One of our favorite walks is the Santa Rosa Creek trail in the Laguna de Santa Rosa. It is a spectacular trail that allows bikers, walkers and dog owners a peek of the characteristics that make Sonoma County a wonderful place to live: vineyards, horse and cattle pastures, corn fields and ponds full of ducks and geese.
We have the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation to thank for this trail and for preserving this important ecological area. The Laguna de Santa Rosa, covering 30,000 acres and serving as the watershed for a 254-square-mile area, is the most biologically diverse region of Sonoma County (which is the second-most biologically diverse county in the state). By Dec. 31, the Foundation hopes to raise the last $150,000 of their $500,000 goal to accelerate the conservation of this internationally-recognized wetland.
With the $500,000, the Foundation plans to:
- Improve water quality by removing pollutants, trash and woody debris.
- Remove invasive species and restore wildlife habitat.
- Expand recreational and education opportunities.
- Increase community stewardship and public engagement.
The Foundation has already done such a terrific job of maintaining the Laguna so that nature can flourish and visitors can enjoy. When we walk through the wetlands along the river, it's a thrill to see the great blue herons perching high up in the trees that are hanging over the water. They're so still that it's a little eerie. The Laguna becomes a lake during the rainy season, and we're always jealous of people enjoying it from a kayak.
The Foundation has already raised $250,000. And three amazing people -- Julie Atwood, Raini Sugg and one anonymous donor -- have promised to donate the final $100,000 if $150,000 can be raised. The health of the Laguna is imperative to the health of the Russian River Valley and Sonoma County. Please help them reach their goal!