Audubon Canyon Ranch

Please join us for a presentation by Conservation Science Director Nils Warnock, as he shares 30+ years of waterbird monitoring results from Tomales Bay. Learn more and RSVP: https://lnkd.in/gm_BB6vr This will be a hybrid in-person/Zoom event. In-person attendance will be capped at 30 people due to the limited capacity of the meeting room. Research volunteers will receive priority for in-person attendance. Where: The Cypress Grove Preserve of Audubon Canyon Ranch When: Saturday, November 2, 2024 Presentation in the Conly Center library begins at 11:00 am. Guests are welcome to arrive starting at 10:30 am. After the presentation, in-person guests are encouraged to stay and enjoy the preserve. Please bring a picnic lunch if desired. A bird walk will be offered after lunch. All registered participants will receive a reminder email before the talk, with a Zoom link for those joining online. #ConservationScience #BirdMonitoring #TomalesBay #Waterbirds #HybridEvent #NatureConservation #BirdWatching #CypressGrove #WildlifeResearch

🦌🦌 It is rutting season for deer – which means a lot of male deer are running around without paying much attention to cars. If you can, please slow down when driving, especially on back roads, for both your safety and for the safety of deer. Most roads going through areas with natural vegetation between mid-September and early November are dangerous, especially driving at night. Some key areas to slow down on HWY 12 include: • Between Bouverie Preserve and Arnold Drive • Between Pythian Rd and Oakmont Drive • Between Melita Rd and Mountain Hawk Photo from Living with Lions Trail Camera Project. #deer #northbay #sonoma #marin #california #ruttingseason #highway12 #DeerSafety #WildlifeAwareness #SonomaCounty #MarinCounty #CaliforniaWildlife #SlowDown #BackRoads #NatureConservation

🕸️🕸️ We lovingly call these pumpkin spiders (Araneus trifolium) but the common name, Shamrock orb weaver, is also used. They are more frequently seen during the fall. The female makes her retreat away from the web and connects a signal line of silk to the middle. If you find this orb web, you can often track the signal line back to her retreat where she has one leg over the line to detect movement. At this time of the year, she will stop putting energy into maintaining her web and will focus on preparing her egg sac. Her large abdomen will deflate when she has laid eggs and soon thereafter, she will die. Much like an annual flower, they will disappear for the season, and we will have to wait until next year to be graced with their beauty again. Photo by Catie Clune. #PumpkinSpiders #ShamrockOrbWeaver #FallWildlife #SpiderFacts #NaturePhotography #Entomology #InsectLovers #WildlifeObservation #AutumnNature #NatureLovers

**UPDATE as of Oct. 15: Due to weather, the burn at Monan’s Rill has been postponed to Wednesday, Oct. 23.** **Smoke Alert & Traffic Advisory** Santa Rosa – A 7-acre prescribed burn is planned for Saturday, October 19 at Monan’s Rill on St Helena Rd, led by Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Fire Forward program. The prescribed burn is intended to improve the health of native oak savanna and grasslands, reduce invasive species, and build resilience in the face of wildfire. This is a permitted prescribed burn; please avoid calling 9-1-1 to report smoke from the burn area. **This operation is subject to change depending on conditions. Prescribed burning will commence as early as 9 a.m. and conclude around 5 p.m.* Travelers in the areas of Hwy 101, Hwy 128, and Hwy 29 may see smoke in the air. Residents and travelers in the Calistoga, St Helena, and northwest Santa Rosa areas may see or smell smoke in the air for up to 10 hours. Children, older adults, and those with respiratory conditions should consider limiting outdoor activities and using an air filter at home if local air quality is poor. This cooperative prescribed burn will be conducted by fire practitioners from Fire Forward and Monan's Rill with support from Sonoma County Fire District, Tribal EcoRestoration Alliance, North Bay Jobs with Justice (NBJWJ), and the Good Fire Alliance. The burn area will continue to be patrolled until all heat has been extinguished. 👁️🗨️ Follow this burn at app.watchduty.org/i/35862 ⚠️ Flip notification switch to ON position for updates Learn when and where prescribed fires are happening on Watch Duty app and on our social media. Sign up for email notifications about prescribed burns we are leading near you at egret.org/smoke-alert/. Seen above, Monan’s Rill resident Thea Maria Carlson tends a previous prescribed burn. Photo by ital_ian on Instagram. #fireforward #goodfire #landstewardship #wildfireresilience #santarosa

