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eNewsletter | March 2023

In This Month's Edition

  • RCD Updates:  Carbon Sequestration Through Compost Application Pilot Program Informational Webinar, STRAW Milkweed Planting Event at Crane Creek Regional Park, Fill Out the Survey for the 2023 Sonoma County Forest Conservation Conference
  • Resources: Xerces Society Pollinator Habitat Kits, New Sonoma Resilient Landscapes Coalition Website, USDA's Beginning Farmer & Rancher Series
  • WorkshopsSanta Rosa Water: Water Smart Garden Maintenance, Garden Day at Bayer Farm, Pepperwood Wildflower Walk, Spring Seed Planting Workshop: Home Gardening and Seed Sowing
  • Other News: Jose Aceves, a 54-year Veteran of Dutton Ranch, Awarded the Sonoma County Vineyard Workforce’s Highest Honor: Vineyard Employee of the Year, Daily Acts is Hiring for Multiple Positions

What's New at Gold Ridge?

Sonoma County Carbon Sequestration Through Compost Application Virtual Information Webinar

The Gold Ridge and Sonoma Resource Conservation Districts (RCDs) recently announced that we are accepting applications for the Carbon Sequestration Pilot Program that aims to assist with the cost of compost application on agricultural lands in Sonoma County!


We will be hosting a virtual informational webinar on Wednesday, March 8th, from 11am - 12pm. We will discuss general goals of the project, as well as specific information on who is eligible, criteria for ranking and scoring applications, and conditions for applying compost for those who receive rebate awards. The application questions will be reviewed and discussed during the webinar, and there will be time for Q&A.


If you wish to attend, contact Angel Arcuri below to RSVP. The Zoom link will be sent prior to the meeting for anyone who RSVPs.

RSVP By Email Here
Read More About the Program Here

STRAW Milkweed Planting Event at Crane Creek

Gold Ridge RCD staff recently participated in a milkweed planting field trip hosted by Point Blue Conservation Science at Crane Creek Regional Park in Rohnert Park. Point Blue’s Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed (STRAW) Program empowers students, teachers, and parents to get involved in restoration efforts within their own communities. Gold Ridge has partnered with Point Blue’s STRAW program numerous times throughout Sonoma County, working to plant California native plants and restore watershed health. For this STRAW planting field trip, first graders from Proctor Terrace Elementary in Santa Rosa planted dozens of native narrowleaf milkweed plants in the riparian zone of Crane Creek. Staff from Point Blue and Sonoma County Regional Parks participated in this planting event alongside Gold Ridge staff as a part of a larger riparian restoration project for Crane Creek. Crane Creek Regional Park is a beautiful 128-acre park with rolling hills, hiking trails, and wildflower meadows that bloom in the spring. Crane Creek flows through the middle of the park. If you find yourself hiking out at Crane Creek Regional Park, make sure to check out our planting site along the creek!


For more information on this event and our monarch recovery efforts, read the full article on our Medium page!

Read More Here

2023 Living with Fire: Sonoma County Forest Conservation Conference: Fill Out the Survey!

When: June 23-25, 2023


Where: Day 1: Santa Rosa Junior College’s Shone Farm in Forestville & Day 2: Various field sites throughout the county


What: 2-Day conference to support Sonoma County's forestland owners and managers


Forestland owners, managers and interested community members are encouraged to attend this hands-on, educational event! The aim of the conference is to support our community's wildfire resilience, forest health, community collaboration, best management practices and strategy to protect our communities, our land and natural resources.


Click below to be put on the conference mailing list and take a quick survey to tell us what matters to you. Please fill out the survey by Tuesday, March 7th!

Fill Out the Survey Here!

Resources

Xerces Society's Monarch and Pollinator Habitat Kits

the Xerces Society is offering habitat kits that contain climate-smart native plants to project partners who are willing to provide the time, labor, and land to develop habitats that support monarchs and other pollinators.


Project Proposal forms for 2023 California Habitat Kits will be open from February 21 - April 3, 2023, and are available in English and Spanish.


The Gold Ridge RCD also has funding available to help with other materials to promote pollinator habitat. Those interested in applying for Xerces's habitat kits should also contact Gold Ridge for additional resources.

Read More Here

New Sonoma Resilient Landscapes Coalition Website

The goal of the Resilient Landscapes Coalition is to encourage fire-wise landscape design and management in the defensible space zone, while at the same time enhancing biodiversity and wildlife habitat, and conserving resources. The Resilient Landscapes Coalition was formed through a partnership between the Sonoma Ecology Center, the UC Master Gardeners of Sonoma County, the Habitat Corridor Project, and Fire Safe Sonoma. Their website is a great resource for incorporating fire safe conservation practices in landscape, home, and surrounding wildland management.

Check out the Website Here

USDA Beginning Farmer & Rancher Series

New to farming? USDA can help and offers additional assistance to beginning farmers and ranchers. USDA considers anyone who has operated a farm or ranch for less than ten years to be a beginning farmer or rancher. The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Series will be on Microsoft Teams every fourth Wednesday at 10am from March 22nd until June 28th.

Read More Here

Workshops and Events

Santa Rosa Water: Water Smart Garden Maintenance

Saturday, March 11th, 10am-12pm PST

In person

Sonoma County's Living Learning Landscapes, Santa Rosa

Register Here

Garden Day at Bayer Farm

Saturday, March 18th, 9am-12pm PST

In person

Bayer Farm, Santa Rosa

Register Here

Wildflower Walk -- Meadow

Saturday, March 25th, 2pm-4pm PST

In person

Pepperwood Preserve, Santa Rosa

Register Here

Spring Seed Planting Workshop: Home Gardening and Seed Sowing

Saturday, March 25th, 10am-12pm PST

In Person

Sonoma Garden Park, Sonoma

Register Here

Other News

Jose Aceves, a 54-year Veteran of Dutton Ranch, Awarded the Sonoma County Vineyard Workforce’s Highest Honor: Vineyard Employee of the Year

The Press Democrat penned an amazing article highlighting the lifelong achievements of Jose Aceves of Dutton Ranch! The Gold Ridge RCD Board President, Joe Dutton, was taught farming practices by Aceves from young age and has had the pleasure of working with Aceves for many years. Congratulations on this honor, Jose!

Read the Full Article Here

Daily Acts is Hiring for Multiple Positions

As the Daily Acts team continues to grow, they are excited to be looking for their newest team members. They are currently hiring for three positions as the search continues for an Associate Director, Regional Manager - Land Resilience Partnership and Senior Development Coordinator. Check out their job postings to join their amazing team!

Read the Job Postings Here

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