Community Events 2019
February | March | April | May | JuneClick here to review our cancellation policy
February
Seed to Table: How to Process and Eat Acorns of the Laguna Watershed
Workshop with Zoe Minervini-Zick and Dylan Gearheart
Sunday, February 17, 1:00-4:00pm
Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$40. Pre-registration required.
~This workshop is full. ~ Click the "Register Now" button below to join the waitlist.
Have you ever thought about eating acorns? How would you process it? What kind of foods can you make with acorns? Here's your opportunity to try it in this hands-on workshop. Let us introduce you to the wonders of acorns as a local staple food. We'll cover oak species identification, how to locate, harvest, process acorns into flour, and give back to the land. Reciprocity is a key component in building a healthy relationship with the plants we forage. In these times of changing climate, oaks are a resilient candidate for nourishment and have been for local indigenous tribes for many generations. Learn to integrate oaks into your everyday life and participate in local food sovereignty efforts.
Acorns and processing tools will be provided, but participants are welcome to bring their own acorns or mortar and pestles/grain grinders. Vegan and non-vegan acorn mush will be available to taste, in addition to hot drinks and light snacks. This workshop is suitable for adults and teens 13 and older (minors must be accompanied by an adult), and will take place indoors, rain or shine.
Zoe Minervini-Zick grew up with coast live oaks in Oakland (Ohlone land) and Sebastopol (Southern Pomo land), California. She has been studying ethnobotany for nine years, starting at the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine in Ithaca, New York, and most recently at the Columbines School of Botanical Studies in Eugene, Oregon. As a forager, gardener, fermenter, and land steward she is working towards personal, cultural and ecological healing and resilience.
Dylan Gearheart is an aspiring native plant horticulturalist and tracker who grew up in San Diego (Kumeyaay territory) around coast live oaks and chaparral. He received a B.S. in Industrial Arts and Design from Humboldt State University and certificate in Permaculture Design and Social Forestry from Siskiyou Permaculture. He is continuing to develop his skills in providing ecological garden consultations, design and maintenance.
A portion of the proceeds from this workshop will be donated to the California Indian Museum and Cultural Center’s Acorn Bites food sovereignty project.
Orientation for Laguna Greeter Training
Thursday, February 21, 6:00-7:30pm
Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
FREE. Please RSVP.Connect with the community by providing event support at the Laguna Foundation’s classes and outings, as well as represent the Foundation at local events such as festivals and farmers markets. At each event, Laguna Greeters may be assigned to one or more of these tasks: setup and cleanup of tables and chairs; directing parking; greeting and checking-in guests; taking Gift Shop merchandise sales; setup and cleanup of snacks; representing the Laguna Foundation (tabling) at community events. Greeters help support the events, as well as have the opportunity to attend those events for free!
Experts in biology, natural history, and environmental education train Laguna Greeters in lively classes and field trips. Greeter Training is approximately 10 hours and consists of three classes at the Laguna Environmental Center (March 12, March 23 and March 26, 2019). Trainees are also invited to attend four optional classes and field trips.
The fee for training is $30. Trainees receive a binder with reading and reference material that is closely tied with the theme of each classroom session. This fee helps to offset the costs of running the training and materials, plus a one year membership to the Laguna Foundation. A small number of partial scholarships are available.
Cold Process Soap Making from Start to Finish
Workshop with Kelly Smith Saturday, February 23, 10:00am-12:30pm
Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$40. Pre-registration required.Learn to make soap right in your own kitchen! If you're new to soap making, it can seem a bit overwhelming even with all of the online resources available; sometimes they make it even more confusing! Join veteran soap maker Kelly Smith, owner and creator of Rubber Ducky Soap, to learn about the chemistry and various aspects of making bar soap using the cold-process method. Kelly will share safety information, the pros and cons of various ingredients, and how to formulate a soap recipe based on individual needs. We will make two batches of soap with scents and additives agreed upon in the class. Participants will bring home two small containers of soap. Even though it will be hard to wait the necessary two weeks for the soap to cure and be ready for use, it will be well worth the wait! After this class you will be ready to make your own batch of soap. Take note...it can be addictive!
Kelly Smith was drawn to soap making after friends gave her a bar of soap they had made when she was in her mid 20's. Being plagued by dry skin her entire life, once she tried the handmade bar she was driven to learn how to make soap herself. After a few failed attempts Kelly finally figured out to make soap like the one she was given. By then she was hooked and decided to start a home-based business selling soap at local farmers' markets and craft fairs. Kelly now operates eleven farmers markets in Sonoma and Marin Counties and has turned her passion for making soap into a successful hobby business.
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March
Orientation for Learning Laguna Docent Training
Monday, March 4, 10:00-11:30 am
Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
FREE. Please RSVP.Expand and share your love of nature and nurture the next generation of naturalists! Docents lead groups of school children in the Learning Laguna program, a two-part wetland education experience for 2nd-4th grade students. Docents visit classrooms with specially designed, engaging activities, and then lead those students on an experiential field trip to the Laguna the following week. The Learning Laguna program serves over 1,300 students in schools throughout the watershed each year.
Experts in biology, natural history, and environmental education train Learning Laguna Docents in lively classes and field trips. Training sessions include presentations, discussion, and hands-on practice with Learning Laguna activities, and field trips to special Laguna locations. This 9-week training course consists of 11 classes held on Monday mornings and Tuesday evenings at the Laguna Environmental Center (March 12 - May 6, 2019). Docent training is approximately 50 hours and includes observation time spent in elementary classrooms and on school field trips to put all the learning into context.
The fee for training is $145. Trainees receive a binder with reading and reference material that is closely tied with the theme of each classroom session. This fee helps to offset the costs of running the training and materials, plus a one year membership to the Laguna Foundation. A small number of partial scholarships are available.
Watercolor Painting for Beginners
Workshop with Donna DeLaBriandais
Saturday, March 9, 9:30am-3:00pm
Heron Hall, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
$90. Pre-registration requiredDiscover the joys and expressiveness of watercolor! Treat yourself to this one day workshop and learn the basic skills of painting with watercolor. In addition to technique demonstrations, Donna will lead simple exercises and provide one-on-one instruction throughout the day. You will gain an understanding of how watercolor paints respond and you will even leave with a completed painting. We will paint indoors and possibly spend some time painting outside in the native plant garden (weather permitting).
This class is designed for beginners but even if you have some experience you will learn tools and techniques that will give you more confidence to continue painting on your own. This will be a fun and informative workshop for students age 13 to adult.
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
Tule Berry-Gathering Basket
Workshop with Charlie Kennard
Sunday, March 17, 9:30am-3:30pm
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.
Biology of the Laguna de Santa Rosa
Presentation by Denise Cadman
Tuesday, March 26, 6:00-8:30 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, 9:30am-3:30pm
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, 7:00-8:30pm
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, 9:30am-3:00pm
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
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May
Stay tuned for classes to be posted!
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June
Coloring the Summer Garden
Colored Pencil Techniques workshop with Nina Antze
Saturday, June 29, 10:00am-3:00pm
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!
- May 4 - Eco-Friendly Garden Tour, CNPS Native Plant Sale, and Open House
- May 12 - Delta Pond Rookery Walk
- 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 Christine Fontaine, Director of Education Programs
(707) 527-9277 xt. 102 or by email at Christine@LagunaFoundation.org.[ top ]
. Banner Image by Gary Hundt
