MLT News -Late Summer 2025

Redwoods and Firs in Jackson Demonstration Forest, September 2, 2025.

Photo Credit: Rob Brodman

Hello Friends,

Mendocino season changes can be subtle, but there is no mistaking these shimmering, liminal last days of summer. We still have a few days left to get outside before the harvest season and cozy days ahead. MLT will be in Boonville this weekend, at the Mendocino County Fair and Apple Show, September 12-14. Stop by our table in the Ag Building and say hi!

Our summer was packed with trail projects, ongoing habitat restoration work, land protection and public access wins, and events that celebrated our truly awe-inspiring volunteers, donors, and community.

We’ve made some updates to our website: Our projects are now much easier to find, sort, and understand – whether you are looking for a trail to hike, a preserve to explore, or wish to learn about our many conservation projects in Mendocino County, this web refresh should make that information more accessible.

To learn more about trails, conservation easements, public access, habitat restoration, and how you can support our work, visit our website: mendocinolandtrust.org

South Coast Trail Segments Link the California Coastal Trail

The California Coastal Trail Along Mendocino's south coast will soon have two more connecting segments near Point Area

Director of Stewardship Nicolet Houtz designed the Arena Cove Coastal Access Trail with the support of the State Coastal Conservancy. The new trail will connect Arena Cove to the Stornetta Public Lands bluffs that rise above. This 0.3-mile trail will be located on a donated public access easement on the property of the Coast Guard House Historic Inn. The planning, permitting, and design phase of the trail project is complete, and construction is set to begin in early 2026.

Saunders Landing is a segment of the California Coastal Trail located five miles south of Point Arena on the west side of Highway 1, and encompassing approximatey four acres on the blufftop which will be open for public access, with spectacular views of the ocean and coast. The California Conservation Corps is currently working to remove invasive plants here to help restore the coastal prairie. MLT will add about half a mile of coastal trail in total, including wooden stairs at the steepest point. We also plan to build stairs on either side of the adjacent Hearn Gulch, providing safe pedestrian access to the beach below. Saunders Landing will be a link in the Coastal Trail, providing safe and sustainable public access, protecting natural resources, and supporting open space conservation. All of this work aligns with our mission to provide access to Mendocino County’s wild and scenic places while protecting its fragile ecosystems.

Both projects are made possible with funding from the California State Coastal Conservancy.

MLT Protects Two More Mendocino Coast Properties Forever

In July, PG&E donated a conservation easement to MLT that prevents future development on a 30-acre parcel just outside of Point Arena. The Windy Hollow property contains habitat for the federally endangered Point Arena Mountain Beaver as well as possible habitat for federally endangered flora. It is also a potential habitat for the federally endangered Behren’s Silverspot butterfly, which MLT is actively working to protect with a pollinator habitat restoration grant from the Wildlife Conservation Board. The property also contains important riparian and wetland areas in the Garcia River watershed, including water that flows to the salmon-bearing Garcia River. Although it will remain privately owned, the Windy Hollow Conservation Easement permanently protects this property from any kind of future development.

MLT also received a legacy gift from renowned Fort Bragg ceramic artist Sonya Popow. On August 4, we accepted the donation of a conservation easement from the trust established by Sonya, a longtime MLT supporter. The Popow Redwoods Conservation Easement covers her 2.3-acre property located between Pudding Creek and Noyo River just east of Fort Bragg. The conservation easement protects the beautiful redwood trees she cherished on the land she owned for over 50 years, including her beloved ‘Grandmother Tree,’ a magnificent second-growth redwood in the backyard. MLT’s conservation easement will ensure that Sonya’s trees are never cut down, and we will work with future property owners to restrict development and use of the property so that the redwoods and wildlife habitat will continue to flourish unharmed, forever.

Sonya’s vision and legacy now extends far beyond protecting this redwood habitat; as testament to her generosity, she also bequeathed her property to Mendocino Land Trust. With the conservation easement now in place, the proceeds from the sale of her home will be used to support our work well into the future.

It's important to note that when Mendocino Land Trust accepts a conservation easement, we don’t usually take ownership of the property itself. Instead, the land remains privately owned, and MLT’s role is to ensure that its conservation values are protected forever. A conservation easement is a legal agreement that protects the natural resources on a property by limiting development, subdivision, and habitat loss. This type of agreement requires that MLT monitor the property in perpetuity to ensure that all future landowners comply with the terms of the easement, meaning the agreement remains in effect through future sales or inheritances.

Progress at Brandon Gulch Salmon Restoration Site in JDSF

MLT staff hiked into Jackson Demonstration State Forest to view the progress at Brandon Gulch, where a restoration project is underway to restore salmon habitat. This stream has been identified by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife as a breeding area for endangered coho salmon. This restoration project was first envisioned back in 2020, with funding from CDFW secured in 2021. Planning and permitting took some time, but this summer California Conservation Corps crews got underway. The goal of the project is to improve the quality and quantity of spawning and rearing habitat for coho and steelhead over 3,885 feet of Brandon Gulch, to increase the complexity, frequency, and depth of pools, as well as provide shelter and refugia. The large wood elements will sort substrate, capture spawning gravels, and improve overall stream function, while also supporting the broader forest ecosystems. MLT’s Director of Stewardship Nicolet Houtz has led the project from its inception through completion expected later this year. With the working plans in hand, we were able to see the project come to life and appreciate the labor required to move logs by hand, using only grip hoists and cables to pull them from the steep hillside to their assigned location in the stream, where they are anchored in place.

Restoration projects are dynamic, as are the conditions that the CCC crews work under, and these projects can get deferred if CCC crews are deployed to fight wildfires, for example, or if site conditions become dangerous. This summer, the “C’s” have made great progress, completing about half of the 35 planned structures that will ultimately criss-cross the stream along a 3,885-foot stretch of the gulch. We expect the remaining structures will be installed when crews return in October.

Photos by Rob Brodman FB@RobbyBroad IG@robby_broad

Volunteer & Donor Appreciation Party

In July, we were delighted to invite MLT friends to a garden party at a private home in Albion for our annual appreciation event. Over a hundred volunteers, donors, and friends attended to raise a glass, enjoy sparkling conversation, learn about current MLT events, and just soak in the magical beauty of the swaths of trees and perennials in bloom that surrounded us.

Our volunteers and donors are the foundation of our work. With almost 300 donors, our annual unrestricted individual donations total approximately $300,000. Our staff is able to leverage that core funding to about 30 times that donor investment, allowing MLT to build our grant funding to $8 million to $9 million yearly for acquisitions, trails and public access, habitat restoration projects, accessibility improvements, and community partnerships. This means that every single unrestricted donation to MLT goes farther than you might imagine - and goes to work for years to come.

This year we are additionally grateful for our generous event sponsors. These partners certainly brought the spirit to the party!

Alder Springs Vineyard

Brick & Mortar Wines

(1% for the Planet partner)

Graziano Family of Wines

Masut Vineyard and Winery

North Coast Brewing Co.

Parducci / WarRoom Cellars

Kind Traveler's Every Stay Gives Back at

Trailborn Mendocino

Mendocino Land Trust is thrilled to welcome Trailborn Mendocino as our newest Every Stay Gives Back program partner. ESGB helps us to connect with local lodging establishments who mobilize funding for MLT’s environmental and community-based work.

Our lodging partners turn every guest stay into an opportunity to fund conservation work in Mendocino County by donating at least $1 per night of every guest stay to MLT (passed on to the guest during the booking process as a 'community impact program' fee). Lodging partners may elect to match the community impact program fee with a donation of their own to double the impact, helping destination stewardship and advancing sustainable and regenerative tourism.

MLT invites local hotels/motels to partner with us to promote sustainable tourismin Mendocino County. To join the Every Stay Gives Back program, Contact our partnership team here.

MLT welcomes the Mendocino Tree House as a annual Leader-level business partner.

Mendocino Tree House is a design-forward short-term rental tucked in the redwoods just five minutes from Mendocino. Their mission goes beyond hospitality — it’s about helping guests slow down, reconnect with nature, and engage with the community in a way that’s both restorative and responsible.

MLT offers businesses opportunities to become annual partners at Supporter, Sustainer, Steward, Leader, and Visionary levels. Join us now or Contact our partnership team for more info.

9th Annual Noyo Headlands Race

On August 9, MLT hosted the Noyo Headlands Race in Fort Bragg. With close to 300 registered participants, countless friends and families, and 47 business sponsors coming together to run, walk, roll, cheer, and pour their support out for our work in Mendocino County, you all made it happen! Despite a misty-fog start to the morning, the Race was a fundraising success for Mendocino Land Trust, and a super-fun, high-energy community event.

This year we were thrilled to bring back the Half Marathon, which brought in serious runners from all parts of California. They were joined by kids, teens, adults, families, and fun seekers. First across the start line were the kids – who were ALL winners! Our Half Marathon runners took off next, followed by the 10K and 5K racers, and finally the 5K Fun Walkers. Our hardworking summer interns took part and both placed in their events: Logan took third in the Half Marathon men’s division, and Natalie finished first overall in the 10K women’s race. Congratulations to all our participants!

We want to thank all our sponsors, business, and nonprofit partners for taking part with finanacial and in-kind support, and our local partners who brought their tables with incredible enthusiasm and swag galore. Special shout-out to Thanksgiving Coffee for always showing up with the caffeine and community spirit.

Will you join us next year? For our inland friends, the coast is the perfect escape-the-heat August getaway! The Noyo Headlands Race is an amazing opportunity to connect with friends, neighbors, and lots of visitors to our spectacular coastline and community.

Stay tuned for 2026 race details. We will let you know the minute registration opens up later this month. Race photos by Rob Bozzoli, facebook instagram are posted here. We invite you to add yours!

~Full list of NHR sponsors below~