Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods

Promoting education, preservation & restoration of the natural & cultural resources of Russian River area State Parks

Promoting Preservation through Education and Stewardship in Russian River and Sonoma Coast State Parks

Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods (Stewards) is a non-profit organization that partners with the Russian River Sector of California State Parks. The sector includes Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve (outside Guerneville), Austin Creek State Recreation Area, Sonoma Coast State Park (from Bodega Bay to Jenner) and includes the Willow Creek watershed. The State Parks Volunteers in Parks program depends on Stewards to provide funding for educational and interpretive activities, for resource management projects, and to assist in the development of interpretive facilities.

The State Parks of Sonoma County's coast and Russian River valley are rich in natural and cultural history, biological diversity and distinctive geology. Our mission is to promote education, preservation and restoration of the natural and cultural resources of Russian River area State Parks through interpretation and public stewardship. We do this (with the help of 400 volunteers) by providing park visitors of all ages with a variety of programs and opportunities to experience and explore these exceptional parks.

With your support we will combat 70 State Parks Closures during the next year, protect Austin Creek State Recreation Area with volunteer patrols and opportunities for public access, work towards reopening closed camping and day-use areas on the Sonoma Coast, as well as continue all our existing education and stewardship programs during these unprecedented times. We will continue to support efforts to secure a sustainable funding source for our state parks. All donations will help us achieve our goal of KEEPING OUR PARKS OPEN.

Stewards plays an important advocacy role for California State Parks. For decades, California's park system, the nation's largest, has been under funded. This has lead to serious understaffing and a $1.3 billion deferred maintenance backlog. In May 2008, the National Trust for Historic Preservation placed our entire state parks system on the list of the top 11 most endangered historic places. Stewards routinely advocates for the needs of our State Park treasures, ensuring they will be open and available for public enjoyment for generations to come.

Featured Events:

View Event Calendar »

Docent & Community Ed Program

NEXT GENERAL VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION
Saturday, MARCH 17, 2012
9:00am-12:00pm - No charge
Learn about the many volunteer opportunities available in Russian River area State Parks. Learn about the rules, regulations and what is required of volunteers.
Registration online is required, email volparks@mcn.org for more information

seals

Pinnipeds and Sonoma Coast Birdlife
Saturday, February 11, 2012
9:00am-Noon
Instructor: Dr. Sarah Allen (Senior Science Advisor, National Park Service Pt. Reyes)
Learning about the pinnipeds (seals) on Sonoma Coast from Dr. Allen is always a treat. This expanded seminar with include information about harbor seals, sea lions and elephant seals.

Instructor: Mary Follis (Seal Watch mentor and trainer)
An outstanding introduction to coastal bird life.

(Lunch Break)

Seal Watch Program Logistics
Saturday, February 11, 2012
12:30-3:30pm
Facilitated by Staff and Docents
Help protect the harbor seals at the mouth of the Russian River during the pupping season (March to Labor Day).

Registration online is required, email volparks@mcn.org for more information

Volunteer Orientations - Free to participants
Seminars - $15 for non-members, $5 for members, no one turned away for inability to pay.

Docent & Community Ed Program

Pinniped Monitoring Program
(Stewards Program - not Volunteers in Parks)
Trained citizen monitors count seals at numerous locations in and around the Jenner Estuary during breaching activities and during the outlet channel formation that is recommended in Biological Opinion, a federally mandated 15-year blueprint to help save endangered fish and ensure water supply. Monthly baseline data collection is also scheduled twice a month. As a Stewards program, volunteers are eligible to receive a stipend to cover travel and meals.
February 14, 2012, 10:00am to 3:00pm with a lunch break

anemone

Tidepool Program Orientation
Saturday, February 18, 2012
9:00am-12:00pm
Facilitated by Staff and Docents
Introduce park visitors to the amazing life in the intertidal zone by leading school groups on tidepool explorations. Roving Naturalists are also available on low-tide weekends to ensure the preservation of the fragile intertidal resources.

(lunch break)

Exploring the Intertidal Zone
Saturday, February 18, 2012
1:00pm -4pm (beach to be determined)
Instructor: Karl Menard (Aquatic Resources Management, Bodega Marine Lab)
Join a lively session of tidepool exploration and learn techniques for interpreting this fragile resource with the public, especially children. For the afternoon session, please dress in layers; bring waterproof boots and a change of clothes.

Registration online is required, email volparks@mcn.org for more information

Volunteer Orientations - Free to participants
Seminars - $15 for non-members, $5 for members, no one turned away for inability to pay.

News

Link to Stewards' Advocacy web page

New Willow Creek Bridge Helps Coho Migration - On Friday, December 16 at 11:30 a.m., Ruth Coleman, the director of California State Parks and Chalton H. Bonham, the director of California Department of Fish and Game, along with officials from the NOAA Restoration Center and other organizations, will celebrate the construction of the Willow Creek 2nd Bridge (details below). The new bridge will open the watershed of Willow Creek to migrating coho salmon and steelhead, and eliminate the annual flooding that created problems for residents, State Parks and the popular Pomo Canyon Campground.
Restoring Fish Passage in Willow Creek - Steelhead and Coho saved - Stewards is proud to report that our Willow Creek 2nd Bridge Fish Passage Construction Project has begun! The exciting news is that 60 anadromous fish were captured including 40 steehead and 20 coho!!

Other news stories »

Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods on Facebook

Education

Stewards offers special educational programs to help students and the public learn about a redwood grove's complex web of life, discover the wonders of coastal tide pools and engage in watershed field studies. In addition to studying a wide variety of flora and fauna, we help you explore the history of the Native Americans and other cultural groups who dwelled here.

Our School Group Education Programs serve over 5,000 school children a year. Stewards provides manuals and learning aids to teachers to support their curriculum goals. On-site field trips led by State Parks Volunteer Docents and Staff give students a hands-on opportunity to:

Investigate the wonders of the interdial zone
Learn about watershed values by participating in creek assessment projects
Explore the ecology of an old-growth redwood forest

Stewards' Public Education Programs are staffed by State Parks Volunteer Docents and Staff. They give generously of their time to share their love of nature, knowledge and information, as well as stewardship values. These programs include:

Resource Management and Restoration

The natural resources in our parks have been impacted by past land use practices and are in need of continuing restoration to bring them back to health. Stewards has raised over $600,000 in funds through donations and grants to support resource management projects. We develop partnerships with other private and public organizations. Our volunteer stewardship programs include:

Armstrong Trail Crew
Sonoma Coast Trail Crew
Willow Creek water quality monitoring
Monthly marine debris monitoring and
beach clean-ups
Additional trail and restoration projects occurring as needed

State Parks Visitor Centers

Stewards supports the California State Park Visitor Centers in Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve and at the Sonoma Coast State Park in Jenner. State Parks volunteers operate nature stores at both locations. Our long-term goals include the renovation and expansion of current facilities and the development of a new facilities at Armstrong Redwoods and the Sonoma Coast State Park.

Armstrong Redwoods
State Natural Reserve

Austin Creek
State Recreation Area

Sonoma Coast
State Park

Willow Creek
Watershed