eNewsletter|
September Edition
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In this month's edition:
- Coastal Cleanup Day: September 21st!
- Fond farewell to project manager, Anya Starovoytov
- Welcome Margie Beatty, our new Staff Accountant!
- UCCE Water Usage Monitoring solicitation
- October 4: Prescribed Fire Workshop
- November 7: North Coast Vineyard Hedgerow Tour
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Join us out on the river for Coastal Cleanup Day!
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In celebration of this annual statewide event, local groups from around Sonoma County organize to educate, clean up, and celebrate our inland waterways and coastal areas. The Sonoma RCD is proud to partner again with the Friends of the Petaluma River and Russian Riverkeeper to protect water quality, wildlife and our communities in both of these watersheds.
Join us on Saturday, September 21, 2019:
Petaluma Watershed
Russian River Watershed
Hosted by: Russian Riverkeeper, sponsored by the Sonoma RCD and other community partners. For more information and to register visit:
russianrivercleanup.org/
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It is with deep gratitude that we say goodbye to Anya Starovoytov, who served on the RCD team for five years as Project Manager. Anya's role primarily focused on the development of LandSmart conservation farm plans for vineyards and facilitating the implementation of projects that grew out of them. She has been a leader in forging partnerships in key watersheds and the regional soil health movement. We wish Anya all the best as she embarks upon a new position out in Sacramento! Sonoma County will miss her greatly.
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Welcome to our team, Margie!
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We are excited to have Margie Beatty joining our team as Staff Accountant. Margie comes to us with over 15 years of nonprofit accounting experience. Her work has supported causes here in Sonoma County such as human services and the arts, and she is looking forward to learning about the world of conservation in her new role at the RCD. Welcome Margie, we're glad you're part of our team!
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Re-Oak North Bay: planting sites needed
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Please help us spread the word! In early 2018, collaborating with a number of Napa and Sonoma County partners, a new program was launched to help identify priorities and conduct outreach to landowners with either burned or unhealthy oak woodland on their property.
Are you interested in planting native oak trees at your property, or know someone that might be? Do you have a good site to collect acorns this fall? We are working to identify sites in the Petaluma River, Russian River, and Sonoma Creek watersheds to plant oak woodland plants. Of greatest interest are locations that lost oaks in the fires of 2017 or see historical oak woodland habitat diminishing. We are evaluating sites of various sizes to accommodate plantings: from a few trees to larger properties that could home more than a hundred trees!
Please email Keith Abeles at
kabeles@sonomarcd.org
or call 707-569-1448 xtn 112 to let us know about potential sites or discuss the program further.
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Humboldt County RCD: Forest Health Watershed Coordinator
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The Forest Health Coordinator will work throughout thirteen (13) HUC 8 watersheds in the North Coast region, including Big Navarro Garcia; Upper Cache; Gualala-Salmon; Lower, South Fork, Middle Fork, and Upper Eel River; Mattole; Russian River; Tomales-Drake; Putah; and San Pablo Bay to expand and improve forest management and enhance forest health and resilience. This region encompasses over 20,000 square miles, including approximately 400 miles of coastline and abundant wilderness, along with agricultural areas and some urban centers. Coastal, upland, riparian, and aquatic habitats support diverse plant and wildlife populations, including some of the last viable salmon runs in the state and large tracts of mature coast redwood forest. North Coast forests are projected to be at risk due to climatically-driven stressors; this has been proven by the record-breaking number of destructive and deadly wildfires in the region.
View the full job description here!
Please note, the above position will be employed by the Humboldt County RCD, and will serve 7 north coast RCDs including Sonoma.
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UCCE Water Usage Monitoring - collaborators needed!
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University of California Cooperative Extension Sonoma County is looking for growers who are interested in collaborating on a survey of vineyard irrigation water use. Currently, the Groundwater Sustainable Agencies (GSAs) are estimating the total volume of water applied to vines with the use of models. The UCCE survey is designed to measure actual water volume applied in individual blocks with the use of a pressure switch plumbed into a single irrigation drip line. Information is anonymous and water use won’t be tied to a single vineyard block.
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Prescribed Burn Workshop in Mark West watershed Oct. 5
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Saturday, October 5
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Monan’s Rill Community Building
7899 St. Helena Road, Santa Rosa
Cooperative Prescribed Burning with The Good Fire Alliance (Sonoma's Prescribed Burn Association)
The Sonoma County Forest Conservation Working Group invites you to a day of learning with the Good Fire Alliance. This alliance of private landowners, NGOs, land trusts and parks works to restore their forests' health and resilience to wildfires primarily by putting "good fire," or prescribed fire, on the land. The Good Fire Alliance also assists in prescribed grazing, home hardening and other vegetation management strategies to restore ecologically resilient and safe communities. Work is achieved through a "neighbors helping neighbors" approach.
Who should attend: Agency and nonprofit representatives, any forest landowner and interested public
What will we do: Take a tour of two cooperatively burned private woodlands (spring 2018 and summer 2019), see a forest thinning project, and discuss how new members can participate in the Good Fire Alliance.
Co-sponsored by: Sonoma County Forest Conservation Working Group, Friends of the Mark West Watershed, Audubon Canyon Ranch, and University of California Cooperative Extension
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North Coast Vineyard Hedgerow Field Tour happening Nov. 7
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Thursday, November 7
9:00 am – 12:00 pm
Ridge Vineyards and Preston Farm + Winery, Healdsburg
Hedgerows can provide many benefits to your vineyard operation. Join us for a morning of discussion and demonstration at two vineyards that have successfully integrated hedgerows into their operations.
We will discuss reasons for planting hedgerows, plant choices, and considerations for planning, implementing, and managing a successful hedgerow in a vineyard setting. Presenters will share their experiences of integrating hedgerows and how they fit in with broader soil health goals and farm management. The workshop takes place in the field, where attendees will get to see established hedgerows, and ask the growers about their experience and perspective.
Presenters:
David Gates, Senior VP of vineyard operations at Ridge Vineyards
Lou Preston, owner, Preston Farm and Winery
Keith Abeles, Soil and Water Specialist, Sonoma Resource Conservation District
This field tour is part of the RCD’s ongoing Vineyard Soil Health Series. Please visit the North Coast Soil Hub at http://soilhub.org to learn about soil health, demonstration farms and other upcoming events. Spaces are limited, so please sign up soon to ensure your space. Detailed instructions of where to meet will be sent after you register.
Questions?
For more information, contact Keith Abeles, Sonoma RCD, at
kabeles@sonomarcd.org
or call 707-569-1448 ext 112.
Hosted by the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance and the
Sonoma Resource Conservation District.
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