisa y un poco de esfuerzo; Traeremos las herramientas, bocadillos y datos curiosos sobre las piscinas primaverales. Solamente cancelamos el día durante lluvias fuertes TENGA EN CUENTA: ¡Todas las edades son bienvenidas! No se necesita experiencia; Se proporcionan herramientas y capacitación. Apoyo financiero de State Coastal Conservancy, a través de la Ley de Sequía, Agua, Parques, Clima, Protección Costera y Acceso al Aire Libre para Todos de California de 2018 (Proposición 68).

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October
	Native Plant Garden Volunteer Day Friday, October 4, 2024. 9:00 am – Noon FREE. Registration Required. Location: Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA Share your passion for pollinators by helping our native plant garden thrive! Volunteers are essential in beautifying our site. Activities include planting, weeding, spreading wood chips, and... looking for Monarchs on milkweed! No experience necessary, just a willingness to learn about native plants. Training and tools will be provided, plus abundant and hearty snacks! Wear clothes and shoes that can get dirty. Only heavy rain cancels.
	Fall Color Play: Leaves, Berries, Fruit Colored Pencil Workshop with Nina Antze Saturday, October 5, 2024. 10:00 am – 2:00 pm $60. Registration Required. Location: Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA Let’s get together and observe and draw the change of seasons, summer into fall at the Laguna - rose hips, changing leaf color, last flowers and fruits, seed pods, and other first signs of autumn. Working with colored pencils, learn to create interesting color combinations using blending and layering techniques, incorporating the basics of botanical drawing while enjoying the beauty of Heron Hall and the Laguna. You will also have the opportunity to view our new art exhibit, Flora of the Laguna, botanical illustrations in colored pencil by 12 Sonoma County artists, including Nina Antze. All levels are welcome. A supply list 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 online and throughout the Bay Area. Her “Shelter in Place Quilt #5” was recently chosen for inclusion in the deYoung Open 23. More info here: http://pcquilt.com/
Presented in Partnership With:	Beginners Fall Birding at the Laguna Uplands Preserve With Miles and Teresa Tuffli Wednesday, October 9, 2024. 8:30 am – 10:30 am FREE. Registration Required. Location: Laguna Uplands Preserve, 6700 Palm Ave, Sebastopol, CA Calling all new birders and bird-curious folks! Are you new to birdwatching or just curious to try it out? Then join us for a beginners birding walk exploring the Laguna Uplands Preserve in Sebastopol. We’ll slowly meander along the mostly flat trail as it winds through open oak savannah, grasslands, and down to the Laguna floodplain. We want to help and inspire bird-curious beginners to get out and appreciate the bird world. Don't be shy if you've never birded before - that's what we're here for! We’ll start with a tutorial on using binoculars and an introductory discussion about birding. As we explore the area, stopping frequently to study the birds we encounter, we’ll discuss a variety of topics, such as: techniques for locating birds, what sorts of details to notice when observing a bird, species identification, bird vocalizations, and bird behavior and habitats. NOTE: Though we’ll be walking slowly, for those with mobility issues, please be aware that we will be on unpaved trails and some slight inclines. Miles and Teresa Tuffli are avid birders from Sonoma County. They especially enjoy helping fellow nature-lovers and “bird-curious” folks take the next step of getting into the field to enjoy the bird world! They’ve led guided bird walks for the Point Reyes Birding & Nature Festival, LandPaths, Marin Audubon Society, and Point Reyes National Seashore Association’s Field Institute. Learn more about them at their website and blog, I'm Birding Right Now There is no charge for this outing, which is made possible by the voters of Sonoma County who fund the work of Ag + Open Space with a quarter-cent sales tax.
	California Native Plants Sale and Open House Offered in Partnership with the California Native Plant Society, Milo Baker Chapter Saturday, October 12, 2024. 10:00 am – 1:00 pm FREE. No RSVP Needed. Location: Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA Planting season for California native plant gardens is here! Celebrate autumn at the Laguna Environmental Center (LEC) while learning about California native plants. Shop for new additions to your garden in our shared nursery with the Milo Baker Chapter of the California Native Plant Society (CNPS) then join us in the LEC landscape at 11:00 am or 12:00 pm for a guided walk in our native plant demonstration garden. It will also be a great opportunity to see the new Heron Hall art exhibit, “Flora of the Laguna” by a group of colored pencil artists. We are proud to offer this event in collaboration with our local CNPS partners. Thank you for supporting this plant sale and open house, while nurturing local wildlife habitat in your own backyard.
Presented in Partnership With:	Laguna Stewards at Sam Jones Hall Preserve Saturday, October 19, 2024. 9:00 am – Noon FREE. Registration required. Location: Sam Jones Hall Preserve, 4020 Finley Ave, Santa Rosa Join us for Laguna Stewards day, a fun and meaningful way to volunteer while enjoying the outdoors. We will be meeting at Sam Jones Hall (4020 Finley Ave., Santa Rosa 95407) to access the adjacent Sam Jones Habitat Preserve, home to a restoration site with beautiful valley oaks and vernal pool habitat! Bring a friend! Bring the kids! No experience needed. Tools and training provided. Wear clothes and shoes that can get dirty. Please bring a water bottle. Only heavy rain cancels. Funding support by the State Coastal Conservancy, through the California Drought, Water, Parks, Climate, Coastal Protection, and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018 (Proposition 68). --- Laguna Stewards en Sam Jones Hall Preserve Sábado 21 19 de Octubre, de 9:00 am a Mediodía GRATIS. Se requiere registro. Ubicación: 4020 Finley Ave, Santa Rosa ¡Comienza el primer día de mayordomía de la temporada! Únase a nosotros para el día de los mayordomos de Laguna, una forma divertida y significativa de ser voluntario mientras disfruta del aire libre. Nos reuniremos en Sam Jones Hall para acceder a la reserva de hábitat de Sam Jones adyacente, que alberga un sitio de restauración con hermosos robles del valle y un hábitat de charca primaveral. ¡Trae un amigo! ¡Trae a los niños! No se necesita experiencia. Herramientas y capacitación proporcionadas. Use ropa y zapatos que puedan ensuciarse. Por favor traiga una botella de agua, una sonrisa y un poco de esfuerzo. Sólo las fuertes lluvias cancelan. Apoyo financiero de State Coastal Conservancy, a través de la Ley de Sequía, Agua, Parques, Clima, Protección Costera y Acceso al Aire Libre para Todos de California de 2018 (Proposición 68).

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November
	Lisa Rogers’ EcoPrint with Leaves Saturday, November 2, 2024. 10:00 am – 2:00 pm $90.00 Registration Required. This class is limited to 10 participants! Location: Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA This workshop will cover different techniques, including tannins and iron and pounding leaf prints on paper, Hapa Zome. We will take a 45 minute lunch break while pieces simmer away. Participants will create their leaf print designs on a pre-mordanted silk piece. It can be used as a scarf, runner or wall hanging. This piece measures approximately 11" X 60”. No materials or experience needed. Workshop fee includes all necessary materials and instruction. Instructor Bio: Lisa Rogers is the creator and owner of SlowDigz. She previously worked as a science and garden educator and began following a creative path with natural dyeing. Lisa learned about ecoprinting, printing leaves on fabric and paper, over a decade ago. She fell in love with the process of obtaining prints from nature, which sparked a fire that led to over a decade of experimentation and research through books, workshops and numerous fails. Leaving full time teaching, this passion became the small business, SlowDigz, Eco Designs, where Lisa shares her passion and love of nature through botanical prints.

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For more information, contact Ashley Carreño, Education Coordinator
(707) 527-9277 xt. 108 or by email