- Watch Duty video highlights RCD forest management efforts
- Seed amplification in Sonoma County
- We're hiring!
- Welcome to our new Community Engagement Specialist
- Upcoming partner workshops, trainings, and events
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Watch Duty highlights RCD forest management efforts
In 2020 the North Bay Forest Improvement Program was launched as an innovative collaboration supporting land managers to improve forest health across our region. With Lead Agency After the Fire USA and partners California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), Sonoma Resource Conservation District, Gold Ridge Resource Conservation District, Clear Lake Environmental Research Center, Napa County Resource Conservation District, Mendocino County Resource Conservation District, and Conservation Works (North Coast RC&D Council), we have leveraged a collaboration to make great strides on-the-ground in our communities.
Sonoma RCD is excited to share this awesome video developed by Watch Duty featuring a North Bay Forest Improvement Program project completed in Sonoma County featuring our Director of Forestry and Registered Professional Forester (RPF), Jason Wells. A big thank you to our incredible partners and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) for supporting this critical work in our region.
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Seed amplification in Sonoma County
The California Wildlife Conservation Board recently awarded habitat restoration grant funding to the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, who in turn is funding RCDs and Heritage Growers to amplify locally sourced native seed and apply it to RCD projects. A collaborative team of Gold Ridge RCD, Marin RCD, and Sonoma RCD is seeking to access large populations of native plants that can serve as native seed collection sites to collect seed to be amplified for regional restoration efforts. In particular, we are seeking native grass and forb species that are valuable to pollinators such as native milkweed species (Asclepias cordifolia, Asclepias speciosa, and Asclepias fascicularis), minuture lupine (Lupinus nanus), purple needlegrass (Stipa pulchra), and tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia caespitosa). In order to successfully amplify the seed, we will target at least 26,000 live seeds of each species. Please reach out to Will Spangler wspangler@goldridgercd.org if you have seed available or wildland collection sites to offer and wish to join this effort.
Gold Ridge RCD is also seeking seed collection sites near the Sonoma Coast to collect seed of several species for a coastal terrace prairie habitat restoration project. Please reach out to Will Spangler wspangler@goldridgercd.org if you can offer seed collection at coastal grassland sites.
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Train the Trainer: Soil Health and Irrigation Assessment Workshop April 16th - OFFERED IN SPANISH ONLY
In this workshop, we will discuss the importance of maintaining proper soil health in vineyards. You will learn how to collect soil samples, and how to assess soil health in the field and through lab analysis. We will also talk about carbon sequestration, the importance of organic matter for soil health, and how to implement sustainable farming practices to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Building on this new knowledge, we will talk about soil properties that affect water movement and retention and the role of soil health in irrigation water management. We will also discuss how to use available technology to develop irrigation management plans: how to determine the ideal irrigation time and adequate quantity of water to be used. Finally, attendees will learn how to perform irrigation system distribution uniformity tests and how to address poor distribution uniformity in vineyards. Please bring a sandwich-size bag full of soil from the vineyard you work at. Lunch provided.
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A warm welcome!
We are thrilled to announce Patti Aaron as our newest team member! As our Community Engagement Specialist, Patti works with landowners to coordinate multi-stakeholder watershed planning efforts and forest health partner collaborations. She has over two decades of experience working at the Bureau of Reclamation developing landscape-level conservation efforts, facilitating complex stakeholder engagement meetings focused on water rights issues in the Colorado River Basin, and has a strong background in governmental public affairs. Raised in Santa Rosa, she is deeply committed to sustaining the wonders of Sonoma County. In her free time, Patti hikes and specializes in botanical photography. She is also a weaver and knitter, and enjoys spending time with family, friends, and her two retired racing greyhounds. Welcome to the RCD, Patti!
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Water Resources Project Manager II
The successful candidate will manage a diverse set of projects in pursuit of multiple resource goals including wildlife habitat restoration enhancement with a focus on salmonid recovery, streamflow enhancement, watershed restoration, water quality improvement, groundwater management, and drought and fire resilience. They will work with a variety of partner organizations as well as landowners/managers to accomplish the RCD’s mission.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. To view the complete job announcement, click the link below.
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Agricultural Project Manager II
The successful candidate will engage agricultural producers as ecosystem stewards through the development and implementation of conservation plans, including carbon farm plans, grazing plans, planting plans and designs, and other related types of plans. A strong emphasis of the position will be managing complex grants and projects that implement specific soil health practices, planting plans, and other climate-smart farming practices.
Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled. To view the complete job announcement, click the link below.
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Petaluma Bounty Cesar Chavez & Dolores Huerta Workday
Event hosted by Petaluma Bounty Farm
Saturday, March 30, 2024
10:00 am - 1:00pm
Meet at the Petaluma Bounty farm
FREE, bring a potluck item!
Looking for a way to help your community on Cesar Chavez Day? Join Petaluma Bounty for a farm workday filled with prepping beds, weed pulling, and more as they prepare for the Spring season ahead! Bring a potluck item to share during the discussion hour where a representative of North Bay Jobs with Justice will be presenting on the importance of field worker advocacy in our community.
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Train the Trainer: Soil Health and Irrigation Assessment Workshop - offered in Spanish
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
8:00am – 3:00pm
Shone Farm
FREE, lunch will be provided
Sonoma RCD will be hosting a soil health and irrigation assessment workshop in Spanish for individuals in the vineyard industry. The guest speaker will be Miguel Garcia from Napa RCD, who will cover soil health components and water in relation to assessing the land for vineyard practices.
Lunch will be provided, thank you to the support of Sonoma County Winegrowers.
See link below for full details and to register!
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Central Coast Rangeland Coalition Spring Meeting
Meeting hosted by UCANR
Thursday, April 18, 2024
8:30am - 4:15pm
Eames Ranch
1251 San Antonio Road, Petaluma, CA
Cost: $40, includes lunch
Join UCCE for the spring central coast rangeland coalition meeting. The focus of the day will be valuing and funding rangeland stewardship and paying for ecosystem services.
By the end of the day the goal is to understand the value and cost of rangeland stewardship, including managed cattle grazing to reduce fire fuel loads, support habitat, manage weeds and conserve open space values. Funding opportunities will also be discussed open to rangeland owners.
There will be guest speakers from the UC Cooperative Extension as well as local ranchers to cover all aspects of rangeland stewardship.
For more information and to register click the links below.
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Conservation at Work with LandSmart®
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