**Smoke Alert & Traffic Advisory** Marshall, CA – A 3.3-acre prescribed burn is planned for Oct 10 at Cypress Grove Research Center. Residents and visitors in the Marshall area and Point Reyes peninsula will see active fire on west-facing hillsides above Tomales Bay and will notice smoke as a part of the permitted burn. Please avoid calling 9-1-1 to report smoke and fire in the prescribed area. **This operation is subject to change depending on conditions. Prescribed burning will commence as early as 9 a.m. and with firing operation concluding in the late afternoon. There will be smoke in the air for up to 10 hours. Travelers on Shoreline Highway 1 in the Marshall area and Point Reyes peninsula will see smoke in the air will see smoke in the air, fire on on the Tomales Bay coastline, and may experience slowing traffic. Children, older adults, and those with respiratory conditions should consider limiting outdoor activities and using an air filter at home if local air quality is poor. This prescribed burn on Coast Miwok traditional and ancestral land is being conducted to build ecosystem resilience. Prescribed burning is being done in tandem with targeted grazing to restore and conserve coastal prairie—one of North America’s most diverse and threatened grassland habitats. This prescribed burn will be directed by Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Fire Forward prescribed fire module with support from local fire districts and the Good Fire Alliance. The crews will continue to patrol the area through evenings and subsequent days until all heat has been extinguished. 👁️🗨️ Follow this burn at app.watchduty.org/i/35553 Learn when and where prescribed fires are happening on Watch Duty and on our social media. Sign up for email notifications about prescribed burns we are leading near you at egret.org/smoke-alert/. Seen above, practitioners from LandPaths and Fire Forward ignite a previous coastal prairie restoration burn at Ocean Song-Meyers. Photo by Erika Lutz. #fireforward #goodfire #landstewardship #wildfireresilience #marshall #tomalesbay

**UPDATED 10/8/24: This prescribed burn has been postponed to Friday, October 11 due to conditions. **Smoke Alert & Traffic Advisory** Stinson Beach, CA – A 12-acre prescribed burn is planned for October 9-10 at Martin Griffin Preserve to restore native coastal prairie and improve wildfire safety along fire roads. Residents and travelers in the Bolinas, Stinson, Bolinas-Fairfax Ridge area will see active fire on west-facing hillsides above and will see smoke as a part of the permitted burn. Please avoid calling 9-1-1 to report smoke and fire in the prescribed area. **This operation is subject to change depending on conditions. Prescribed burning will commence as early as 9 a.m. and with firing operation concluding in the late afternoon. There will be smoke in the air for up to 10 hours. Travelers on Shoreline Highway 1 in the Stinson Beach and Bolinas area will see smoke in the air, fire on the ridge, and may experience slowing traffic. Children, older adults, and those with respiratory conditions should consider limiting outdoor activities and using an air filter at home if local air quality is poor. This prescribed burn will be directed by Audubon Canyon Ranch's Fire Forward with support from local fire districts and Good Fire Alliance. The crews will continue to patrol the area through evenings and subsequent days until all heat has been extinguished. 👁️🗨️ Follow this burn on Watch Duty: app.watchduty.org/i/35537 Learn when and where prescribed fires are happening on Watch Duty and on our social media. Sign up for email notifications about prescribed burns we are leading near you at egret.org/smoke-alert/. Seen above, prescribed fire practitioners tend a previous coastal prairie restoration burn at Martin Griffin Preserve. Photo by Sashwa Burrous. #fireforward #goodfire #landstewardship #wildfireresilience #stinsonbeach

The wonders of California’s unique ecology and diverse natural communities are for everyone to enjoy! Applications are open for the California Naturalist Certification Course with UC Environmental Stewards. Apply by November 15, if interested, or learn more: https://lnkd.in/gj8TdQgi. This course is an inclusive, community-centered program committed to introducing participants from diverse backgrounds to California’s natural environments. Whether you’re reawakening a childhood dream or have a growing interest in the natural world, you’ll enjoy hands-on learning opportunities accessible to all experience levels. This course is an open invitation to all, especially encouraging participation from historically underrepresented communities. Whether you’re a beginner, family, educator, or simply have a sparkling curiosity, your involvement will pave the way for fostering inclusivity in outdoor spaces. Course Structure: Flexible Learning – A mix of in-person and online sessions. Online Classes are held over Zoom each Wednesday from 5:30-8:00 p.m. beginning on January 8, 2025. We may end early on some days. Field trips will have different start and end times and meeting locations, but they will all be full-day events. We will share more detailed information with those awarded a space in the class. Photo of White Crowned Sparrow by David Lumpkin. #UCEnvironmentalStewards #CaliforniaNaturalist #AudubonCanyonRanch #NatureEducation #EnvironmentalStewardship #OutdoorLearning #CommunityScience #EnvironmentalEducation #DiverseEcology #InclusiveOutdoors

Sonoma County currently hosts only one US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air quality sensor, based in Sebastopol. Now, however, the team at Pepperwood Preserve is striving to augment this data by installing and monitoring a new air quality sensor at Audubon Canyon Ranch’s Modini Preserve. This installation is part of a larger network being installed throughout the #AlexanderValley this summer. The installation at Modini is a critical addition to this network as it represents a combination of both an N5 Sensor for wildfire detection and a Clarity Node for air quality monitoring. "This is exciting because this particular installation sits between our forested uplands, where wildfire typically occurs, and the Alexander Valley below,” reports Ryan Ferrell, sentinel site manager with Pepperwood. “Situated in this manner, it has the capability to provide enhanced warnings to our community in the event of wildfire. Furthermore, the elevation of this sensor package allows us to better understand the vertical stratification of air pollution- think wintertime inversion layers. Understanding these patterns in both space and time provides invaluable information for our community and allows individuals to make data-informed decisions about their exposure to smoke and other airborne pollutants.” Pepperwood and its partners will utilize Pepperwood's sentinel site and this extended network of sensors to monitor air quality throughout the Alexander Valley including the communities and agricultural lands where vulnerable community members often live and work. Additional Partners in this effort include the Pepperwood Foundation, Universities Space Research Association (USRA), Soluna Outreach Solutions, Bay Area Environmental Research Institute (BAERI), Communities Organized to Prepare for Emergencies (COPE), North Bay Jobs for Justice, Northern Sonoma County Air Pollution Control District (NoSoCoAir), and Nuestra Comunidad. We look forward to sharing upcoming findings with you, and we sincerely appreciate Pepperwood's ongoing partnership in caring for the people and the land. Photo depicts the new air quality sensor installed at Modini Preserve. Photo credit to Ryan Ferrell. #SonomaCounty #AirQualityMonitoring #EnvironmentalProtectionAgency #WildfireDetection #california #CommunityHealth #DataInformedDecisions #PepperwoodPreserve #ClimateAction #Sustainability

We are hiring five full-time Prescribed Fire Apprentices to join the Fire Forward team! The application period is now open through October 21, 2024. Fire Forward, a program of Audubon Canyon Ranch, brings a unique blend of science-based program design and community organizing as we seek to grow fire-adapted communities tending fire-adapted landscapes. We are building ecosystem resilience together by teaming with private landowners, public agencies, community groups, and conservation partners for the shared purpose of developing a culture of stewardship with a focus on prescribed burning. Reporting to the Squad Lead, the Prescribed Fire Apprentices will perform as a prescribed fire and ecosystem stewardship professional development squad to prepare and conduct prescribed burns while participating in training and workforce development courses and opportunities. The Apprentices will work alongside the Prescribed Fire Practitioner squad as a prescribed fire and ecosystem stewardship crew. Learn more and apply at egret.org/work-with-us/ (🔗 in bio). Seen above, 2024 apprentices and practitioners pose for a victory shot after physical training on the Exposed Misery trail in Marin County. #fireforward #goodfire #prescribedfireworkforce #greenjobs #climatecareers

🌳 Learn how the Bay Area is stepping up to mitigate the effects of the climate crisis and how Proposition 4, which is on the ballot this November, could positively impact the natural places you love. “Climate Risk Reduction: A Showcase of Bay Area Solutions” is a series brought to you by TOGETHER Bay Area and happening October 8, 15, and 22 from 12–1p.m. Register for one talk or for all three: https://lnkd.in/g8Bf9WnW. Tom Gardali , CEO at Audubon Canyon Ranch, will be speaking at the October 8 event for a talk titled, “Adapting to climate changes.” Learn about how extreme weather and other hazards are impacting the Martin Griffin Preserve–and what steps could help restore the preserve in the face of climate risks. There will also be presentations during that session by the Petaluma River Park and by Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation. This event is open to the public, but you need to register. Thank you to all involved at TogetherBayArea, which is a regional coalition for climate resilience and equity. And join us for an online, free event series filled with hope and action. And spread the word! #BayAreaClimateAction #Proposition4 #ClimateCrisis #ClimateResilience #AudubonCanyonRanch #ClimateChangeAdaptation #MartinGriffinPreserve #ClimateActionNow #ClimateHope #TogetherBayArea