By James Webb Primula hendersonii Plant. Photo courtesy of Woody Woodbury, our Sugarloaf Campground Manager. About James (Jim) Webb: Jim began volunteering with Sugarlaof Ridge State Park last February 2023 as a trail patrol volunteer. His experience in previous work with USFS lends itself to very detailed trail reports. His reports of “What’s Blooming/Fruiting?” are a naturalist’s weekly treat, and his most recent efforts, concentrated on meticulous examination of data from our trails has led to improved data concerning ease of access descriptions of trails and areas in the park. C ..read more

Seasonal Park Aide at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park Classification:                                                                 Reports to: Hourly, non-exempt                                 &nb ..read more

In our mission to bring high quality environmental education to all students in Sonoma Valley, Sonoma Ecology Center hosted a UC California Naturalist for Teachers (UC CalNat) course last Fall to support our Valley’s educators in their environmental education programs. We are thrilled to have received funding from the California State Parks Foundation through their Wildfire Resiliency and Prevention Grant to offer this course at an accessible price point. Teachers are now sharing ways that they have been able to use the learnings from our course to improve their environmental instruction. M ..read more

Lower Bald Trails The Lower Bald Mountain Trail is actually a complex of trails connecting the main parking lot and White Barn Parking lot at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park with the Bald Mountain Trail, a road/trail that runs to the summit of Bald Mountain. I walked the segment of the trail from the White Barn Parking lot to the Bald Mountain Trail. The trail is a well-graded trail in good condition. Many species of flowers are in bloom along the trail, including wavy leaf ceanothus (Ceanothus foliosus-shown above), Calistoga ceanothus (Ceanothus divergens), Fremont’s death camus (toxicoscorion fr ..read more

Raymond Baltar, SEC’s Biochar Program Manager. Sonoma Ecology Center has for many years been a leader in the movement locally and throughout California to expand the production and use of biochar. Biochar, a specially made form of charcoal that is suitable for use in agriculture and that is created from surplus woody materials and crop residues, has been shown to reduce water usage, contribute to sustainable agriculture practices, and sequester carbon for long periods in soil. Today, we sat down with Raymond Baltar, SEC’s Biochar Program Manager, to better understand how biochar is prod ..read more

By Hannah Aclufi Hannah Aclufi, our Native Plant Nursery Manager. Photo courtesy of Marielle V Chua. Hannah Aclufi, our Native Plant Nursery manager, is excited to share with you her top native plant picks for your garden this Spring. All of these species will be sold at our Spring Native Plant Sale. Pacific aster (Symphyotrichum chilense) Photo courtesy of Hannah Aclufi. For a wild area of the yard: Pacific aster Symphyotrichum chilense Producing profuse mauve colored flowers with yellow centers, this is a cheery plant for a sunny to partially shaded  area where it has room ..read more

The endangered scorpion species Paruroctonus tulare that Galen Freed-Wilhelm, a Sugarloaf volunteer, spotted at Kern National Wildlife Refuge. His observation of the species was uploaded onto iNaturalist and used by scientists to understand the scorpion’s habitat range. Sugarloaf Ridge State Park has long been more than just a park. Managed by Sonoma Ecology Center, Sugarloaf is a community gathering space where nature enthusiasts, researchers, and citizen scientists can come together and learn about and contribute to our understanding of the natural world. Galen Freed-Wilhelm, a Sugarlo ..read more

Classification: Non-Exempt                                                                Reports to: Full-time (40 hours per week)                                                             Restoration Project Manager Rate of pay: $23 per hour, with yearly increases. ORGANIZATION So ..read more

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Sonoma Botanical Garden (SBG), in partnership with Sonoma Ecology Center and Habitat Corridor Project, has proudly announced our dynamic, new collaboration to design and establish a leading-edge California native plant demonstration garden at SBG. The project aims to create a learning landscape surrounding SBG’s Welcome Center to showcase the beauty and practicality of native flora in safeguarding against wildfires, promoting water conservation, and sustaining local wildlife. The initiative represents a significant stride towards sustainable landscape design and environmental stewardship in So ..read more