Laguna Foundation - Fire Recovery

Stepping Forward

Dear Friends, Neighbors and Partners,

As the cool winds and refreshing rains of autumn move through the Laguna de Santa Rosa, we’re all looking for ways to find peace and recovery from October’s fires. There’s a balance between keeping all that occurred present and in our minds, while also stepping forward into hope, restoration and optimism for the months ahead. A water-ful winter and life-filled spring are just around the corner.

The staff, board and volunteer community of the Laguna Foundation experienced loss and change along with the rest of Sonoma County, but we’re finding our feet again! The Laguna Learning Center and all of our restoration sites escaped major fire-damage – staff and volunteers were back in the field just days after the fires, and our office hours are now back to normal. Programs are running and well-attended, and our offices are humming with activity and visitors.

As Laguna Foundation works with our partners to focus on fire-recovery efforts, we find ourselves inspired and finding new opportunities to collaborate, coordinate and plan together. Here are a few ways we’re stepping forward into recovery:

Seed Collection, Storage, Propagation and Future Planting: In partnership with California Native Plant Society and Sonoma County Open Space District, Laguna Foundation staff and volunteers are collecting, storing and propagating native seeds (especially acorns) for 2018 planting projects focused on fire-recovery efforts.

Collaborative Interagency Fire Recovery Teams: Multiple non-profits and government agencies are working together to coordinate fire-recovery efforts over the next few years. Laguna Foundation staff and board have joined several of these working teams. We’re currently assisting with county-wide, fire-focused programs in education and outreach, land management and data collection & analysis.

Fire Ecology Evening Program: Please join us in Heron Hall on November 30 for an informative and stimulating evening. We’ll learn about fire’s long-standing place in our ecosystems, the ancient role people played in that relationship, and how we can renew land management techniques to live more sustainably in a fire-influenced landscape.

Integrating Lessons Learned: Along with our volunteer and partner community, we’re already looking for ways to make sure the latest fire ecology lessons are incorporated into our education programs and restoration projects. Let’s work together to help the next generation learn from this autumn and create a more resilient landscape.

Laguna Stewards: Please join us on November 18 for our next Stewards work day! This is a chance to spend a few hours with friends and family in your Laguna, making a difference. For more information, please contact: Brent Reed, Ecological Program Manager.

Info and Outreach – Gathering and Sharing Resources: We’ve been working with our partners to gather the best possible info on how you can restore your neighborhood and be part of healing the land – please visit our website for our Fire Recovery and Response tipsheet.

Water Quality: Most natural areas and wild lands that burned will recover in time, since California ecosystems have evolved with fire for millennia. However, our streams face the challenge of possible toxic run-off from burnt buildings. We’re assisting with water quality data collection and analysis, and strengthening our current riparian forest restoration efforts. In addition, volunteers have helped create stormwater erosion control waddles to filter urban runoff before it hits our waterways (photo below from Coffey Park, Stephanie Lennox).

In addition to the excellent resources listed on our Fire Response and Recovery Tip-sheet , we suggest you keep the City of Santa Rosa in mind, and in your actions. Join their Creek Stewardship Program and be part of the recovery. Lastly, for information on how our incredibly diverse native plant communities respond to fire, explore the California Native Plant Society ’s website.

We all look forward to seeing you at one of our upcoming programs, volunteer projects or Laguna Steward work-days as we learn how to step forward, together.

Best wishes,

Kevin Munroe

Executive Director

Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation