A place worth visiting is a place worth protecting
Earth Day, much like the other singular days dedicated to some thing or some one we should recognize and celebrate every day, gives us an opportunity to recommit ourselves to the cause. The Earth is wholly reliant on each of us for its protection and preservation. While certainly nature is amazingly regenerative, there’s no question humans have stressed that ability to its fullest. When it comes to protecting and preserving natural resources, travelers are often not as conscientious as residents. A lack of long-term commitment to a place is often a license to behave in a way that is not in the planet’s best interest. We live in an incredibly fragile environment and as Sonoma County Tourism, we have joined so many other local organizations and our agricultural community in a commitment to ensuring the programming we undertake leads to our audience taking better care of this extraordinary place. In this newsletter you’ll see some of the programs and projects we’re working on to help ensure the long-term health and sustainability of our natural and cultural resources. 

On behalf of all of us at Sonoma County Tourism, we wish you a beautiful and mindful Earth Day!
Claudia Vecchio
President and CEO
Sonoma County Tourism
707-522-5804
Sonoma County Leave No Trace Coalition Toolkit
Sonoma County Tourism and Sonoma County Regional Parks are pleased to announce its joint Sonoma County Leave No Trace Coalition Toolkit. The toolkit, developed in collaboration with the national Leave No Trace organization, contains free physical and digital assets for land managers and hospitality businesses to promote practices designed to prevent environmental impacts in parks, preserves, and other outdoor recreation locations.

Physical items include a window cling, 11x17 poster, and three 5x7 table tent cards. Digital assets include social media posts, talking points, and a streamlined version of the Sonoma County Leave No Trace Seven Principles for vacation rental packet materials.

Additional materials will be added in the coming months, so make sure to check back for updates!
Rewards For Rubbish
Sonoma County Tourism is delighted to announce the launch of a litter collection program in cooperation with the Russian River Confluence. The program, titled “Rewards for Rubbish” incentivizes volunteers to collect litter in exchange for treats and prizes. Participating businesses issue volunteers supplies to collect litter. Volunteers then pick up trash, returning the filled bags to the business in exchange for a small reward. Sonoma County Tourism provides all materials and incentives. Coastal and river area businesses interested in joining the Rewards for Rubbish program are encouraged to email [email protected] for consideration. 
Adopt-A-Road County-wide Adoption
Sonoma County Tourism’s commitment to litter reduction extends to its adoption of five one mile stretches of road throughout Sonoma County. Its three-year agreement with Sonoma County Transportation and Public Works sees SCT hold a minimum of 10 roadside cleanups a year spanning all five supervisorial districts. An Earth Day roadside cleanup was held this morning at an adopted road in Penngrove.

If anyone would like to take part in a future roadside cleanup with Sonoma County Tourism staff, please email Devin McConnell at [email protected].

To learn more about Sonoma County Transportation and Public Works' Adopt-A-Road program, email Clyde Galantine at [email protected].
Carbon Offset Calculator on SonomaCounty.com
To contribute to the vital work of global climate action, SCT is inviting visitors to help the destination reach carbon neutrality by offsetting carbon emissions from their Sonoma County experience. Sonoma County Tourism has partnered with Sustainable Travel International (STI) to integrate its new carbon calculator on sonomacounty.com. After determining the carbon emissions from their trip, visitors can easily acquire carbon offsets from Sustainable Travel International. Doing so provides visitors with a personalized certificate verifying the amount of CO2 offset, with their dollars going towards meaningful climate projects that meet the most rigorous standards for carbon offsetting.
Sustainable Travel: Where Next? Documentary
Sonoma County Tourism’s involvement with Sustainable Travel International extends to an upcoming documentary series in association with Sublime magazine and Zinc Media Group. Filming this spring, Sonoma County will be featured in “Sustainable Travel: Where Next?” an immersive documentary series that investigates the real impact that tourism has on the destinations and communities people visit, showcasing stories of conservation, regeneration, and empowerment. The series will make its debut on World Tourism Day in September 2022.
Global Sustainable Tourism Council Assessment
As previously reported, Sonoma County Tourism recently joined the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC®). Membership with GSTC® provides Sonoma County Tourism with valuable resources as it moves through its destination master plan. Sonoma County is currently undergoing an extensive assessment from GSTC®, the results of which will help Sonoma County on its path to become a certified sustainable destination. 
Sonoma County Tourism | sonomacounty.com